Non-print lolita doesn't get enough love! (Chelsea Regimental)

It's very common for certain prints from lolita brands to get hyped up to the point of an instant sell out, and in some rare cases re-releases. For example Sugary Carnival, Chess Chocolate, and Day Dream Carnival have all resulted in such events!

However non print dresses don't seem to get the attention they do deserve! So many of the "plain" dresses Angelic Pretty releases between it's big prints are so lovely! But you almost never hear months-in-advance announcements; or people freaking out about them to the point of staying up all night to make sure they get a sliver of a chance to buy it.

However, just the same, they do seem to fly "off the shelves" (so to speak) when they do come up. So why don't brands give their non print dresses as much love and attention as prints? Maybe they know they'll sell well already? *laugh*

I recently was able to score Chelsea Regimental off of Mbok for a REALLY good price. This is one dress that I was actively seeking out but never thought someone would sell for a various reason (timeless, versatile, etc). All the pictures I saw of it made it look so lovely... but in person? OH MY GLOB. This dress is BEAUTIFUL!!

The detailing is immense on this! Though it's a simple stripe woven fabric the choice of colors work very well together- a mix of chocolate brown, milktea, and light blue stripes bring a little extra accent to the pallet. The gold stripes woven in add a pretty, although subtle shimmer unless in certain light- then they really show well! The fabric itself is extremely soft- which somewhat surprises me due to the mylar woven in as it's generally something that can become itchy. However when I was feeling the fabric the gold is fine enough that it does not irritate my skin in the least bit :)

The construction of the dress is superb as well. The bodice has a mock vest piece in the middle that hides the skirt seam though being fully sewn in itself- I will admit that sewing such a thing is rather tricky unless you're used to holding fabric bits back while sewing (I usually end up smashing my finger in the machine when I do this lol.) The back of the collar has a button so it's a bit easier to get on and off. The cross straps in the back are removable and can also be flipped over; one side has the milktea colored stripes while the other has blue ones. A small detail which can help balance an outfit. I prefer to leave them attatched though as I like the extra detailing they have to offer.

The back lacing is done with actual eyelets instead of lace, ribbon, or elastics. I like how this makes it feel almost classic in its attempt although the dress may still be classified as "sweet". The ribbon is very high quality as well and has no damage to it. I honestly wonder if the girl I bought this from ever wore it!

The extra lace detailing going down the skirt is one of my favorite touches as well. It's a small detail that's easy to lose in the pattern but adds a nice surprise when you find it.

This dress is, again, seriously very lovely. If I had a chance to buy it in another colorway I most certainly would. Everything about this is lovely and I really did feel amazing wearing it! It has the charm and magic of lolita that I love!

And of course the cat was curious!
"This thing you're wearing smells strange!"