(Long Overdue) Excalibur Girls Review
Apologies in advance to the Excalibur Girls for the lateness of this review, I have been very slack busy lately!
After seeing the post withirontealeaf 's amazing custom JSK (sorry, the link evades me), I knew I had to order something from them! The lovely bodice detail of their Marie JSK (www.excaliburgirls.com/catalog/marie-stone-p-45.html) caught my eye, and when I saw the print on the display sample, it was love at first sight. I emailed EG about the availability of the novelty print fabric, and to my absolute devastation they had run out. However, they were able to track down some more (despite it being out-of-print!) so for a small customisation fee I was able to have the dress of my dreams after all!
The communication was absolutely lovely and excellent (as for the rest of the transaction), and I was informed that I was 8th in line, so there was a bit of a wait. Excalibur Girls make each dress one at a time, from start-to-finish (more about that here: www.excaliburgirls.com/catalog/faq.php), and let me assure you: it is well worth the wait. When the dress was finished, we discussed shipping options, and I opted for the dress to be vacuum sealed in a bag, rather in sent in a box, which cut down shipping noticably (I live in NZ, so for you lucky US lolitas, shipping would be much more affordable - and less of a Customs hassle). My JSK arrived exactly when it was expected to, and after a thorough (and very careful) pressing, my Dream JSK looked even more amazing than it did on the website! Onto the photos:
(Please forgive the silly face - I tend to pull a lot of those!) I ordered Size A (Small), and it fits perfectly. I also gave a fairly detailed set of measurements (including height and where I wanted the hem of the skirt to sit), and the best part is that it even fits over my massive ribcage properly. I have quite a strangely shaped figure compared to ready-to-wear clothes, so it is such a nice change to have a dress that doesn't either a) gape around my chest area, or b) severely restrict my breathing! Another thing I love is the way the skirt is constructed. It falls perfectly to give a lovely full silhouette even without a petticoat underneath (in the photo I was only wearing one crappy tulle petti that I made myself), which is a real testament to EG's pattern drafting skills, as the dress fabric is quite heavy, and has a velveteen band at the bottom to weight it down! Isn't the bodice amazing? I love retro, 50s-inspired Lolita most of all, and it is so much fun to coordinate with red heels, a big hat and 50s sunglasses outside of Lolita!
Side view: The JSK fastens with an invisible zipper and waist ties. There are also the options of corset lacing with side zipper, or shirring and corset lacing with side zipper. As I am quite petite (5' 3") I prefer less in the way of details than more, so I opted for the simplest one. There are also ties at the neck for the halter part, and the red velvet straps are lined with the JSK print fabric, and have adorable silver buttons to attach them to the bodice back. The back ties are very substantial (good for adjusting, if it didn't already fit perfectly!), and more importantly, are self-faced/ouble-sided. Not all of the major brands do this - for instance, I have a striped AP onepiece, and while the waist ties have lace on the edge, they are not lined, and so look funny when ties and the back side is visible. I think that in quality garments, the little details like this are very important.
Dress back: Notice the lovely waist ties, and how the print matches at the back!
Hem detail: Velveteen and braid trim. (Not to mention cute doggies!)
Lining (fully-lined), and (hand-sewn) label. It's all in the details, people!
A note on pricing and quality: Compared to many other American labels, Excalibur Girls is not cheap. But there is a good reason for that. Their quality is equal to, and in some instances (eg. lined waist ties, zipper application, neatness of finishing) actually better than Brand. The other major advantage is that they offer a range of sizes, which is a blessing for girls who are either too large, or too small (I'm looking at you, Meta...) for the standard brand sizing. Both the construction and finishing are flawless.
So, overall: A+++! Excalibur Girls have truly made me a 'Dream Dress,' and I cannot thank them (or praise them) enough!