Bodyline Review: JSK L031 in Purple

This morning my Bodyline package arrived!

I decided to buy a jumperskirt listed at £13. I thought, why not at that price? The lace looked good from the stock pictures, and I figured it would be a cute addition to my wardrobe. However, I wasn't really sure of which colourway I liked best. I already have lots of pink, blue doesn't suit me much, I already own a mint JSK, and I wasn't crazy about getting a brown dress. Then I noticed there was a purple option, but apparently no picture to represent this.

I have never seen a review of the purple colourway before. Despite this, I decided to take the plunge and buy it anyway! I paid in Japanese Yen, which meant the price (including shipping) became £16.32, which seemed pretty excellent to me. Then, I waited for the dress to arrive (I ordered on March 19th, so it took a little over two weeks with AIR shipping), figuring it would be a lavender type of colour. I was, however, very much mistaken.

At first I thought they'd sent me brown but I compared it to something else I own which is the same purple-- a very unusual shade. It's got a greyish tinge to it, and appears to be the same shade used in Bodyline's "Love Nadia" print. I wasn't sure how to feel about it, but then I fell in love with the details.

The bibbed area is absolutely gorgeous, with soft lace, a cute bow and ribbon detail.

The back has corset lacing, and a little shirring, though it isn't the most forgiving. The website states it should fit busts between 84 and 94 cm, but I would say this wouldn't be too comfortable if you're at the upper end of that range. In regular Bodyline fashion, the dress isn't lined, but the dress isn't thin so this isn't a problem.

The JSK comes with a detachable bow. It's pretty big, and can be worn at the waist of the dress, or perhaps turned into a hairbow. I decided to try the latter.

I had no idea what to wear it with at first. In the end, I decided on dusky pink, and white.

It's not the sort of colour I normally would have chosen but as it turns out, I really like it! I was surprised by how well it accommodated a petticoat, too, as the stock pictures made it look much more A-line. Luckily, it didn't look tight or stretched by the addition of cupcake floofiness.

I'm glad I decided to take a chance with this dress. It is great quality, so for that price you really are getting an absolute bargain.

Edited to add 24/3/14: Here's a post with a picture of me wearing the dress outside so you can see a more accurate colour.