There has to be a catch....

[Lady Kett]

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!

[arbcoind]

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

[Auryn]

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.

[arbcoind]

I received an email notification that my order shipped from Nevada via USPS on 4/15/11. 

Gina

[arbcoind]

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

[Auryn]

Gina- first post a picture girl

Can the ribbon be tucked or pinned inside the bustle??

[arbcoind]

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

[arbcoind]

http://www.retroscopefashions.com/images/lolita/v00006L.jpg

A pic of the bustle.  This is from the Retroscope website.

Gina

[gem]

Can you tie it around your waist? Or just let it fall loosely?

[arbcoind]

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

[gem]

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?

[Butch]

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!

[arbcoind]

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

[gypsylakat]

you could probably also put a button on the inside and tie it to that if you didn't want to create a hole.

[arbcoind]

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