Angelic... Classy?

Everyone knows that there are certain brands that support certain styles. Innocent World provides us with classic yet still innocent and sweet-inspired items, Moitie gives us gothic with a classical flair, and Victorian Maiden is over-the-top classic with major historical influences. Some brands, like BABY, like to stay more in the middle of the three main styles, and produce pieces that could compliment sweet, classic, or gothic ensembles. For most people, when they think "Angelic Pretty," they see prints like Sugary Carnival and Happy Garden, prints that could absolutely not be anything other than ultra, over-the-top uber-sweet, but personally, I've always seen much more to Maki and Asuka's designs. There's a hidden potential there that comes from their crossing over the boundaries not necessarily of lolita styles themselves but of J-fashion in general, catering as they do not only to us rufflebutts but also to the Gyaru community. While browsing their site, I realized that they really do have a number (granted, a small number) of pieces that could go either way - which, with Angelic Pretty, means either cavity-inducing or not. Don't believe me? See below:

(also, yes, I was a lazybutt and didn't name any of them.)

Untitled by herlumpiness on Polyvore.com

For my first example, I chose the same skirt in two colorways and played it two very different ways. The left side is a sort of classic-gothic, with a dark color scheme and elements that lend themselves well to gothic like Victoriana. For the second, I wanted a lighter, sweeter look - child-like but still mature with a soft color palate of shades of blue accented with white.

Untitled by herlumpiness on Polyvore.com

On this coordinate, I wanted to go a little more classic-gothic. I loved the look of the dark tartan skirt with peeking bloomers because it's both mature and child-like at the same time, so I really wanted to play that up by going with a grown-up Victorian look. The super OTT bonnet by Triple Fortune has both bows and feathers, which class up the whole thing and make it a bit more elegant than if it were crusted in, say, rhinestones and roses (though there is a time and place for those, too!) The shoes are on the more grown-up side, too; while they're styled like a classic maryjane, the high heel give them a different feel than low-heeled maryjanes.

Untitled by herlumpiness on Polyvore.com

Here's a look that's definitely still sweet, but has a mature air to it. There's no huge hair here or pastel prints; this springy coordinate is fresh and cute without being... well, obnoxious. I wanted to do a look that was mostly AP, instead of splicing in bits from other brands, to show what the designs really are multi-faceted and can be used in lots of different ways. This is sort of an old school country-sweet look - I imagine this girl is wearing braids and strolling off on her way to a picnic. The pearls, rocking horse shoes, and scaled-back colors all give it a more grown-up look, but the wristcuffs and berry-printed knee socks add a child-like sweetness.

So, you see? It's possible for the wild, over-the-top sweetness of Angelic Pretty to be tamed. One of my favorite classic dresses is an old AP design, all blue florals and cream bustle, so I've always known the brand's potential for classiness, but hopefully I've opened some eyes and maybe even converted some followers of other style to give the brand a shot. Close your eyes - this spoonful of sugar is definitely going to go down smoothly, no cavities involved!