So...I stumbled across this website this afternoon-along with the most amazing ladies pirate coat I have ever seen...and the prices are almost too good to be believed. Has anyone ever heard of this company? Thanks in advance for your help!
Also, any non-H/A garb addicts, you should absolutely take a look at the garb offered. You have to search around a bit to find Ren Faire items, but when you do...you can thank me later. :P
http://www.fanplusfriend.com/servlet/the-433/Pirate-Lolita-fdsh-Gothic-Prince-fdsh-Ouji-High/Detail (http://www.fanplusfriend.com/servlet/the-433/Pirate-Lolita-fdsh-Gothic-Prince-fdsh-Ouji-High/Detail)
(http://www.fanplusfriend.com/c2/CT00022_02.jpg)
firstly- love that coat pattern
I was looking at the site.
I have a feeling that although its UK based, I bet you they get their stuff made in China thats why they can offer those kinds of prices.
I did a quick search online and the reviews I found all seem positive.
http://community.livejournal.com/egl/12859992.html
Also, if you look at the shipping cost page, it seems to start at $20, and go up from there.
I love the design, it is lovely. The only thing that has me concerned is the "satin twill." It is going to be shiny and obviously synthetic material. This site is geared towards J-fashion and cosplay, which is fine. You just have to realize it is more costume and less garb.
Quote from: Meagan on April 12, 2011, 08:32:54 AM
I love the design, it is lovely. The only thing that has me concerned is the "satin twill." It is going to be shiny and obviously synthetic material. This site is geared towards J-fashion and cosplay, which is fine. You just have to realize it is more costume and less garb.
I have a few pieces from them for my cosplay and in terms of that they are quality pieces that hold up well being worn around an air conditioned hotel. Also, the boning in the bodices and corsets is what you'd expect for that price--flimsy and more meant to help the garment keep its shape rather the hold/shape your body. I know the biggest issue people seem to have with them is fit, as they seem to run a bit small.
I love their stuff, but when I tried to order from them a few months ago, something was fishy.
I was going to order a bustle skirt I really liked, and did all of the right stuff, put in my credit card info, all that jazz, then submitted my order. I get an email like a day later saying something like "thanks for your order, but now you have to go to this website, put in your card number and the right price of the item and submit it again" because of some legal stuff with China laws or something. Basically, though i had used my card once, they told me to go to a different site and put it in again, as well as enter in the price of the item, so it wasn't like an order type page. I don't know what was going on, but I didn't like it. It was all in broken english too.
I love their stuff, but yeah, it's all made in China (which isn't a big deal, I understand) but from my 1 time experience, their ordering is way crazy. However, I know that a lot of cosplay fans order from them all the time, so they are safe to buy from, I just can't figure out how to do it, but I'm pretty dumb sometimes, not going to lie. I've also read that custom orders are sometimes messed up, but as long as it's a stock piece, I'm sure it'll be fine
If you do order it,tell me how to do it :P
I'm glad I asked! Thank you all for your suggestions/observations. I was so excited to find a woman's pirate coat that I loved that I knew I would overlook a lot of details...and I did. The search continues....
When I first looked at this thread a friend of mine was sitting next to me and glanced over and immediately recognized the company...she knows some people with their products. She personally hasn't bought anything before but she's buying a dress from them for her wedding...She said her friends who do have their products love them.
I'm glad to hear so many positive reviews of this site/merchant because I'm pretty sure I need most of the dresses there! ;)
I hope you realize fallenangel
that now I will be spending a bunch of money on clothes I never realized I wanted
So in my attempt to actually find the bustle skirt I wanted to order from Fanplusfriend months ago, I found this woman - http://www.retroscopefashions.com/lolita.html - who actually sold the same skirt. Turns out, she sells a lot of the stuff from fanplusfriend. She doesn't have your coat, but I know she does order stuff from them and sell it here in America, I'm pretty sure. I read this on a forum somewhere, she said it herself. She designs a lot of the stuff, has fanplusfriend make it, then sells it.
Maybe you could contact her and she could order it for you. I don't know if shipping would be any different, but like I said, she works with them a lot.
Delireus! Thank you for the link. You are such an enabler. I ordered the Black Victorian Grand Dame Blouse and the Gothic Victorian Long Bustle Skirt. Ordering process was easy and shipping to me is only $12.00.
Gina
arbcoind
let us know how your order goes, I really want to know as they have a skirt on there that I absolutely adore.
So far I received an order confirmation by email. It says my order is being processed and will ship shortly. I'll keep everyone updated.
Gina
I received this email from Retroscope:
For some reason, your credit card was declined. It could have been something as simple as the numbers being entered incorrectly at checkout.
I am sending you an invoice that can be paid securely through our Quickbooks Merchant account. If you do not see it shortly, please check your spam filter
I opened the invoice and it requested payment by credit card which again was declined. There is NOTHING wrong with my credit card.
Should I be concerned?
Gina
Gina, if you are US based and they are UK, your credit card company may have denied the charge with their fraud filters. I have had that happen a few times and have called my cardholder and then they will do whatever-it-is that they do to release the transaction.
If that's all it is, no biggy, just call your credit card company. And in the process you can make sure you're only being charged once!
Lady Kett, you are correct! I called my credit card company and had to verify that I was making a purchase from Retroscope. All is good! At least my card company is looking out for fraud...
Gina
I would call your credit card company and ask them whats going on.
Sometimes if the merchant account is based outside of the US they might decline it to prevent you from being defrauded.
I received an email notification that my order shipped from Nevada via USPS on 4/15/11.
Gina
I received my Retroscope order yesterday. I love the skirt and blouse. They are well made and fit very nicely. There were no washing intructions or fabric content on the label so I threw them in the dryer with a dry cleaners secret sheet. The skirt and blouse came out perfectly and without a wrinkle.
I have a question however. The skirt has two drawstrings in the back to pull up the bustle. They work fine, but what do I do with all the left over ribbon once I tie it to hold up the bustle? I can't cut the ribbon because it would be too short when the bustle is down.
Gina
Gina- first post a picture girl ;)
Can the ribbon be tucked or pinned inside the bustle??
I have no way to post a pic. I have a dumb phone and no digital camera.
I was thinking to roll up the ribbon and secure it with a small rubber band and pin it under the bustle. There should be enough fabric in the ruffle to hide all of that.
Another nice feature of the skirt...it is high waisted with an invisible side zipper but with lacing in the back to adjust the fit. The shirt also has lacing in the back so it can be worn loose or tight.
Gina
http://www.retroscopefashions.com/images/lolita/v00006L.jpg
A pic of the bustle. This is from the Retroscope website.
Gina
Can you tie it around your waist? Or just let it fall loosely?
The ribbon is positioned underneath the ruffle in the second tier of the skirt. There is no way to tie the ribbon around my waist or attach it to the waistband without messing up the first tier ruffle. I'm still fiddling with the darn thing. I want to be able to wear the skirt down as an option, so I have to leave the long ribbons.
Should I find a place to wear it before fair, I will have someone get a pic.
Gina
Ok, how about...
--loosely looping up the excess ribbon and tying it together so it hangs under the first tier and isn't visible?
--Adding beads or something to the ends to make them pretty and decorative?
--Wrapping them around your curling iron (if they won't melt) so they spiral down prettily if left loose?
--Putting a couple of eyelets or buttonholes in the skirt so you can draw the drawstrings through to the inside?
Gem, my thoughts exactly on creating an opening to bring the ends inside.
Great idea on using a curling iron to make the ends hang down in pretty spirals!
Hey! Making a small hole to place the ribbon inside the skirt is a great idea. I can place the hole out of sight under the ruffle. I'm glad I asked because I would never have thought of that. I'll work on it tonight and see how it turns out. Thanks!
Gina
you could probably also put a button on the inside and tie it to that if you didn't want to create a hole.
I'll try several ideas before cutting into the skirt. The reason I think this will work the best is that once the bustle is formed, there's about 2 1/2 feet of ribbon hanging down. I could pull the bustle looser, but I think it looks best the whole way up the skirt.
Again, thanks for the suggestions, I was becoming very frustrated.
Gina