A N N D E M E U L E M E E S T E R | Tribute Review

Next up in the Tribute Season, and it's a brand new store/designer for us, Ann Demeulemeester! This is a Belgian designer with brand of the same name - whilst it's not something I'm familiar with, I love having new stores featured in the Tribute Season so I'm looking forward to checking it out. From the advertising, I think it looks pretty good with more minimal designs and colour use, so let's check out the full collection:

The store has the traditional 3 floors and a total of 15 looks, 13 for female dolls and 2 for males, with several pieces available in both male and female versions. I was excited to see the release from the advertising, but I'll be honest, the collection didn't feel as inspiring to me as it first seemed. While I love the neutral and simple use of colours, there's just something about the designs that doesn't leave me feeling inspired. I did pick up a few bits and I think they will make great looks - but a memorable collection? I'm not sure yet. 

There aren't many shoe and bag options, but there are some other accessories to choose from - I quite like the Black Leather Belts set, it's very DKNY-esque and I think is a good staple belt to have in a collection. Jewellery-wise the Chain Mirror Earrings are a nice piece, I like the longer length of these and despite being quite thin I do think they stand out really nicely on the doll.

Onto the clothing. The first floor is mostly black pieces, of course the one I like most is the White Puffy Sleeves Blouse, it has a very nice oversizing, a cool open collar and extra long sleeves - it's a modern fresh take on the classic white blouse. I would have liked if the Black Belted Loose Pants had also come for female dolls. The second floor adds a little more colour with the reds, I love the shades of both the Blood Silk Dress and One Shoulder Draped Dress, but they're designs/styles that I know I very rarely wear, so aren't worth it for me. On this floor however I do like the Black Cropped Jumper, I think it looks very current and I can see it will be a fun piece to style. I also like the style of the Dark Grey Pants, these have a really nice waistline design and I like the loose fit with a pleat design, I just would prefer if they were a higher waist style. The final floor brings the lightest designs and I think these are the most appealing to me. The White Sheer Lace Top and Skirt set is super cute, although is very much a Spring/Summer design rather than Autumn/Winter. The floral on the lace is super cute and I think the pieces are a great base for super fun coloured accessories. The Stained White Jersey Dress also looks like a great piece, I like the green hue it has along with the fitted sleeveless maxi style, it's giving 90's/00's and I really like that as an addition to the Plaza.

I was on a trip when this release came out, so I didn't manage to snap any features to share, but I will share my own styled outfits at some point =)

P R A D A | Tribute Review

Next up in this Tribute season, Prada! We've only had a couple of releases of Prada in the Tribute Seasons over the years, the last one being 2 years ago so I'm excited for a refresh of the brand in the Plaza. When I saw the advertising I was excited, I love the mix of brights and darks, and thought the pieces looked pretty good from first glances - let's take a look inside:

The store has the standard 3 floors, with 13 looks for females and 2 for males, with a number of pieces available for both male and female dolls. Starting with accessories, there are 8 pairs of shoes, which is a really good selection for a Tribute store. These are mostly heels, with some classic loafers in the mix too - for me I'm not so much a loafer wearer but I do like the heels. The White and Black Patent Leather Heels are a great classic, the kitten heel height is a popular one and I love the slingback style. The PRADA Pink and Beige Slingbacks Pumps also have this style, I really think these shoes look great and the mixed colours really are great combinations. I've gone with the Beige option and I think this colour suits my doll very nicely. I can see the Prada Curled Leather Loafers will be a very popular style, I do think it's a fun one and the brown and white colour looks fab, they're just not so much a pair of shoes I can see myself wearing. There are 7 bags in the release, 3 are of one style, 2 of another, and then 2 with individual styles. I'm not hugely loving the choice of bags, but I do really like the Red Furry PRADA Handbag, it really stands out in the release and amongst a lot of the bags we've had recently in the Plaza recently. I'm very excited to style this one! There are a few other accessories pieces, but no jewellery items. I think the Pink PRADA Headband will be a popular one, but it doesn't so much suit me. The accessories focus is really on the shoes and bags than other pieces.

Onto the clothing. The first floor is all about the brights and bolds, those reds are great! The brights have definitely been mixed in more wearable looks with neutral tones, which will appeal to a wider audience for sure. The Red Leather Collared Jacket is a fab piece, I love the oversizing and the texture, and the contrasting collar to both of those really stands out nicely. The Yellow Furry Leather Coat looks great, the mix of colours is really nice and I love the fit. I somehow could see styling options immediately when I saw it, so it's a piece I have to give a chance to, even though it's definitely a more unconventional style. Slightly less bright, but the Green Organza Zipped Skirt looks amazing, a super classy style and I love the green colour so much, this is a perfect piece for Spring stylings, and is a great refresh for midi-skirts. Also with some green is the Snake Print Fur Collared Coat, this is quite fun with the green fur collar against the grey snake print, the only thing I don't like so much is the shape of the piece, it's not as flattering on my doll as I would like. Onto the more neutral pieces, the Grey Wool Pants are fitting that category perfectly, they have a really nice loose but slim fit on the doll and will work in a lot of ways. I really like the Brown Structured Tshirt, it's made of a light soft fabric and I like the combination of the short sleeves with the slight turtleneck. The colour is great and I think it's going to look fantastic in outfits. The second floor is all about the neutrals with brown, light and navy tones, I'm a big fan^ The first outfit that caught my eye was the PRADA Brown Sweater and White Silk Flower Skirt combination, such a pretty pairing and I love the feminine Spring vibes. Both pieces will style well separately as well, and I especially see the Sweater being a popular piece. The Brown Shirt Dress wasn't really a piece I noticed initially, but after some time I'm really liking the look of it. It's definitely a different take on a classic shirt-dress by being a maxi style, and the slim fit to the body is also something different. The tie details at the neck and shoulders are also very nice. I'm a big fan of navy, so I really love the Blue Oversized Shirt, it's a cropped length with long sleeves and I love the buttoned-up style. It's on a male mannequin, but fits the female doll as well, and I'm really looking forward to styling this. The third floor is also a neutral one, but includes grey tones. The Light Pink Bow Dress particularly stands out by being a pastel pink amongst the darker tones, this is such a fun piece, I love the detailed design and also the shift-dress style, this will be super fun to accessorise. Also in lighter tones on this floor is the White PRADA Tank Top, a simple but very nice tank top in white which is available in SCs. And also the Grey 3D Flowers Miniskirt, which really feels Prada to me and will be perfect for the upcoming Spring. The final piece for me to mention is the Grey Wool Checked Blazer, this is super similar to a few I know I already have, but I love the look and fit of the piece and think it will fit well with my collection, but also we've not had something like this in the Plaza for a while so I think it will do well from that point of view as well.

F E A T U R E S

First up in the features is Tormenta who styles the Brown Structured Tshirt, Hooked Denim Kilt, Grey Belted Tights and Prada Curled Leather Loafers - so many pieces, but they work great together and I think each piece does well to stand out. I was really drawn in by the browns in this look and the oversized aviator-style jacket really ties the look together nicely, and I especially love the addition of the little neck scarf, the colours are perfect here.The grey, almost purple, tones on the bottom go really nicely with the scarf too^

Next up and going with sweet purple and pink tones is Blair wearing the Argyle Foulard Sweater, Grey Belted Tights and Black 3D Flower Bag - these pieces are fab together! The colour mix of the sweater is perfect for adding different tones to, which is why both the pink skirt and the black bag look so good with it and each other. The grey tights make for a winter touch, and I adore these lavender heels, they are the perfect accessory for both the tights and also balancing with the sweater, I love it =)

And finally in the features is harpie, who has opted for the Green Organza Zipped Skirt and Black Patent Leather Heels, a perfect pairing =) The added greens look great with the skirt, the tights are fab and the accessories are a perfect touch, while the black of the shoes is balances with the bag which I love a lot in this look, it's a perfect style to go with this look. The browns on the top half add an earthy neutral touch against the green. Plus the metallic touch of the jewellery is great with the pop of the zipper detail on the skirt^

D O L C E & G A B B A N A | Styled Outfits

Now it's time for my Styled Outfits from the Dolce & Gabbana, the first Tribute of this season! There are a lot of pieces I like from this release, I've done my first big shop from the store, but may come back to pick up a few pieces at the end of the season once I've seen the other options from future releases.

First up are the Black Lace Trousers and DG Stud Earrings, it's smart yet sultry and something quite different for me but I really love it! I loved the combination with this lace top, I think it paired very nicely with the lace design of the trousers, and to keep the look a little more covered this blazer was a great option. I kept the accessories simple, but love the look of this sparkly bag with the earrings, they're really great together. Next up are the Black DG Tights and Black Micro Kitten Heels and I just love these tights so much, I can't wait to style them some more. I really wanted to wear them with a miniskirt, and this black sparkly one was a good option, although you can't see much of it with the oversized blazer and shirt. The accessories are simple but effective for this black and white styling, and I think these shoes will be a great wardrobe staple for years to come^ And thirdly are the Baroque DG Glasses and Filigree Bodice, perfect gold pieces together! I knew I wanted to style this in a more Wintery look, layering with the black polo works really nicely and I think there are lots of styling options for that pairing. I kept with a black base, but there could be some fun gold skirt options which I think will look great. I stuck with the baroque theme with the shoes and I think this is a great look for them too.

For the fourth look, it's the Sheer White Dress and Red Mini Purse in this very Spring-ready styling. I did find this dress a little tricky to style, because no matter what I paired with it, it felt like a lot of the dress was getting covered. So I think there's work to be done there, but the pops of red in the accessories are so fun in this look, the bag is so sweet, the size is particularly small but I think the balance is just right with the glasses and shoes. And last but not least, styling the 90s Supermodel Tee and DG Sneakers, and I love these casual additions to the collection. This styling gives me vibes of several years ago and I love that as something fresh for current-me. I really like these jeans with the tee, and their style works well to highlight the trainers too. I kept it on trend with an oversized coat and some more designer accessories which complement the pieces really nicely =)

D O L C E & G A B B A N A | Tribute Review

Wow, I was getting a little worried there, but it's finally Tribute season! First up is Dolce & Gabbana, this is a brand we've had before but not for many years - the last Tribute Review I see that I wrote for D&G was in the Winter 2016 release, is that really right?! 8 years ago?! Anyway, I'm pretty excited to have this and I think the advertising looks great, a classic style and the pieces shown off look amazing, I'm really loving those rich and metallic colours:

The release has 3 floors and a total of 14 looks for female dolls and 2 looks for male dolls. This is a pretty typical size for a Tribute release these days and I think there's a really good balance of both accessory and clothing pieces. First up the accessories. There are 5 pairs of shoes to choose from, these are mostly heels but there is also a pair of trainers. The Gold Embroidered Heels of course caught my eye first, these are a super sweet gold slingback shoe, zoom in to see those fabulous details! The Black Micro Kitten Heels also caught my attention, and are also a slingback design - I love a kitten heel and these ones look like a great simple option in that category, plus with a pointed toe, I love them! I think the DG Sneakers look fantastic, it does feel like it's been a while since we've had a designer trainer (but perhaps I'm wrong?!) and these ones really tick a lot of boxes for me. I love the neutral black and white stylish design, and the chunky sole is great. These are also available to fit both male and female dolls. The release has 4 bags to choose from, for me these don't stand out as much in the release as bags have done in previous collections, but I do think there's good pieces to choose from here. The Gold Heart Purse has quite a classic structured design to it, of course I like it for the gold colour which is a darker shade and is more matte, and the heart brooch detail on the front is amazing, I love that about it! I also really like the Red Mini Purse, which is priced in SC's so is a super affordable option. The chains are gold and I really love a red bag, so it's an easy like for me. There are also several other accessory options available in the store, I personally love the DG Stud Earrings, what a classic earring design, these are fantastic and will go well with so many outfits. And I'm also happy to have some sunglasses options, I adore the Baroque DG Glasses, which I know we've had something similar to in the past but I just think the design is fun and I love the gold detailed frame a lot^ 

Onto the clothing, which I'll do by floor as these are quite themed. The first floor is very classic D&G with a lot of gold and super detailed baroque-esque designs, your eyes are really drawn in all directions here. For me the Gold Greek Gown stands out the most, it's certainly got a subtle element to it, but is so beautiful and fits the doll so nicely. I love the slim fit it has and the Greek vase detailed print is amazing, it's something super unique for the collection. While it is mostly sheer there are gold inserts to make it a more wearable piece. The Filigree Bodice also stood out to me - we've had similar styled pieces in D&G in the past and I've skipped them a bit and regretted the decision, so I picked this one up immediately! I love the peplum waist and the intricate gold detailing is exquisite, such a stunning piece^ I think this will be a super fun piece to work into different stylings. The Greek Suit Jacket and Trousers for the male dolls also looks great, I love the mythology design all over it and wish we had a version of this for the female dolls. The second floor is all about those black and white styles, and there are a lot of different designs to choose from. The Sheer White Dress is super pretty, it's a great layering piece and I think it will be very popular. I think the Mod Bead Dress is such a fun piece, the beading is amazing and it's completely unlike anything else we've had, I think it looks fun on and could be a great piece to style, but I'm still a little on the fence about it. I love the outfit in the middle of the store, the 90s Supermodel Tee is great and it reminds me of one we had in the Cavalli release way back in the beginnings of Tribute stores, so I'm snapping this up with no regrets! And the Black Lace Trousers it's paired with are also great, this are a super fun twist on a smart black trouser, they look fab on the doll and I think despite being lace that they will have a versatility to them. The last piece to point out on this floor are the super cute Black DG Tights, I love this dinky little print design on them and these will make for some adorable outfits - plus they're priced in SC's so really affordable. Onto the final floor which is all about the pinks and reds, definitely a fun selection here! The Pink Highwaisted Skirt paired with the Black Madonna Bra really stood out to me on the advertising, and it's nice that it's been done as a two-piece rather than a dress so it gives the option to style together or separately. I love the dusty pink colour and the metallic texture with the pleats, really a beautiful piece. The Flower Lace Dress is a stunning piece, and all those details are really amazing and with the selection of colours there will be an abundance of accessories that will look good with this one. It looks great on the doll and I'm really thinking about buying this one. 

F E A T U R E S

First up in the features is our very own Miloshki styling up the Magenta Balloon Sleeve Top in this amazing bright look, I love it! The skirt is such a perfect match for the pink on the bodice of the piece, it's identical and I think the flounce of the tulle of the skirt is a great balance for the metallic and balloon style of the sleeves. The reds on the top are paired perfectly with the red tights, the colour balance is spot on =D

Next up is carol.dany who wears the Black Lace Trousers and I really love them against the metallic bright greens, I think it's fantastic for Spring! I think the lace really pops, and works particularly well with the metallic texture on the top. The blazer adds a neutral balance between the pieces really nicely. Love seeing these shoes being worn, despite adding a pattern against the lace I think the leopard print really works nicely here!

Queen of stylings is next, harpie, styling up both the Sheer White Dress and Gold Heart Purse which look great together. This dress is the perfect layering piece, and here it's showcased with a white piece beneath, the dress adds an extra floaty layer, I love it. The look is made for the Winter adding a sweet pink shirt beneath (fits perfectly with the collection as a whole I think), plus this furry gilet. The gold accessories make the perfect finishing touch, these shoes are also amazing!

And last but not least is DieForDior who also wears the Sheer White Dress and this time adds the DG Garter Belt as well. This look features lots of light layers, which works really well to highlight lots of different aspects, I think the little tulle puff sleeves look particularly sweet with the dress. The black bow on the blouse makes for the perfect way to add black to the styling and these accessory pieces really pop, the belt and bag are great together =)

Stardoll OOTM 2024 | Styled Outfits

I hadn't thought I'd bought much from the 2024 OOTM releases, until I laid all the pieces out (I had collected them in a room^) and went 'WOW', so many great pieces here that I hadn't thought about in months, it was like going shopping for new things but without spending any money! So now I'm finally getting around to styling some items - there are a lot more and I'm sure many will be featured in upcoming outfits. First up the White Flower Embroidered Miniskirt, Balenciaga Hourglass Mirror Handbag and Versace Medusa Silver Platforms - I just thought these pieces worked together so nicely, I really love this matte silver style of accessories with white. I wanted to add more silver to the look with a top or jacket, but nothing I had quite fitted what I was imagining, so I stuck with white and I think it works out quite nicely, then added silver in the jewellery. I really like the inclusion of this necklace, the black and silver combined really matches it well with the accessories and also the black logo on the skirt. Next are the Lacoste Bordeaux Coat, Bottega Brown Sunglasses, Patent Leather Gucci Bag and Patent Leather Bordeaux Boots. With these pieces I tried a lot of different combinations of them with other OOTM items, lots of different looks work well for them! But I really liked this one, it just yells Winter glamour to me and I really really love it^ I really didn't add much to this styling, wearing a gold skirt as a dress, these pleats really add all the detail that is needed. The gold jewellery completes the look nicely, a perfect match against the gold heels of the boots and hardwear of the bag, love this styling a lot! And finally, the Cult Gaia Pants, Gold Flower Earrings and Louboutin Gingko Heels in a bit more of a Spring look. These jeans look very similar to a previous pair we've had, but the detail was a purple colour, these make a good neutral alternative and I found them easy to style, this outfit really didn't need a lot added. This straw bag is a perfect colour match for the print on the trousers and also the Summery style of the heels, I think it's the perfect complement for all of these items =)

V O I L E | Styled Outfits

The most recent VOILE release has a great mix of glamorous styles included, there's definitely something for everyone in it, especially from the selection of accessories. First up I picked up the White Ruffle Blouse Female, it has amazing lilac tones in it that I think make it really stand out. I loved adding more lilac in the look, this skirt especially looks great with the shirt and it's a pairing I'll definitely repeat. I kept the sunglasses and bag in purple too, albeit a darker shade and I think this pop works nicely, and is a balance to the white boots. I really love this one! Next are the Pearl Heels in a super simple and 'classic me' look - when pearls are involved I can't resist pairing with these jeans if possible. Kept it super neutral with all black additions, that lets the denim balance well and also lets those pearls pop - this bag is the perfect accessory for these heels too^ And finally, the Silver Crystal Heels, which were a bit more of an on a whim purchase for me, but I think they're super sweet. They are a more blue based silver so I knew I could pair them well with this specific top, I really love their pairing. I found a matching silver bag, then balanced the look out with white (I tried silver/grey, it was a lot!) for a smart but stylish Winter look. These shoes definitely surprised me in a good way, I look forward to wearing them again =)