Wednesday 26 June 2013

Anna House Review: Blouse 016-1347 in Black and White

Hey everyone! I recently made an order with Anna House for the very first time.

I really needed a new black, short-sleeved blouse (I was very unimpressed with a certain Bodyline one that people rave about. The material was so...plasticy), and I've never owned a short-sleeved white blouse so Anna House seemed like the perfect place to buy them. Their prices are very affordable, and their quality seemed far superior to the Bodyline equivalent, and yet were the same price. Onto the review...
I ordered on Friday 14th June, and my package arrived on Friday 21st June! I didn't get charged a customs fee because Anna House marked the package as a gift, and of $20 value.

I opened the package (a sturdy cardboard box, with the blouses inside wrapped with bubble wrap and plastic packaging) and was greeted with two lovely blouses.

This is the white blouse (obviously...) It has a really flattering shape to it, nipping in at the waist and flaring back out at the hips. It's a great length, so you won't need to worry about your blouse riding up or your tummy being visible.


The lace details on the collar are beautiful. It is detailed but not excessive.

The puff sleeves have lots of stretch to them so they will be comfortable on a range of arm sizes. The lace used is soft, and doesn't irritate the skin.

The buttons are like little roses-- so cute! You can see the soft cotton lace better here.

The black blouse is exactly the same.
The blouse is a true black, but it's quite hard to photograph and still capture the details.

Again, very pretty lace details at the collar, adorable buttons, and soft lace on the body of the blouse.

I'm really impressed with Anna House. These blouses cost just $41 each! Very good value for money, and I highly recommend them.

Friday 21 June 2013

Bodyline Review: Jacket L502 and Cutsew L146

Hey everyone! I managed to survive my end-of-term exams, and I'm currently on my summer holidays so I can get back to blogging again!

This week, after waiting around for my package which was apparently stuck at the Langley HWDC, and paying a customs fee (grrr...) I finally received it! I only got two items this time.

First off, the black jacket.
I love this! It's much better quality than I'd been expecting. The fabric has a nice soft, yet very sturdy and with a smooth feel to it, plus the small amount of lace trim used is thick cotton. I normally buy Bodyline items in size M but I opted for 2L with this one, so that if I wanted to wear layers underneath I could. 

The buttons have a fabric layer to blend into the rest of the jacket, and there are two bows going up the front to add a little extra cuteness. The back of the jacket also has one of these bows.

Overall, I am extremely pleased with this jacket! I think the blazer style is really flattering, and adds a classy touch to any outfit.

Next up, the pink cutsew.
I thought the cutsew was cute at a first glance until I began to pick up on a couple of details that bothered me.

What is going on with the random cream lace? It doesn't go with any of the other white lace, and ends up making the cutsew look like it's dirty. The lace along the collar seemed pretty unnecessary to me, too. I decided to do away with both of these dodgy details.

Much better, don't you think? It was all a bit too much for me before, but I find it to be more wearable this way. The fabric feels super soft, and it's nice and loose on me (I went for size 2L on this item, too, so I would have lots of breathing space if I wanted to wear it on a really hot day).

The sleeves have just the right amount of puff, and cute pintuck details. There's a little bow on each sleeve, same as the ones used around the collar and they're very well made. I found the fit just right for me with a max arm circumference of 27cm, but if you have bigger arms, you will not fit this cutsew. The sleeves have no give whatsoever.

I'm looking forward to wearing this cutsew, paired with a skirt on a hot summer's day.

Thanks for looking!