In mid-September 2021, Spanish indie brand Violet Fane announced a prerelease for “The Enchanted Town”, a darker take on their popular “The Charming Town” print series. While I’ve admired the Charming Town series, I felt like something was missing. Turns out that something was a black colorway.
Order
I placed an order on September 20 and received a confirmation order. I’ve written before about Violet Fane not sending updates when they ran into delays, but that was not the case with this preorder. They sent a general email about the preorder on September 29, detailing their expected timeline and the general release, which included some additional items that weren’t available during the prerelease. I love these kinds of updates from brands, especially because often the wait between when I place a preorder and when I receive an item can be filled with anxiety about lost packages or incorrect addresses.
Shipping
On October 19, I received an email that my dress had shipped. My dress arrived safely in California on November 2. (My package was delayed by Fed-ex which I wrote about in a separate post. I don’t blame Violet Fane for this, however, I do blame the entire country of France. You had your chance, France. I’ll never forgive you.)
Enchanted Town JSK
My JSK came with two mini postcards, featuring the art of the Enchanted Town. One of them is a little too beat up to display, but the other one will make a cute postcard or framed artwork!
I ordered the “S-L” JSK. The fabric is a textured polyester, most similar to their “Otome Nostalgia” and “Memento Mori” releases. The bodice is self lined and the skirt is lined in a custom printed satin polyester. There are adjustable straps and back shirring. The dress does not have a zipper, so it slides on over your head. The dress came with a gold belt with tassels, which was a cute touch. Though I didn’t use it in my sample coordinate, it will make a nice accessory for future outfits.
Printing in black is a challenge for many indie brands because getting a rich dark color is often prohibitively expensive. Next to other black fabrics (like cotton blouses), the background is a little muted. However, I think it’s a richer black than their “Memento Mori” and looks great. The artwork is detailed and enchanting (couldn’t resist, sorry). The print is gothic, but not so spooky that it would turn heads outside of Halloween. I think it’s the perfect sort of print for early September or November, when you’re trying to make the spooky season last a little longer.
Fit
In the past, I know that other people have complained about Violet Fane’s bodice construction in their JSKs. I’ve avoided problems by just ordering skirts from them. I loved this print so much that I took a chance on their JSK. Unfortunately, I have to agree that the fit of their bodice is just a little off. The princess seams down the center of the bodice are extremely narrow. Because of this, the bodice doesn’t capture the fullness of my bust and ends up flattening it across the front. The dress also gaps on the sides, just beside the straps. Obviously ready made garments cannot be perfectly tailored to suit every body, but since other people have noted similar fit issues with other releases, I know I’m not alone. This dress is still wearable, but in the future, I think I’ll stick to their skirt releases.
Fit issues aside, Violet Fane’s artwork and print quality continue to impress. I eagerly await what they come up with in their new “sister brand” Sumire.
You can find Violet Fane on their website, Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook.