Review: Lolita Nouveau

I've been friends with Lindsay for years now. Having met through our mutual friend Victoria Suzanne, I've always been a huge fan of her adorable creations for her jewelry line, Lolitas N Cream. Now that I've been leaving sweet lolita, I was worried that I wouldn't be able to purchase from some of my favorite brands and artisans, Lindsay included. However, this crafty lady is ahead of the game! I found out a few months ago that as well as being a jewelry-maker, she's also in fashion design school and makes custom corsets - be still my heart! I saved up for a bit to make sure that I could afford the (very modest) price as well as my usual expenses, and then sent her an eager message saying that I was ready for her services. We hashed out a few specifics, such as color scheme (blue and cream, of course - what else?!) and fabric choice (I wanted something nice and elegant, but on the low-end of the cost spectrum; we decided on a lightly-patterned cotton), and I sent her the first installment of the payment. About two weeks later, I sent her the second and final installment, and soon I had the message in my inbox that the corset was done!Shipping was fine - there was a bit of a delay in getting it out, but that's just because her family was in town and she was playing hostess. I don't hold that against her at all, especially because it was Father's Day weekend - I didn't expect her to rudely ignore her family just to satisfy my impatience! It was shipped in a priority mail box that was the perfect size - it fit snugly, so tissue wasn't necessary.
The corset is amazing quality. There are no loose threads or peeking boning, all of the boning is straight and equally spaced, and the grommets are installed perfectly. Lindsay even included a whole spoon of organdy ribbon to tie the laces with!

(also corsets are unbelievably fun to photograph)

A few days after paying my first installment, Lindsay launched her new clothing line, Lolita Nouveau with a beautiful cameo-printed skirt. I've been dying for a brown skirt for months, so I knew I had to pounce on this one! I'm proud to announce that I'm the official guinea pig, being as I'm the first one to buy and receive anything from this new line.

Sorry for the dressforms, by the way - I was still sick as a dog with tonsillitis when these photos were taken, so I didn't feel like getting all dolled up. Anyway, here's a quickie coord featuring the skirt. It's so lovely! It's a bit wrinkled from shipping (wasn't up to battling the heat +fever +iron to fix it), but it's really amazingly put together. It features a brown cotton base with metallic silver contrast stitching on the ruffles and hems. The screenprinted cameo is metallic silver, enhanced with silver rhinestones and both look very skillfully applied.

Detail of the cameo

Back shot

Inside shots - the entire interior is serged and hemmed.

If I had one criticism of the skirt, I would say that it's the fabric. It's looks and feels very nice, however it is a touch thin. I know a few girls who wear colored petticoats, and these might show through the fabric a bit; however, the thinner fabric is definitely a godsend in the summer, and it's still thicker than some AP print fabrics I've seen.

I definitely recommend Lolita Nouveau and Lindsay's custom work. I couldn't be happier with both products, and I definitely recommend them. I'm very excited to see future products from Lolita Nouveau!