Designer Showcase~Sweet Rococo

As I blog about the American Lolita fashion and lifestyle, I feel that it's only appropriate that I showcase excellent American Lolita designers. First up is Sweet Rococo, a simply lovely LA-based online shop created by the husband and wife team Lynleigh and Yasuyuki Sato.
Unfortunately, most US based Lolita designers are either solely accessory-based or are one-person creators who can be quite difficult to find or even trust, as they operate through forums and email orders alone. Sweet Rococo is one of the companies that defies this, as it is a very professional and well-organized website with a wonderful idea: custom made lolita clothing. That is, the customer chooses the design, fabric, lace, et cetera for every project. JSKs, skirts, bows, headdresses, and crowns can all be custom made. From the "gallery" section you can view past designs and perhaps even order those designs if you see one that particularly strikes your fancy. They also feature premade clothing that is equally lovely, though in disappointingly low quantity (there are only three skirt designs available at the moment).

A featured look from a 2010 fashion show. The model is wearing a custom dress, the Frills and Florets blouse in white, the Royal Satin Headbow in pink, and the Belle Petticoat in pink.

As someone who has ordered from them before, I can tell you that it is a real pleasure creating a garment or even just being able to look at the premade clothing in English for once! Not only that, but the clothing is very high quality. It does not come especially cheap (most things are between $100 and $200), but the clothing is still cheaper than buying from Japanese brands, so most lolita are used to the price point. I myself own three skirts, two blouses and a petticoat from Sweet Rococo--one custom (listed as #198355 Two Tier Skirt) as well as the Butterfly Chandelier Skirt in black, the Strawberry Splendour Skirt in black, the Frills and Florets Pintuck Blouse in both black and white, and the Belle Petticoat in white. Apparently in previous years the quality has been described as somewhat poor, but Lynleigh has since upped the production costs. All the skirts are lined, feature high quality prints, and fit easily around the waist. The blouses have detachable sleeves and are well seamed with lovely details, though the dye in the black version necessitates its own seperate wash. The petticoat is quite comfortable and fills out the skirts very well, with a considerable amount of poof. The only complaint that I would readily give is that if you custom order something, be prepared to wait to get it. My custom skirt took about two weeks longer to arrive than the readymade wear. So if you are wearing your outfit to a specific event, it is best to order well ahead of time.

Lynleigh herself dressed in the Butterfly Chandelier Skirt in black, the Frills and Florets blouse in black (with the sleeves attached), and the Royal Satin Headbow in Red. I love the skirt/blouse combination but personally the red seems a bit much.

 

The accessories--bows, crowns, hats, gloves, and Wonderland Atelier jewelry--all look lovely, though I myself have never bought them.
If you are looking for some American Lolita flare, perhaps with a custom outfit thrown in, then Sweet Rococo is a great find!