Bodyline Yokoso: Review

So, I've been meaning to do this for a VERY long time. (As in- months.) But anyhow, I will be reviewing on my first purchase from Bodyline Yokoso! For those of you that don't know, Bodyline Yokoso is a Japanese Lolita fashion online shop. (And yes, it ships overseas. I mean... Obviously. I'm in the US. ^^) At any rate, if you don't know what Lolita fashion is, you can look here. (And I'm saying this NOW, Japanese Lolita fashion has NOTHING to do with Lolita, the story about pedophilia.) Anyhow, shall we begin?

***

First-Time Bodyline Yokoso Buyer Review

So, my first (and only, at the moment) purchase from Bodyline was this lovely black skirt that has a few Victorian elements in it. Here is the picture from the site:

Now, Bodyline has a rep among Lolitas for being HORRIBLE and taboo (cheap fabric, lace, badly made, knock-offs of Lolita brandnames, etc), but seeing as I'm not a full Lolita fashion follower... I was curious.

The skirt is cute. I actually get many compliments when I wear it! It sort of reminds me of skirts from Hot Topic, but less cheaply made, and definitely less slutty. (Seriously, some of those HT skirts are more like wide belts... Though they are okayyy with leggings underneath.) At any rate, this skirt is definitely my style... <3

So, the fabric isnot terrible by any means. It is not the best, but it's not bad. It actually reminds me of some fabric that Forever 21 stores sometimes use. I have no complaints about the construction of the skirt either. It is still hanging in one piece in my closet, so... Yes.

The shipping was quicker than I thought it would be, seeing as it was making it's way literally half-way across the world. I received it in a few days, which was certainly exciting. :) I ordered by DHL, which has a fixed rate of $20. Unfortunately, looking back, I should have ordered more items along with the skirt because it was a lot of money for shipping just one purchase.

Now, the original pricing was not terrible. The skirt cost $25, which is fine by me, considering how unique the piece is. (Well, at least no one in this small US town has one!) Besides, I've seen some plain pencil skirts price for WAY more. (Of course, typically these are designer brands... Ridiculously enough, sometimes they aren't even.) However, the DHL fixed rate of $20 added onto the price of the skirt ended with my purchase pricing about $45... Hm, worth it for a Japanese skirt? By me, it was fine (mostly because it was a birthday gift and I'd been eying it for a while), but Bodyline shipped by DHL is MUCH MORE worth it if you buy multiple pieces. (Or you could place a group order with some friends of course.)

Overall, I do like Bodyline very much. I think that the pieces are rather unique- you don't see this stuff at the mall! However, DHL shipping at Bodyline is only worth it if you purchase MULTIPLE items. That said, it may seem overpriced. (Next time I visit Hong Kong, I might actually see similar style items for wayyy cheaper. But only IF and WHEN I go back to Hong Kong, which may be a while. $4000 a ticket? No thanks.)