S U B C O U T U R E | Release Review

A surprise release of Subcouture this weekend - posting this review today in case you still want to make some purchases, you have until the end of Sunday to do so =) The advertising looks bright and summer, it's tricky to get a gage on the vibe of the release, the front look is more boho while the one at the back has a party focus, so lets see what's on offer!

Highlights This release has 2 floors with a total of 10 looks for the girls and 2 looks for the guys. It's a bit of a random release, the styles seem a bit all over the place - which gives an unappealing vibe to start with I think. Nothing seems to fit together much, but I think it's worth it to spend some time looking at the individual pieces.

Accessories A pretty mixed bunch of pieces I'd say. The bags are a huge success for starters, I really like both pieces, they're current, have been made well, and aren't pieces we've had similar versions of before. The Subcouture Chrystal Bag is a structured box bag with a perspex outer layer and in a snazzy silver, while the Straw Mini Bag is a little more casual, although still has sparkles, it's in a popular rounded style and I think it looks pretty good^ As a whole, the shoes are pretty disappointing, but the Green Buckle Booties are very nice. They're a sock-boot fitted style with a very nice design in the buckle. I really like the colour, it's different and will definitely stand out in an outfit. There are a couple of belts in the release, which are both very nice - the Twosided Belt and Versace Inspired Belt are both black pieces with large metal buckle details. Overall pretty minimal, but very wearable which is definitely something I like about them =)

Clothing Again the clothing is quite a mixed bunch. There are a few questionable, and a few familiar items, so I wouldn't say it's a great release overall - this section will be a little short^ One thing I do like is that there are a lot of separates and not so many dresses - the Blue Love Flirty Dress is super cute, I love the design and colour, but separate pieces are just so much more wearable. The Contoured Ring Top and Mini are the first pieces which caught my eye, such a sweet co-ord set, super boho and the sort of Coachella vibes that I like^ I love the pale colour and the pink delicate floral detailing, plus the ring detailing is great when you zoom in for a closer look, so intricate! I like the balloon-style sleeves on the Top and the Skirt is a nice length for a mini piece - both will look great together or styled alone. Another co-ord is the Cowboy Style Shirt and Shorts, again fitting with the vibes I'd expect from Coachella. I'm not 100% convinced on the Shorts yet, I'm not sure how versatile they are, but I love the colour combinations on these pieces. The white base is great and I love the brown trimmings and detail, they're definitely stand out! And finally the Beige Laced Top, it seems a little out of place and doesn't really go with any of the outfits it's placed in in store, but I like it on its own! The details are really pretty and while it is a little lingerie-esque with sheer panels, I find on my doll's skin tone it doesn't really come across like that and it will be a pretty feminine and non-white piece to wear in summer styles =)

Prices This release ranges from 14 to 30SD's which is very much on par with the last 3 or 4 releases - didn't find this too expensive, I bought 8 or 9 items for less than 150SD's, which I think isn't bad. This release isn't SS or Royalty limited, but it is time limited to this weekend.

Styled Outfits Now for my stylings, I bought quite a few pieces so can't feature everything, but just a few summery stylings to start with. First up the Contoured Ring Top and Mini which I kept simple with neutral accessories - I think styling the pieces together that works well, and if styling them separately I might venture out into colour^ Secondly the Beige Laced Top which I knew I wanted to wear with these silky trousers immediately, I just love the look of the fitted top with the loose leg of the trousers! I also added the Straw Mini Bag to this styling, the colour works well with the pale pink and the cream, and I think these brown heels make a nice finishing touch. It's super simple, but something pretty wearable =) And finally the Cowboy Style Shirt, which was the piece I spent most time on - I did want to wear it with brown trousers, but nothing in my wardrobe was quite right with the colours so I went with these white trousers, which have a great texture to match up with the shirt. Love the brown accessories to match the shirt details, and I have a lot of these so plenty of options to go along the similar style in the future too^

Features And now for the features! The Chrystal Fishnet Dress sure seems popular, these first few looks make use of it in contrasting styles. Achrome wears it in a light white look, pairing it also with the Subcouture Chrystal Bag, a perfect pairing, and also the Halterneck Top. I love these wide leg trousers, they look super stylish, and the gloves and jewels added are just a continuation of the glamour and sparkles^

In the second styling with the Chrystal Fishnet Dress, Jesica_1998 chooses a darker look, which the sparkly mesh looks just as good in! Again with a wide leg trouser, definitely seeming a little of a trend to me, and I like the use of the patterned top, it adds something a little different to the styling that something plain would. I like the short sleeves too^ The accessories are simple yet fitting and effective for the styling =) 

And back to a lighter styling, Mia1435 wearing the Tweed Mini Dress in silver with it's long fringing detailing. I really like the meshed skirt added beneath, it looks a perfect match and I like the style combination. The accessories are great, I like the mixed metals in the heels and necklace, and the draping on the bag is a great fit with the style of the Dress^

And the final feature, twittersred wearing the Notte Dress - I was very much put off this piece by the deep V, because otherwise it's a very nice piece, but this look overcomes that with this blue polo, it's really the perfect solution! The pieces meld together quite seamlessly, it's really looking like one dress. The minimal accessories are perfect, they both stand out and fit in while the Dress does it's work!

Safari-chic

What a cute safari-ready style - twittersred combines some of our current favourite pieces for this styling and looks amazing! Both this tee and this skirt are absolutely all over the place right now, and together they are fantastic - I love the extra addition of this emerald neck scarf it's perfect with both pieces. The neutral heels, hat and somewhat the earrings (a very glamorous neutral!) fit the style perfectly and balance the look out. I'm really loving this use of this bag though, I know it's a tricky one to style right and it's perfect in this combination =D

Skirted out

What a dark princess based look today from twittersred! There's been so much layering put into this look that it really deserves a round of applause^ So the base for the most part is ruffled tulle, the longest and outer layers of the maxi gown skirt, and those go well with the deeper of the mini pieces and these add great texture to the dress. I love the chiffon here and there, I think it works really well where it is. And the top dress, which is a Saint Laurent mini piece, it looks great, especially layered with something to fill in the chest, this patterned polo is awesome and a perfect fit^ Also lets mention these boots, I love them, and this look really made me take the step and purchase them =D

M S W 1 7 S T O R E | Feature Set

I found myself not hugely impressed with this latest MSW Store release, which is disappointing as usually I might find at least a couple of decent pieces! So no review or styled outfits from me - instead a Feature Set showing off what some of you guys have been making of these pieces =)

So the first one of the set is mechteld2 going with the Dreamy Gold One Shoulder Top - this is a piece I didn't like the look of in the store, but I have to say this look works out so well for it! The skirt looks great and the use of accessories and glamorous makeup are perfect, such a good job on this one!

Secondly Mia1435 in this ultra-sleek stylish look making use of the Asymterical Pointy Heels, definitely one of the positives of the release! I love the futuristic style tones of this look with the whites and blue, plus the trouser length is awesome for highlighting some shoes, perfect again =)

I think this look from ccaauu1414 with the Gemstone Feather Couture Dress is really something! It's certainly a great look for a dress with lots going on - I really couldn't see how it would work in stylings, but this shows it doesn't need fancy or frilly extras! The jewellery has been picked well, and these shoes are just perfection for the dress ^

And finally, going all out with a big gown is twittersred wearing the Tulle Couture Skirt with the Asymetrical Patent Point Heels - it's awesome! This is the sort of look that the MSW store was made for producing, it's glamorous and full of showing off for the contest! Love the top combination, they're perfect together and with the skirt, it really sells such a fancy piece to a little less fancy style =) 

Really red

I wasn't a fan of this latest Young Hollywood release in the Plaza, but twittersred clearly was - and she's gone all out on the red in the styling! The Rihanna Inspired Over The Top Top is looking pretty good in this glamorous styling. I adore all the use of the reds like the flowing skirt to make the look pop off your screens, but I also love the sheer top underneath, making the piece seem more like a wearable top than a flashy style^ The accessories are great too, love the belt, it fits in seamlessly, and also the use of these hooped earrings ... fabulous!

Pastel arts

Love this pastel pink look from twittersred - I really think it's perfect for spring and is right on all the popular trends! I like the satin bra ontop of the polo, I think it looks classy for the style and the matching pink high-waisted lace midi skirt is a fab pairing! It's a piece I didn't buy because it looked pretty tricky to style, but this is perfect for it =) The denim is a nice contrast and adds an artsy feel to the outfit. Also liking the socks and lace shoes pairing, super cute and stylish!

P R E T T Y ' N L O V E | Release Review

I was very pleased to see a new Pretty 'N Love release last week, hoping it's the end of a somewhat drought that Stardoll has been going through. The pieces on the homepage gave me a good first impression and the advert is very much fitting in with the typical Pretty 'N Love vibe that we usually get =)

Highlights So I definitely had good first impressions from the first items which were on the homepage. I was a little disappointed once checking out the rest of the store, but nevertheless I think it's a decent release for the Plaza.

Accessories The usual small amount of accessories for a one-floor release, with a little of everything available. There are heels and flats, the Ruffle Heeled Sandals which I wasn't really a fan of from afar but I really like up close, definitely a stylish piece, and then the Metallic Nude Brogues which aren't so much my style but I've seen a few people wear quite nicely. There are also a pair of socks, the Pink Sheer Spots Socks which are pretty cute - I haven't mastered the socks with anything trend yet, so I'll leave that to the pro's but they're definitely a nice Plaza addition. There's also the Blush Chain Cross Body Bag, which I don't think is anything too special, and the Shopper Tulips Bag, which is alright, but not something I can see myself getting good use of.

Clothing I think there are a couple of great items in the clothing of this release, but on the whole there are a few too many pairs of shorts for me. They're not something I wear on Stardoll a lot and they're not an item I go out of my way to style, they don't really suit me or fit into my wardrobe either. There are 4 pairs of shorts, 5 if you include the skirt which looks like shorts as well - which is a lot for a collection which only has 15 clothing items in it to start with! I do like the emphasis on florals and blues though, the print on the Embroidered Shorts and their matching Emboridered Blouse is pretty sweet, I just would prefer it on a different item! The baby blue High Waisted Shorts With Belt is also matched with the Flared Cropped Top, and unfortunately it just doesn't suit me at all, maybe it's my dolls tan skin tone, but the colour doesn't look good on her! The style is cute, and I think some people will wear it well. There are a couple of dresses and one-pieces, with the dresses both shorter pieces and the jumpsuit being longer. The Bow Front Mini Dress has a prom-esque feel to it especially with it's sheeny material, not something I'd really wear but it's a sweet piece. Then there's the summery Stripe Dress which I quite like. The style is well fitting and I think the colour and design will make it popular this season. And the bright magenta Jumpsuit With Shoulder Detail definitely stands out in its shocking colour choice, again this piece has a nice fit and design and I think it will be popular in the summer - now I just want this piece in trouser form to wear! Speaking of trousers, the Frill Hem Tailored Trousers are definitely one of my favourites from this store. Great colour, fantastic design and super trendy right now, I couldn't ask for anything more to refresh my trouser collection =) And lastly my other favourite from this release, the Spring Shoulder Detailed Jacket, as the name suggests it's ideal for Spring and it really adds to my outerwear selection as Spring pieces are hard to come by I think! Plus when I purchased this it also came with the little insert so you can fill in the back of the piece, which is fab and something most do anyway, so that was great and made me give an extra nod of approval to the jacket!

Prices This store ranges from 4 to 22SD's with most items quite happily in the middle of the range and it's on par with previous releases. There's a couple of pieces in SC's and also a couple for SS only, but I don't think that takes away from the good pieces this release has =)

Styled Outfits I was so excited to style my two favourites from this release. First up the Spring Shoulder Detailed Jacket and I was quite willing to style it with a dress as a continuation of the longer length of the piece. This light maxi is perfect in colour match but also helps to highlight the best aspects of the jacket. I love how easily gold pairs with this colour, so a clutch and sunglasses were the only accessories needed^ And then the Frill Hem Tailored Trousers which I have a lot of different ideas for, this time I went with frilly lace to compliment the hems and I really like how this shirt works and gives the impression of a belt at the waist. Layering the shirt with the puffed sleeved blouse is nice and I like the volume the sleeves add to the style =)

Features And for some awesome features - these 3 really did an amazing job of wearing the collection! First up is Mh91 going with the Flared Cropped Top which very much suits this style unlike it did on me! It pairs well with the navy blue of the skirts and also the slightly brighter blue of the off shoulder top beneath it - this is one layering work of art! The shapes of the pieces all compliment each other well and I think it works nicely to highlight the new release =)

Secondly pandaribbon, who actually styled 4 looks from this release but I've just snapped this one (it's hard to pick a favourite, all the pieces are styled well!) with the Pretty N Love Tshirt and Pink Sheer Spots Socks and I think this is just the epitome of the Pretty 'N Love store, all feminine and girly and fun! I think there's not too much going on with the spots and the florals of the blazer, in fact this is a great style for it, I love it with the skirt especially, and totally kicking myself for not wearing it like this^

And last but not least is twittersred wearing the Spring Shoulder Detailed Jacket with the insert piece included. The nude trousers are a great fit with the jacket, but I adore the use of lace, particularly at the sleeves where it can shine through the cutout shoulder and really emphasise the detail, plus it's continued in the pretty shoes!

Tropical tone

Tropical Tuesday today with this fantastic feature from twittersred =) This summer styling stood out to me as soon as I had seen it, I just love the suspender shorts, meshed sleeves and cool frilled printed top, the pieces fit well and the colours are complementary. The accessorising is also good, the perspex heels fit the style nicely, while the turquoise earrings are perfection^ Also just take a look at that beauty styling ... I think it's amazing =D

Yellow tint

Looking a little summery in yellow today from twittersred! I really love this sweater and had to show this styling with it, it definitely stands out =) Casual jeans are great with the piece, I especially love the extra casual-ness added from the tied sweater around the waist - but it's been super glammed up since then! The heels and glittered socks are perfect and quite adorable, plus love the Fendi bag chosen =D

Trouser layers

Such a stand out look today from twittersred with this black and gold number and fab red lips! I particularly love the layering of these trousers, it's a perfect work around for them both (the Sheer Lounge Pants and the Shiny Lace Trousers from this years MSW) - so genius^ Also the addition of this knotted piece from the latest Nelly is perfect. Accessories are great and the beauty is to die for - amazing overall =)