[Bodyline Review] White Cotton Knit Bolero (L237)

Cotton Knit Bolero [link]
L237
("Pik" = Pink)
("Owh" = Off White)

(Size Medium)
Length: 14in (37cm)
Bust: 33in (84cm)
Shoulder Width: 13in (34cm)
Sleeve length: 23in (60cm)


As I was first starting out and growing my lolita wardrobe it was fall in the Pacific Northwest and thus it was cold, rainy, and just all those good things that make it sweater weather! Most of my normal cardigans were much too long to wear with any lolita dresses or skirts so I figured buying some more suitable ones would be a good idea if I wanted to dress up during such a season. I was still very new and to me brands such as "Angelic Pretty" or "Baby the Stars Shine Bright" seemed expensive for a hobby I wasn't 100% sure I was going to stick with. And thus I bought these boleros from Bodyline.

That totally sounds like the beginning of a horror story!
(Note: I decided to only take pictures of the white bolero as the fabric I use as a backdrop is pink)

Surprisingly enough though these boleros ended up being really nice!! I ordered two- one white and one pink; Most of the main dresses and skirts I was attracted to would best be coordinated with such colors, so these were most versatile for me.

The cotton knit material is surprisingly soft and very thick. The white is not see-through in the least bit. The fabric quality is pretty great and I just know that it will work well to help you stay warm. However the chiffon accent material is rather lacking quality wise. It's not itchy per-say but it certainly isn't very nice either. Buying chiffon from a fabric store in general will garner you a much softer result- but I digress. At least the chiffon is not in any major way touching your skin and is just used for extra texture- it does run around the neckline and may touch there but I don't think it'll be enough to be an irritant.

The laces used vary in quality. Some are the common laces Bodyline uses on pretty much everything (the sleeve ends) and some aren't as commonly used (the rose lace on the front.) I've noticed that the lace going down the back of the sleeves is one Bodyline uses from time-to-time and is actually much nicer quality than the typical scalloped lace. Both the straight and decorative rose laces on the front are actually quiet soft! They're rather nice and I wish Bodyline would use them more! I can't say I'm a huge fan of the eyelet/beading lace used around the upper sleeves and the collar. In the photos I've taken for this post I had actually removed this lace. It greatly restricted not only the stretch of the sleeves but also my range of motion! Removing it wasn't too much work really and was very much worth it int he end!

The front bow tie as well as the various decorative bows are made from a rather cheap, shiny satin fabric. While it is a soft fabric it is also super shiny and might detract from the overall look of the bolero- but the bows are easily unpicked if one wishes to remove or replace them. The tie in front is removable via buttons which makes for keeping a nicely tied bow instead of constantly having to retie it. The buttons are basic and boring and honestly on the bolero I had received they were sometimes rather difficult to undo.
I'm not really sure which way this thing will look better worn- with or without the front tie. Maybe it all will just depend on how plain the front of the dress is? For most of Bodyline's JSKs it should look pretty good since they tend to make rather plain dresses overall.

Lastly the back of the bolero is pretty much just plain and boring. Kind of wish they did something cute with it but ah well. There's tons of details all over the rest of it :) and I imagine most people tend to wear longer wigs anyway.