Hi raspberries! So today I'm going to do a post I've been alluding to doing for a while now. Time to bite the proverbial bullet! I'm going to compile a list of my favorite prints of all time. I've decided to limit it only to prints, because if I tried to do just dresses, this post would literally never end. I'm going to include prints from brands, Taobao brands, Bodyline, indie brands in this throughout several posts, because it's also too much to put them all in one post. So this first one will be just prints from Angelic Pretty. I'm also going to try to talk a bit about the prints. Let's start!
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| Twinkle Mermaid (2006) |
This is one of the first dresses I remember ever seeing. The ad featuring this dress was in a copy of the briefly-done English release Gothic & Lolita Bible I picked up at a Barnes and Noble when I was first getting into the fashion heavily. I thought the ad was mesmerizing, and remembering that I wanted to look like the girls in it. So the print is a bit special to me for that reason.
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Wonder Party (2008)
I really like this print. I wasn't a fan of it when I first got into lolita, but the more I look at it, the more I like it. Not my favorite, but still really cute. Plus there are tiny golden utensils on the bow on the bodice! |
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| Fruits Parlor (2008) |
I actually wasn't a huge fan of this print for a while, but i think the dress design is so cute and unique, with the heart bodice. I've also gotten really into parfaits lately, which may be influencing my judgement...
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| Cherry Berry Bunny (2009) |
One of my favorite prints from when I got into lolita heavily. I'm also a sucker for yellow, so I love that they released this in yellow. Not a huge fan of cherry motifs usually, but I think it works well here!
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| Milky-chan of the Fawn (2009) |
Kind of a noob print, but I love it anyway. I mean, it has tiny deer on it. Come on.
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| Dreamy Dollhouse (2009) |
I've wanted this dress for some time now. A friend of mine used to have the skirt and ended up selling it. The print is very pastel in person, but it has glitter running through it. I think one of my favorite things about this dress is actually the design of the OP and JSK, I think they're unique and compliment the print well.
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| Memorial Cake (2009) |
This is one of my holy grail prints. It was never that popular, which I guess is good for me because I see it for sale all the time. It reminds me of Marie Antoinette (which you already know I love).
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| Holy Night Story (2010) |
I really enjoy this print (and the dress overall) because they're very unique, especially for the time they were released in, when AP was putting out a lot of super sugary prints. I think the colorways are really interesting choices, too.
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| Little Bear's Cafe (2010) |
I love this freaking dress. For me, it's got all the elements, and those elements are food and squirrels. I cannot resist anything with a squirrel on it. This dress also has pom-poms on the hem (!!!!)
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| Milky Planet (2010) |
The one. The only. Probably the most overdone, worn-out, recognizable brand print of all time. But I think there's a reason for that. It's really damn good. This print sort of ushered in the era of OTT sweet lolita, in my opinion, and it's pretty amazing no matter how many bad coords there are featuring the Oo Jia replica. (Popular, but good. Unlike some prints. *cough cough Sugary Carnival*)
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| Powder Rose (2010) |
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| Toy Fantasy (2011) |
This print is so cute. Bright, the name suits it perfectly, and it features one of only non-creepy incarnations of the godawful Lyrical Bunny.
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| Honey Cake (2011) |
This is one of the all-time greatest hits of AP for me. This print was a fantastic idea. Who doesn't love pancakes? The accessories released along with it were also great, like the pancake mix bag, and some of the honey bear jewelry. Nailed it.
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| Decoration Dream (2011) |
One of the best. This print completely nails everything for me. The dress design is gorgeous, the colors are vibrant but still pastel. It has a cake theme, which I love. It's just one of the greatest things AP ever did.
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| French Cafe (2011) |
Another unique food print! I normally don't love picnic, kitchen themed prints, or prints featuring a lot of red, but I think this was done really well. There's a lot of visual interest without feeling busy.
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| Toy Parade Re-Release (2012) |
For a hot minute, this was my ultimate holy grail dream print must-have get on my body of all time. Not so much any more, as I'm growing out of this style I think (only a tiny bit, I'm still a baby!) but I do still adore this print. I picked the 2012 Re-Release over the original 2007 release because I think the re-release is a lot brighter and clearer, and the dress construction is nicer.
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| Sugar Fairy Cake (2012) |
This one's just cute and simple. I know this print isn't super popular, but I like the simplicity of it. (I'm also a sucker for gingham.)
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| Sweet Cream House (2012) |
I hated this print when it came out. I remember seeing it on the AP website and being like "what the hell this looks like someone copied and pasted some stuff in MS paint". Then, I went to a meetup with my local comm wherein my friend coorded the HECK out of it. It convinced me that this was in fact, a great print. Sometimes you need to see things in person to really get a feel for them.
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| Chocolate Rosette (2012) |
I also didn't like this print when it came out, because I think at the time my style was still too sugary, and I hadn't really learned to appreciate dresses with darker colors or more mature themes. I've seen this dress coorded beautifully several times and it is after mine own heart.
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| Toy March (2012) |
This print is so cute. I love prints that are remotely Christmas-y, and I like that this print isn't outright "KURISUMASU" so you could wear it any time. (also SQUIRRELS AGAIN.)
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| Misty Sky (2012) |
This print isn't very interesting, but that's kind of why I like it. This OP design is AWESOME, they actually used the exact same one for the Sweetie Violet release. This dress was one that ushered in the "Chiffon Phase" from Angelic Pretty, which is a very good phase.
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| Dream Fantasy (2013 Lucky Pack) |
The first lucky pack that is worth anything! (IMHO.) This print. I mean, come on. Look at it. It's so sweet, it's insane. When this print came out, I remember thinking it was this heavenly combination of Milky Planet, non-scary Lyrical Bunny Prints, and also TINY MICE. LOOK AT THEM.
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| Day Dream Carnival (2013) |
A successful carousel print. I never understood the hype over Sugary Carnival. I liked it for like a day when I was 15, but promptly realized it kind of sucks. This print, however, is pretty gorgeous. Also a really unique dress design!
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| Fancy Paper Dolls (2013) |
Another one I hated at its release. I've seen this dress coorded on tumblr so many times, and all of them are amazing. It's convinced me that this print is great and easy to make into an awesome coord.
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| Promenade de Paris (2013) |
I was lukewarm about this one at its release (no bunnies!? No cake!? No toys!? Blasphemy!) It just sort of bored me. But the more I look at it, the more I think this print is really creative and different, and the more I like it.
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| Dreamy Baby Room (2013) |
Dreamy Baby Room: A Saga. So, when this print was released, I was IN LOVE. I was freaking out, telling my friends that this was my favorite thing AP had released in years, loved it, etc. Well then something weird happened. No one bought it. No one was wearing it. So I'm thinking "what is wrong with you people, look at this dress?" and then someone explains. Everyone in the West hated this print because of it's content. Apparently, it conjured up too many images of "ageplay" to them, with the use of baby blocks, rattles, and carriages. Honestly, I didn't even think about that when I saw the dress, and I guess not many Japanese buyers did either. But westerners were horrified they'd be seen as creepy ageplayers if they bought this dress. My opinion? If you know it's not ageplay, who the hell cares! It's not anyone's business what you're wearing in the first place. If you're a lolita you should know that. It doesn't matter if you think this print "makes lolitas look bad" or makes us "look like ageplayers". People don't have a right to project their own weird sexual thoughts onto you, and you can wear whatever you want. I will wear Dreamy Baby Room with a rattle in my hand and give no shits.
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| Eternal Rose Bouquet (2013) |
So pretty! This is one of the more mature sweet prints AP has done, and it managed not to be a disaster! They used a large floral, which was a good call (I think small florals are usually too small for lolita and get overpowered). This dress design is one of their most unique yet.
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| Candy Sprinkle (2014 Lucky Pack) |
My favorite lucky pack release! Another successful carousel print. I'm glad they put the bunny in there, and the swans! The colors in this print are too die for.
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| Sugar Dream Dome (2014) |
This was one of the late releases of 2014, and I wanted it so bad when it came out, but I was so broke. This dress pretty much has it all for me: winter themes, snowglobes, cakes, pom-poms, and fur. Like really? Hit the nail on the head. This print is also gorgeously detailed, and almost reminds me of a BTSSB print.
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| Loyal Rosette (2014) |
I probably would've hated this dress in 2012, but I now love it. I've seen it coorded in one of my all-time favorite coords by Milkyfawn, and I need it. It's that fusion of classic and sweet that I'm starting to crave more and more.
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| Magical Etoile Re-release (2014) |
The original Magical Etoile release was in 2008, but I picked the re-release for the same reasons I picked the Toy Parade re-release over the original. It's brighter, the dress design is better. I never really cared much for the original release because I thought it was boring and washed out. But the re-release really caught my eye!
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| Melody Toys (2014) |
I wasn't crazy about this on release, as I thought the color selections were a tad weird. I've since seen it coorded to the very depths of cuteness, and consider myself a fan.
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| Dreamy Girl (2014) |
I don't love this dress, but it's still important, I think. Another of the chiffon dresses by AP (can't complain). I think this makeup-themed print idea is pretty cute, I just wish the dress design had been a bit more interesting, since it's an all-over print. Needed more visual interest. I think it could be coorded promisingly though.
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| Romantic Rose Letter (2014) |
I didn't realize this was released so recently! This is a really novel and interesting floral print. I think they brought it home on all fronts here. The print is great, the dress designs are great, and they didn't even release it in black! Incredible!
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| Cream Cookie Collection (2014) |
This dress just looks so dang comfy. It's been coorded adorably, and AP is free to keep cranking out chiffon pieces, if you ask me.
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| Cotton Candy Shop (2015 Lucky Pack) |
This is the most recent lucky pack, the one released for the 2015 New Year. I wish there were better pictures of it on the internet, and I haven't really seen anyone coord it yet, but I think AP is starting to realize there's a good formula for lucky pack releases. That formula is rainbows, moons, and mice. And I'm not complaining, It's a solid recipe. Also that sheep is just the best.
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| Celestial (2015) |
This is the only print I've done that's actually still up on the AP website. AP's really been pushing the religious imagery thing over the past couple of years, and I've never been that into it, but I think they did this dress really well. It's airy and not overly imposing. Has a very cult-party feel to it. It seems odd for a sweet brand to go for the religious themes, but maybe they were trying to cash in on the Juliette et Justine hype. Either way, they did a good job this time.
That about does it for this insanely long post! Sorry this was a bit ramble-y, but these are just my opinions on these prints. I'll make more with favorite prints from other brands and offbrands. Love you all!
