Mini Bodyline Haul Review

Yay, my first review! And what better way to start than with a classic Bodyline review?

Last month Bodyline was having their free Air shipping sale, and since I'm a cheapskate I decided it would be as good a time as any to place an order I've been holding off on for weeks. My wardrobe is severely lacking in blouses and boleros (which I adore wearing over JSKs), so I figured using Bodyline to help me with some nice, wallet friendly fillers was a pretty good idea. So around the 16th of March I placed an order for 2 boleroes and 2 blouses, and here they are, so let's get started!

So much black! I think I need to start expanding my wardrobe color palette...maybe.

Cardigan L167

I knew I was testing fate when I bought this cardigan because its listed measurements are a fair bit smaller than my bust , but it was just so cute and cheap I couldn't resist. Turns out it's just as cute in person as it is online! It's extremely soft (and not as thin looking as it appears on the website), but what I was most surprised to find is that it has bits of gold mixed in the black that I hadn't noticed in the stock photo. The gold isn't scratchy and you can see it a bit in my photo.

 The lace is also very cute, delicate little flowers that I thought were a nice touch and not used in excess amounts. The front bow is also attached by a pin, so the bolero can easily be worn with or without it, though it is a little bit floppier looking than in the stock photos.

However, when Bodyline states it has a bust measurement of 84cm, they MEAN it. It actually fits quite comfortably on my arms and shoulders, but there is absolutely no way I'm getting this thing over my bust without looking utterly ridiculous. Oh well, off to Lace Market it goes!

Cardigan L409

Good grief, this cardigan is HEAVY! After the lightness of the other cardigan, I was really surprised to pull this one out of the package because it really has so much weight to it. I was also surprised to find it's covered in sequins! I realize now looking over the stock photo that it does have some sparkle to it, but I wasn't expecting so many sequins.

It really does have some cute details to it. The lace isn't the most fantastic quality, but it's used in small elements and I imagine won't be too difficult to remove if I find it grows bothersome. I love the ruffles and the ribbon detail is a cute touch as well. 

Weirdly enough, even though this cardigan is listed as only 4 cms larger than the previous one, it fits me just fine (did I mention I have a 94cm bust?). I guess those 4 cms really make a difference, though I wouldn't recommend it for much a bust much larger than mine. My major complaints are that the sleeves are a bit on the short side, and the fabric has a slightly rough quality (likely from the sequins) that can get a little irritating on the skin.

Blouse L505

So, I don't actually own a single blouse with a peter pan collar. I've always felt they just look so awkward on me, but again, since I was on a mission I decided to just bite the bullet and get at least one, simple blouse I could hopefully use in many different ways. I liked this one because it has detachable sleeves and a jabot (which is also removable).

I decided to order a size 2L and I was a little nervous it wasn't going to fit my bust, but turns out this blouse actually fits beautifully. The waist has some nice wiggle room since I'm a little smaller than the listed measurements, and I think I'm going to go ahead and remove the waist ties as I don't like the way they look and don't really need them as I primarily wearing JSKs anyway. 

Here's a close-up of the collar, and as you can see the lace isn't really the best quality. This doesn't really bother me too except for around the arms where I find a combination of the lace and elastic gets irritating really quickly. Still, the elastic is nice for allowing a range of arm sizes, however the attached long sleeves do not have elastic, so I'd be wary if your arms are on the thicker side. The sleeves are attached by 4 buttons and easily removed though if you just feel like doing away with them entirely (as I probably will since I don't much like the way they look).

The blouse is made of the usual, polyester blend Bodyline material. It doesn't seem like it would breathe very well, but it's actually rather soft and not crackly or stiff. In any case, I'm glad to have a simple, peter pan collared blouse in my wardrobe now.

Blouse L373

So, when I laid this one out I was really surprised at how big the armholes looked. I thought perhaps my eyes were just playing tricks on me, but when I tried it on...nope. The arm holes are just really super big for some reason. Again, I ordered a size 2L, and though it's slightly on the larger side, it still fits me pretty nicely-except for the arms! It's really quite odd, but thankfully since they're elastic they should be a fairly easy fix.

All in all though, I love this blouse! The design is a lot more like what I'm used to and I love it's simplicity. The fabric feels a little bit stiffer than the previous blouse, but it's nothing unbearable and will likely soften out a bit after a few washes.

This blouse has some super cute rose buttons that sadly all came out blurry in my photos. It's a nice little elegant touch that I really appreciate, and the lace is used minimally as well. I don't know if I'll be purchasing much more from Bodyline, however I would definitely consider getting another one of these to have as back up, and possibly even one in pink. I don't think I'll ever use the added ties that are intended to be used around the neck, but perhaps someday I'll work on another craft project with them. 

Phew! That was fun! I hope this review was informative and can maybe help someone out on a future purchase. I know that's why I love reading them, so let's share the wealth of knowledge.