Swan's Feathers is an upcoming release from Alice and the Pirates. It's a non-print release which has gotten very popular! In fact, the initial reservation sold out on the first day. AatP designer Tomomi Nakamura is a big fan of ballet, so it's no surprise that this series is based off of the Swan Lake story.

First, we have the lolita side of the release. Odette and Odile are often played by the same ballerina in two opposite outfits, so each piece comes in two colorways: offwhite for Odette and black for Odile.

The eye-catcher of this series is the Swan's Feather Clip which is a unique combination of a collar and feather epaulettes. Extra details are brought forth with the combination of different textures of chiffon, jacquard, lace, and feathers. I'd love to see a pair of lolitas twinning both colors together.

Next, not one, but two boystyle sets were also announced! The first is the Siegfried ouji set. Prince Siegfried is the protagonist of Swan Lake and falls in love Odette.

The cut of this vest is a more opulent re-do of the Pharis Vest. The white lace gives a nice impression of swan feathers without using actual feathers. The pants have the same cut as the El Dorando Pants, but the lace is shorter, so it will be easier to pull off.  The separate pieces aren't really versatile, but they do look amazing paired together. I partly wish that it was a salopette instead of two pieces. The only complaint I have about this set is the hat is a very awkward size; it's too small to be worn as a full-sized hat, but too big to be a mini hat. I do like the detachable veil (it's a buttcape for hats), but with the lack of gold details, I don't like this hat with the vest and pants. 

Lastly, there is the Rothbart aristocrat set. The antagonistic sorcerer Von Rothbart gets khaki green and black colorways. Khaki is a popular color for brands this S/S 2015. Brands are slowly catching onto the demand for boystyle in more colors, so I predict we'll see more colors in the near future.

The Rothbart Vest is a leveled up version of the Granny Smith Vest. The cut is extremely flattering and can be used in both youthful and mature coordinates. The pants have a 2-way zipper which is a small detail that AatP doesn't include very often, but it adds a nice 2-way feature for the hem.The blouse also comes in three different colors. Its tiered jabot and sleeves add a uniform detail to any vest or sleeveless jacket. I wouldn't think of a sorcerer when I look at the entirety, but it's nice nonetheless.

Overall, I call this series best release of 2015 for Pirates so far. The lolita set is gorgeous and the boystyle sets look good as well. Alice and the Pirates has been re-releasing older cuts from its early days lately, but seeing this release utilize more modern cuts and looking good is refreshing. What are your thoughts? Is Alice and the Pirates finally starting to get out of the slump?

AatP New Year's Lucky Pack 2014 Opening

In a 2 hour struggle with the BtSSB website crashing, I luckily was able to purchase Briar Rabbit’s Paysage JSK II set by Alice and the Pirates. The lucky pack cost 19,740 yen and shipping to the US was 4900 yen.

Inside the box, everything was contained in a navy AatP eco bag containing 1 jumperskirt, 1 blouse, 1 headbow, 1 pair of OTK socks, 1 eye patch, and 1 purse.

The print on the JSK is gorgeous! I'm not usually a print person, but when I saw the preview the frames and the splashes of red reminded me of AatP's Charm de Rouge print. In-person it's even more beautiful; my pictures don't do any justice at all. Since it's a lucky pack release, the fabric is thinner than normal and there is no lining. There is no boning either which is good in my opinion because I've had a lot of AatP boning stab through the fabric. The tag also says not to get it wet since the print may run. I was lucky enough to get the black blouse, but I ended up selling it because I didn't like how large the collar was. The headbow is medium-sized and is wired, so you can change the shape. The socks might end up being knee socks for taller people since they go barely past my knees. The eye patch is made of faux leather and has a gold-embroidered AatP logo design. The purse was surprisingly bigger than I was expecting and is very roomy. Inside it has red lining and there are 3 pockets. Overall, I'm very happy with this purchase!