Review for Bodyline L191 and BAG120

It was requested, awhile back, that I review one of my favorite Bodyline pieces: L191, or my Heart Chocolate Sweet Biscuit JSK.  Since I have the bag, too, I'll be sharing a few words on that.
 




Shown with Detachable Bow



Back View

This particular JSK is listed as made from the material "Cotton Other" on Bodyline's website.  I'm not sure what that means, but it is a heavier cotton cloth.  I believe that if you had a petticoat that wasn't stiff enough, the dress would cause it to droop.  With a racer-back bra (or one of those little discs you put on a bra to turn it into a racer-back) this dress looks really nice in the summer time with no blouse.
I've washed this piece several times, with no problems.  To dry I just hang upside-down to air dry.  It irons, alright, as well.  Not great, because of the thick fabric, but alright. 

Th back is shirred and has corset lacing.  However, the ribbon that was used for the lacing seems really cheap and it looks like it should tie at the bottom.  Also, the ribbon is really, really long.  I'm not sure if it's because I'm thin, and don't use much lacing, or if the ribbon is just really long.

The waist ties are beautiful, and (if you're really patient about it) tie very nicely.  However, because of the way the corset lacing is, it tends to get stuck in my waist tie bow if I try and tie it myself.

The waist ties close-up are so beautiful with so many lovely details.  It seems like just enough, while not going over the top.

The JSK uses a zipper closure, under the left arm.  This is nice, in that it keeps the zipper very nicely hidden.  However, due to the style of zipper it tends to rub on the underside of my arm.  It's more annoying than painful, but I generally have a red mark under my arm at the end of the day, even when I wear a blouse.

 I also wanted to point this out.  I want to make it very clear that the dress did not come with this rip.  However, I wanted to point it out and the situation that caused it. 
The first time I wore this dress, the zipper got caught on that cloth part when I went to zip it.  It got stuck, BADLY.  To unstick the zipper, I had to cut off that particular piece, and pull it out of the zipper.  Now, I don't know if this is a result of random chance (lucky me!) or if it has to do with how the zipper is sewn in.  If you notice, that cloth piece around the zipper folds over a bit there.

The print on this is gorgeous!  All soft colors, with details that resemble the lace on the dress.  Also, you can't see but I tried my hardest to get a picture, the background behind the cookies is not white.  It is actually a very, very light yellow with white dots on it.  People probably can't see it when you wear it, either, but it's such a pretty little detail, and I didn't notice it for a long time.

The bow detailing is also very lovely.  The dress has two small bows, where each strap connects to the front of the dress.  It also has two detachable bows, the smaller of which I have not pictured.  They're both really nicely made, and if you like to wear large head bows, the smaller of the two could, probably, be easily converted for that purpose.

This is the sort of lace you'll see most places on this dress.  It's not soft, but it's not really scratchy either.  It's not uncomfortable or itchy, at all.  It's more of an off white than a white, too.

This is the lovely lace on the bottom.  It's a longer piece of more stiff lace, with a little line of short puffy heart lace sewn on the top.

However, I noticed this problem with my lace.  It's cut, more or less, wrong and a bit sloppy.  Some places are considerably worse than others.  In fact, some places the lace is trimmed correctly.  As much as I love this dress, this is my second biggest peeve about it.

My biggest peeve with this dress is this underarm ruffle.  I have tried ironing it a million times, but due to a combination of the thick fabric and seeming like there is just to much fabric in the ruffle, I can't get it to lay flat.  Right now, I have it hanging in the bathroom to try and steam the ruffles down.



Really quickly, here's the bag.  It's a nice good size, but unfortunately no sort of pockets or dividers.  Also, the straps seem really cheap, and weak.  When I use this bag, sometimes I worry that the weight of the things in my purse could cause them to tear.  However, it is nicely lined.  I like it because it matches my dress, but it's by no means a must-have.

Final Rundown:

Bodyline L191 - Heart Chocolate Sweet Biscuit JSK

Pros:

-Nice heavy fabric

-Top of the dress made so it can be worn with or without a blouse

-No problems with washing

-Beautiful detailing on the waist ties

-Nice colors and details in the print along the bottom

Cons:

-Some detailing looks cheap (mainly corset ribbon)

-Zipper rubs on arm

-Poorly cut lace

-Ruffle won't lay flat

Overall Rating: 7/10

Bodyline BAG120 - Matching Tote

Pros:

-Good size

-Nicely lined

-Matches the dress!

Cons:

-Straps seem cheap

-No dividers

Overall Rating: 5.5/10

Also, I would like to point out that, as of this posting, on Bodyline's site the prices are:

JSK - $31

Bag - $6



Me, wearing the reviewed pieces