![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mmymoonSo, after reading a spate of negative reviews of Milanoo.com, I... placed an order with them. And I'm delighted.
Wholesale Disclaimer: Some people are shocked by the idea of ordering from Chinese wholesalers. If you're honestly the type of person who only buys thrifted or American-made items (I know a few people who do), then I laud your moral willpower. However, most people gleefully shop at Target, but act shocked by the idea of buying from China. Um...
Design Disclaimer: The site replicates designs; it does an approximation of others' designs from photos. That is, for me, morally-artistically grey, if not downright bad. However, at this point, there are few companies who don't (coughcoughLipServicecoughcough) and I am, as a tall 2X, really sick of not having any clothes to wear. (My experience with commissions has been dreadful at best.) If you take an ethical issue on this front, I can only humbly agree that I am morally failing here due to my utter fashion exhaustion.
Gothic Disclaimer: Please remember, I am goth. I enjoy lolita influences, but goth. Goth goth goth.
OKAY!
.... uh, wait, I guess that's just a mass of black. (And wow, I have gotten chubby!) Hold on...
Boom. Oh, it is such a lovely dress. It's lovely, lovely, lovely. It's a nice garment-weight cotton, the seams are nicely finished on par with a retail garment, the lace is soft, and it's fitted perfectly; again, I would compare the quality to Lip Service. It honestly reminds me a lot of a late 90s Lip Service (retail line) dress I had and adored.
This is the listing I ordered.
Now, the lolitas abhor this company -- but, ah, any subculture largely made up of teenage girls will likely not have the best reasoning skills; from the research I did, I got the impression that many people ordering expected the manufacturers to basically be a Lolita Company, with full knowledge of the subculture's elaborate rules, or indeed, any of their rules. ("They'll have to use better lace if they want to impress us," etc.) The thing that most people can realize is that a producer has no desire to impress anyone; they desire profits. I think the business likely does as good a job at producing the designs as they know how, and from reading older and newer reviews, they seem to be improving.
There is some question of odd customer service, but I can't speak to other people's experiences on that. I contacted them to make sure they recorded my height and they were quite helpful. There were also complaints that production and shipping times were too long during the Halloween-through-Christmas season... to that, I just sigh and roll my eyes.
And the issue of lace -- it isn't cotton lace. Again, I'm goth, so I don't care; I'm growing a bit sick of seeing the same cluny everywhere... but it's very soft.
All in all, I'm beyond thrilled with the entire experience. While I've been studying and improving my skills, I still abhor sewing; this is wonderful. I want to run out and order twelve more dresses -- oh, but I'm losing weight, aren't I? I suppose that will keep me financially prudent for now, alas. (On the issue of this dress, which is so lovely; if my measurements do eventually drop to the point where it doesn't hang correctly, well, I'll order another.) I also got a similarly tucked skirt, but it has an elastic waist, and fit won't be a problem. I didn't take a picture of the skirt, but it's also gorgeous and ruffly and squee.
I also ordered a pinafore from Gency's Exit (ha ha, Disgaea pun) on Etsy:
Bwaaaaaaaaa!
This is a lovely heavy twill with nicely done seams. And is just... adorable. These two pieces are basically the outfit of my dreams.
Annnnnnnd...
A bat clip from Bugs and Monsters on Etsy. Also gorgeous construction: the wings are very sturdily stitched for such a delicate-looking little batty.
I'm not normally one to fawn over everything -- (don't we all hate those blogs where everything reviewed is super great? probably because they want more free things?) -- particularly since a lot of the time, well, handmade items are not so hot and handmade revolution blah blah blah. (They're good, but they're Good Keeping In Mind It's Handmade.) But I highly recommend both of those Etsy shops, and, at the other side of the consumer spectrum, Milanoo, provided you can be a wary adult consumer about it.
And now, I must go and bask in my pink-haired black frilliness.
Wholesale Disclaimer: Some people are shocked by the idea of ordering from Chinese wholesalers. If you're honestly the type of person who only buys thrifted or American-made items (I know a few people who do), then I laud your moral willpower. However, most people gleefully shop at Target, but act shocked by the idea of buying from China. Um...
Design Disclaimer: The site replicates designs; it does an approximation of others' designs from photos. That is, for me, morally-artistically grey, if not downright bad. However, at this point, there are few companies who don't (coughcoughLipServicecoughcough) and I am, as a tall 2X, really sick of not having any clothes to wear. (My experience with commissions has been dreadful at best.) If you take an ethical issue on this front, I can only humbly agree that I am morally failing here due to my utter fashion exhaustion.
Gothic Disclaimer: Please remember, I am goth. I enjoy lolita influences, but goth. Goth goth goth.
OKAY!
.... uh, wait, I guess that's just a mass of black. (And wow, I have gotten chubby!) Hold on...
Boom. Oh, it is such a lovely dress. It's lovely, lovely, lovely. It's a nice garment-weight cotton, the seams are nicely finished on par with a retail garment, the lace is soft, and it's fitted perfectly; again, I would compare the quality to Lip Service. It honestly reminds me a lot of a late 90s Lip Service (retail line) dress I had and adored.
This is the listing I ordered.
Now, the lolitas abhor this company -- but, ah, any subculture largely made up of teenage girls will likely not have the best reasoning skills; from the research I did, I got the impression that many people ordering expected the manufacturers to basically be a Lolita Company, with full knowledge of the subculture's elaborate rules, or indeed, any of their rules. ("They'll have to use better lace if they want to impress us," etc.) The thing that most people can realize is that a producer has no desire to impress anyone; they desire profits. I think the business likely does as good a job at producing the designs as they know how, and from reading older and newer reviews, they seem to be improving.
There is some question of odd customer service, but I can't speak to other people's experiences on that. I contacted them to make sure they recorded my height and they were quite helpful. There were also complaints that production and shipping times were too long during the Halloween-through-Christmas season... to that, I just sigh and roll my eyes.
And the issue of lace -- it isn't cotton lace. Again, I'm goth, so I don't care; I'm growing a bit sick of seeing the same cluny everywhere... but it's very soft.
All in all, I'm beyond thrilled with the entire experience. While I've been studying and improving my skills, I still abhor sewing; this is wonderful. I want to run out and order twelve more dresses -- oh, but I'm losing weight, aren't I? I suppose that will keep me financially prudent for now, alas. (On the issue of this dress, which is so lovely; if my measurements do eventually drop to the point where it doesn't hang correctly, well, I'll order another.) I also got a similarly tucked skirt, but it has an elastic waist, and fit won't be a problem. I didn't take a picture of the skirt, but it's also gorgeous and ruffly and squee.
I also ordered a pinafore from Gency's Exit (ha ha, Disgaea pun) on Etsy:
Bwaaaaaaaaa!
This is a lovely heavy twill with nicely done seams. And is just... adorable. These two pieces are basically the outfit of my dreams.
Annnnnnnd...
A bat clip from Bugs and Monsters on Etsy. Also gorgeous construction: the wings are very sturdily stitched for such a delicate-looking little batty.
I'm not normally one to fawn over everything -- (don't we all hate those blogs where everything reviewed is super great? probably because they want more free things?) -- particularly since a lot of the time, well, handmade items are not so hot and handmade revolution blah blah blah. (They're good, but they're Good Keeping In Mind It's Handmade.) But I highly recommend both of those Etsy shops, and, at the other side of the consumer spectrum, Milanoo, provided you can be a wary adult consumer about it.
And now, I must go and bask in my pink-haired black frilliness.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2010-01-15 06:44 pm (UTC)You look awesome -- and I think the dress looks fab, it's long-waisted enough to flatter your figure (that's a huge problem I have with a lot of that style of dress on busty girls, they really DID take your height into account, whee!) and the quality with the pintucks and everything looks really nice :D
*glee!*
-- A <3
no subject
Date: 2010-01-15 06:55 pm (UTC)It's reallllllly nice. I'd compare it to retail line Lip Service (although, honestly, I don't think my straight Lip Service is all that better quality) or the cotton pieces I have from the now-defunct Eternal Love. I paid about $65 after shipping! You couldn't buy a piece like this (even if Hot Topic still carried goth items) and it's doubtful I could even sew it this cheaply (since I'd have to buy bulk amounts of trim, and it's nigh impossible to even FIND black lace).
I think a lot of the
lolitasubculture people who are complaining about this company really have NO IDEA about production or what's normal for factory garments -- expecting things to be perfectly fitted, lined, couture items for $10. :PI know we've ALL got to be broke now (I did a lot of therapeutic shopping during the stressful holidays, hence these dresses, oh ho ho) but I may have to do a Link List post of all the goth-ables from that site. Well... all the SOLID BLACK ones, at least. ;)
no subject
Date: 2010-01-15 06:58 pm (UTC)I haven't posted that yet because I have to make sure I take really cute pictures to prove that clothing massacres can pay off. :3
no subject
Date: 2010-01-15 06:59 pm (UTC)-- A :D
no subject
Date: 2010-01-15 06:59 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-15 09:44 pm (UTC)The only downside to the amazingness is that I want to buy like a billion things but really I should wait. Oh, the torture of cuteness...!
no subject
Date: 2010-01-15 07:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-15 09:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-15 07:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-15 09:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-15 08:05 pm (UTC)But you sure had good luck!
no subject
Date: 2010-01-15 09:39 pm (UTC)They're trying their best to produce niche-market products... since they aren't actually designing, they're just taking their best guesses at producing the images. I did choose specific designs I thought would look the best, and, you know, I like raschel lace. (I think my dress might be OMG AWFUL to a cluny purist, but I adore it!) F+F does the exact same thing, they just know their market/ing really well. (Their quality control/customer service didn't used to be that great, either, imho!)
I actually imagine as they grow as a company, they'll figure out more of these things and be even better. And unfortunately (or not, depending on one's view) most of the people will be scared off of ordering... but heh, I'll order!
I'm actually probably going to place an order from Angel's Secret on eBay here shortly... I really like their coat designs, and they use steel boning in their corsets. I can be the brave wholesale reviewer. XD
no subject
Date: 2010-01-15 11:41 pm (UTC)-- A <3
no subject
Date: 2010-01-16 12:01 am (UTC)I figure a coat isn't going to matter much if I lose weight. I still really want this jacket (http://cgi.ebay.com/CJ1-CORSET-JACKET-VICTORIAN-GOTHIC-FROCK-COAT-size-XXL_W0QQitemZ290313223459QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_CSA_WC_Blazers_Tailored_Jackets?hash=item4398043d23#ht_11135wt_1004) and this corset (http://cgi.ebay.com/zcorset-punk-gothic-lolita-zipper-corset-bustier-XL_W0QQitemZ290319090415QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_CSA_WC_Intimates?hash=item43985dc2ef#ht_7912wt_1128); I like those lace tops and skirts a lot, too. (I don't usually like wearing all-over synthetics as a bottom layer, but so pretty!)
It might be more than a few days... I personally give all of these companies realistically 3 weeks-a month for production and shipping. I think I placed my Milanoo order on New Year's Day, actually, so about two weeks, which I think is pretty good.
no subject
Date: 2010-01-16 12:08 am (UTC)... you know, just sayin'. I needed the coat, so I could justify that, but I seriously need to be slapped at this point. I just got a freaking jacket in that style. (Lip Service ooak sample sale! A little tight at the moment, though, so it should be FINE for if I get skinnier.) I don't have a veeeelvet one, thooooooougggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhh..........
And that corset has fiddly bits! I only have a solid leather and velvet one! And it might come with the bolero, who knows?
Other than that, I want a couple of jumpers from Milanoo and a few more skirts for the summer. I'm not even looking at the cool stuff Old Navy has up for spring. In black. Since I might be skinnier by the time it's warm and their sizes are all over the place.
It's not... too much... clothing...
*flails and dies*
no subject
Date: 2010-01-16 05:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-22 07:07 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-16 04:03 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-22 07:07 pm (UTC)*shakes it*
no subject
Date: 2010-01-16 04:43 pm (UTC)I love the little bat clip~ ♥
no subject
Date: 2010-01-22 07:06 pm (UTC)Thank you! It's really sweet -- the wings are stitched very nicely over the frame, so the wings feel taut like real wings. Yee, batty. <3