Haenuli Review: Sleeping Beauty OP
I recently received my Sleeping Beauty dress in the mail!
Haenuli is a Korean indie brand, and a few months ago, they opened up reservations for their Sleeping Beauty and Lolita Bunny lines. It actually took me a while to commit to a reservation because of the variety of colors and cuts to choose from, haha!
Ordering Process: 5/5
The ordering process went quite smoothly! I joined the group order that Haenuli herself was hosting, and all I had to do was fill in an order form provided on their livejournal. She was really quick to respond to my emails, especially when I was waffling around between the black and navy color ways, and she was awesome enough to give me a little bit of time to make a final decision!
I was also using the payment plan that was being offered that split the cost into four separate payments; Haenuli would send an invoice every Monday for the cost of the dress. Shipping payments were handled by another girl in the US who received all of the dresses before sending each order out individually.
Communication: 5/5
Haenuli was absolutely stellar in keeping in touch with me. Not long after the orders were placed, she had some problems with the textile printer; apparently the factory decided to randomly go off to vacation and…not tell anyone. ._.;; She ended up switching to a different printer; it slowed production down by about a week or so, but I didn’t mind because she made an effort to keep everyone in the loop by emailing everyone with updates.
I received another email when all of the dresses in the group order were completed and shipped to the US; I also received an email from Betty, who would be receiving the dresses and shipping them out to everyone about shipping costs, as well as another confirming my shipping address after I paid shipping.
Shipping: 5/5
I received my dress within 3-4 days after I paid for shipping. I actually received it over the weekend, but I was town for a wedding so I had to wait until Sunday. Thus...I forgot to take photos before tearing into the packaging, haha. But as you can see, everything was packed very well to ensure nothing would be damaged. The dress and bonnet were packaged in separate clear bags which were then packed in that pink sealable bag that was labeled with my name, the dress and size I ordered.
I even received some candy, a pair of earrings, and a really cute thank you note!
Construction/Quality: 4.5/5
Overall, I’m pleased with the quality of the dress!
The fabric itself is really soft and light, kind of similar to the cottons that Baby uses. The print is really crisp on the fabric; I was actually expecting more of a cooler/muted navy, but this color is also really cute too! There only three images (shown above) for the border that are repeated. I love the level of detailing within each Sleeping Beauty image and the small lacework motifs along the border.
There are one or two really small spots in the print, but they’re so miniscule it doesn’t really matter.
Now, I was actually surprised by the sheer weight of the dress. The garment is lined with a kind of brocade fabric, rather than apparel lining that I’m used to seeing. I think it’s pretty cool; I can stay warmer under the winter! :D Everything is serged and hemmed; I did not find any loose threads at all.
Along with care tags, I also received a business card and a swatch of the fabric in a different colorway.
A detail photo of the gorgeous trim! And really gross calluses from trapeze bars sorry u_u
A super super small flaw, and it may not happen with everyone’s dress, but I did notice that while I was lacing up the back, the ribbon was snagging on the a few of the grommets. Not horribly, but enough that you kind of have to be careful.
Bonnet!
The bonnet was also really well made, though, I was hoping the brim would be a little sturdier. I received mine folded in half, which made it a little bit floppy/uneven when I put it on. Is it possible to...iron bonnets?
There was a slightly weird fishy smell when I took it out of the plastic bag, but I think it was just a matter of drying ink because it went away as soon as I let it air out.
Worn!
My wardrobe consists mostly of blacks so…this coord isn’t ideal, but it’s something! It’s also the first time I’ve worn a bonnet, derp.
Back of the dress. I had to lace it up a fair bit because I dropped a bit of weight since ordering the dress, but it still has a great fit.
Herpderp.
Aaaaand without the bonnet.
Link to her FB: https://www.facebook.com/Haenuli
LJ link: http://haenulishop.livejournal.com/
I believe Haenuli is going to open up a second round of reservations soon for Sleeping Beauty (and maybe Lolita Bunny)! If I had the money, I'd totally order another dress in black XD But I would most definitely order from her again!
Thanks for looking!