Review: Bodyline Boots & Cardigan

I've been needing a pair of black Lolita boots for some time now, and with the wedding coming up, I needed them soon! Having been very happy with Bodyline's shoes before, I decided to go for a pair of boots--definitely the cheapest pair I could find, and quite cute. Since the $20 shipping campaign is over, I decided to throw in cardigan as well to make myself feel better about the shipping price.

Terrible packaging, as usual.

More pictures and details following... 

Like the last time I bought shoes from them, the boots were only wrapped in tissue paper. But they were supported by foam and had the toes stuffed, to keep them in shape during shipping. The cardigan was in one of their usual plastic bags.

The boots (SHOES225 in Black) ! I'm actually quite pleased with them--they look just as advertised, and the roses are kind of a soft felted fabric, not shiny and gross at all. The straps on top are adjustable (they fasten with velcro, but you can't see it much) and the roses are all on shoe clips, so you can take them off or move them around.

Side views of the boots. You can see the full-length zipper, and the way the roses clip on.

Here you can see them worn. They fit quite well--after a little adjustment of the laces, they were very comfortable to walk around in. The calves are snug, but not too tight. I have fairly small calves, so I didn't have to loosen them much, but I would guess they could probably expand up to another inch at the calf. I also took the roses off of one boot to see how it looked. I like it both ways! It will be nice to be able to dress them up or down depending on the outfit.

L274 in Off-white. The cardigan is a little scratchy, but not unbearable. It's made from polyester fibers, in a cute crocheted pattern. The small ribbons are satin, but they aren't horrible, so I'll leave them alone for now. The big bow is grosgrain, and feels pretty nice. One thing to note is that I was expecting off-white (the color listed) but it is definitely more of a cream shade (what other brands would refer to as "ivory"). This surprised me, but luckily isn't a problem since I also have plenty of outfits that coordinate with ivory.

The other little problem with the cardigan is that the sleeves are too short on me. (I threw together a quick coordinate to show how it looks.) As most of you know, I'm a fairly tall girl, and have proportionally long arms, so it wasn't unexpected. I have that problem with many brand items designed with Japanese girls in mind. Luckily, the sleeves are fully detachable, and I honestly like how it looks with short sleeves much better. I'll keep the sleeves in case I ever lend it to someone shorter than me, but I can't honestly see myself using them much at all. This will be a decorative cardigan, not one for warmth!

Hopefully this review was helpful to someone, and let me know if you want me to take any measurements or mention my own measurements.

Ordering: 5/5 (No problems with the cart, fast response)

Shipping: 3/5 (Fast shipping with tracking, but awful packaging)

Items: 5/5 (Awesome boots, cute cardigan, everything pretty much as advertised)