[Sponsored] Rosegal online fashion shop review!

Hello folks!

Remember this post I made a while back? Yep, this is what that was for. :) 

This is an old review from 2018 that I originally posted on my other blog, which has since been deleted, and that I'm now reposting here. I doubt that the products I'm showing are available anymore but I still want to share this review. This is an almost complete repost of the original blog entry, any new edits I will specifically mark with an edit note and italics.

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So, Rosegal contacted me a while ago and offered a collaboration; I took a quick look at the site, liked it and then I also did some googling, as I always do before I accept an offer. I was really concerned that several sites claimed them to be a scam as being honest is extremely important to me when I do reviews. I was wiggling back and forth for a while before I decided on taking the bait as I'd get a chance to see for my own eyes what they're like.

Rosegal is a fashion and clothing online store; the styles they carry vary from mainstream to alternative and everything in between. You are guaranteed to find something you like and the sortiment changes every now and then. There's also sales often! 

Kindly note that the items I'm reviewing in this post were sponsored by Rosegal but that ALL opinions and text is my own. I do not compromise my honesty. Ever.

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Shipping: I honestly don't remember the exact shipping time at all so I'm gonna refrain from mentioning that as I don't want to be terribly wrong, but it might have been around 2 weeks. Now I need to mention that I searched on their site but couldn't find any information about where they were located prior to agreeing to partner with them, which I thought was pretty weird. I ended up googling and found that they were from China, much to my expectations, and the package also confirmed it when it arrived. The shipment went through the Netherlands and I assume the courier was "PostNL" because that's what the printed label says. Not sure if they shipped from an European warehouse or if they shipped from China and just repackaged in Europe and took a different carrier.

The package was this kind of light gray plastic bag and inside the items were packaged separately. All the small accessories were in their own small plastic bags and the sweatshirt and the pants were also separate.
I regret to inform that I am 100% sure that I took photos of the package before I opened it but I've checked through my computers, the camera's SD card and everything and they're nowhere to be found! I have no idea where the photos went but if I have to guess I think the files either got corrupted (happens sometimes) or I might have accidentally deleted them when I was making room for more photos.

Products: Rosegal offered me products for a set price total and I ended up picking one sweatshirt, harem pants, two necklaces and a fake leather bracelet. I'll add product links below while I go through each piece of clothing. ^^ Enjoy!  
Edit: The links do not work anymore as the products have sold out and been removed from the sortiment since then.

I'm sorry I don't have one of those fashionable
houses and fancy mirrors to take photos on, lmao.

The shirt I got was the Water Drop Printed Crew Neck Sweatshirt (in size L) and I must admit that it's stinking cute! Rosegal's online shop has an insane amount of products for sale, you can literally spend hours just scrolling page after page! Needless to say I had a hard time deciding on what I wanted as there were so many options to choose from. I eventually settled on this adorable whale shirt and I'm so glad that I did – in case you have no idea I'll just mention quickly that I've always been extremely fascinated by the sea, ships, marine life and so on and yeah, whales are no exception. This print is just irresistibly cute and colorful!

Whale print close-up.

The color is a really dark blue and I had a surprise when I saw that the sweatshirt is actually 95% cotton and 5% polyester. I was dead-set on it being polyester as I've come to assume cheap clothing, especially from overseas, always is chemical fibers. It's soft to the touch and comfortable and I was just overall positively surprised. I must mention though that I am not completely convinced that it really is almost fully cotton as the touch of the fabric is a bit, different – it's almost as if the surface could have been processed or treated with something to make it more, err, slippery or silky, I guess. If I wanted to be sure I could always do a burn test but I have no fabric scraps so oh well. Yes, I'm studying to become a tailor and we've recently had a course on how to tell different fabric types apart by burning them and checking how they behave...
I did not spot any poor sewing, weird seams or such – it seemed completely normal. I have not tried washing it yet so I don't know how especially the print will behave; I hope it won't flake, crack or anything. 

Shirt worn. Sorry I was a bit tired. x)

This is the kind of clothing that I'd call a "fashion sweater" or "blog sweater", meaning that I wouldn't wear it for full days but mainly for photographing and such, to keep it from deteriorating too fast as I love the cute, water-spouting whale a bit too much for my own good...
The shirt's tag says it's made in China and should be washed in 30°C to prolong its life. I don't expect this kind of alternative fashion clothing to last very long as daily wear and so I use them gently.
 

Sleeve mouth is rib knit...

... and so is the hem.

I got some slight red rashes at the wrists after wearing the sweater for a while, I think it's because the sleeve ribs are a bit tight. The overall fit/pattern is okay but quite snug, even the L size. As an European guy who's below average height (the shirt is marketed for men?) and has a smallish build it's still tight-fitting so yeah, China size it is.

Next up is the pants, which are actually my first harem pants ever. It's the Vintage Geometric Print Casual Harem Pants. Not gonna lie, I've been wanting to buy harem pants for years as I love the look of baggy, slightly eccentric wear. There were several prints to choose from but I picked these mainly because of the color and vintage vibes.

Weirdly enough there is no tush tag at all, meaning I have no idea how to care for these or what material they are and where they've been made. I would assume made in China at least but the feel of the fabric is like medium-weight cotton or muslin but the product page claims polyester, which has me hella confused. Again, a burn test would easily show which one it is but if it really is polyester then damn, that's a good copy. *shrugs* Whatever it is it feels nice and the pants are really roomy.
They actually only come in one size and funnily enough I was concerned that they'd be too small (China size is always a risk) but they are really freaking big, like really. When I first pulled them out you should have seen my face, it was this mix of confusion and horror. xD Like I was sure I'd be able to fit me and my clone in it at the same time, lmao. I'm not kidding, they're really huge! Much bigger than I expected, although I have no previous experience with harem pants so I can't compare with what's usual.

Notice the elastic waistband.

The feet and waist has elastics to keep them in place. There's two butt pockets as well.
These are super easy to wear and will fit quite literally anyone, although I feel like they're a bit on the tall side. I probably could pull them up all the way to my chest if I wanted but that would look hella ridiculous so nuh-uh.
I actually wore these out when I went to visit an outdoor market and I had no problem with biking in them; I thought it would be hazardous because of the super low crotch but it was actually fine. Yes, the crotch seam is of course super low, which makes the typical look of cozy harem pants. Fair warning though that in some unflattering poses/angles it might look like you're wearing a giant diaper for a second, haha.

And now we get to the accessories. I've been a metalhead for most of my life so of course I checked if there were anything cool for my tastes too, as I like both cute and cool stuff. I ended up finding the Punk Faux Leather Wolf Printing Bracelet, a brown fake leather wristband with a wolf design!

It's pretty straightforward and what you'd expect. There's a notable fake leather smell but I actually like the smell, haha. You close it with the typical buckle and strap closure and the whole bracelet feels pretty solid. It's made in China just like almost everything is nowadays although much to my surprise this was actually quite generous in size and adjustable on top of that. This bracelet should fit just fine for most people.

Bracelet laid out flat.

The wolf head print is on both ends so it's pretty sure to be visible. I think it's a pretty rad accessory for punk fans, rockers and others who dig this kind of accessories! It seems durable enough, considering the inexpensive price and so I have no complaints. I'll most likely wear it for concerts and such.

Next is the Artificial Gem Moon Round Pendant Necklace. A moon shaped necklace with a fantasy feeling to it. I actually bought a really similar one years ago from SheIn although I can't find it. I guess I chose this as a reserve in case I lost my original one, as I did like it.

The site says that it's alloy but that seems a bit... unspecific to me? Oh well. The chain's a bit on the short end (can't be pulled over head, at least not for me) and the closure system is the typical one you see on a majority of all necklaces. It closes with no issues, doesn't seem to be flimsy or of poor quality either. It's a beautiful necklace and the blue "galaxy ball" is eye-catching. I don't worry that it would fall apart anytime soon and I feel like it will bring a lot to my outfits whenever I wear it out!

Last but not least we have the PU Leather Anchor Pendant Choker. I know it's meant for women but who the fudge cares? Breaking gender norms is lit. No but seriously, I picked this because of my marine fascination and yeah, I love anchors. The title says PU leather but that seems wrong to me, to be honest. It seems like fabric and has a soft, velvet-ish touch. It's not leathery at all.

I don't think I've ever owned a choker before but eh, gotta try something new every once in a blue moon! The pendant is super nice, no idea what material it is exactly but I hope that it won't rust. It's made in China too (surprise surprise) and was ultra cheap. For the price I really can't complain, it does it's job, looks nice enough and the closure system is the same as on the moon necklace. It's a bit snug so yeah, good thing I have a small build in this case because even just a slightly wider neck and it would have been unwearable so yeah, on that front it makes sense it's marketed for women.

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That about sums it up for this review on what I got from Rosegal and my experiences and impressions! Thank you for reading this far. 

Quality ★★★★☆

Price  ★★★★★

Value ★★★★☆

Shipping  ★★★☆☆

Customer service ★★★☆☆

Summary: I didn't have any trouble with their service or products at all and I'm happy with what I got! Everything was of generally decent quality (especially considering the price), the kind that you'd expect from inexpensive Asia based fashion shops – if you've bought from SheIn or similar shops you'll know what kind of quality to expect, although it can still vary a lot depending on what exactly you buy. "You get what you pay for" definitely applies.

My general rule of thumb for my own purchases is to focus on casual wear, like t-shirts and such, as that's much more likely to be as advertised and not a potential disappointment if the quality isn't up to par with your expectations. I certainly would think twice before ordering anything that I know is supposed to be expensive (let's say fancier dresses, suits and bridal stuff) but yeah, that's just me. Oh, and material information seems like it could be inaccurate too. 

Also, I can't really say anything about their customer service as I did not have to deal with it.

Edit: I've been wearing those harem pants a lot; washed them, took them on a trip to Germany in late 2019 where I wore them daily both indoors and outdoors. I've worn them in sunshine and rain and they are by far my favorite pants in my whole closet. The quality has held up after all this time and I'm amazed with them. I legit want to throw all my other pants into a fire pit and just buy a ton of harem pants lol. I've improved the overall quality score with one star.

Overall my experience with Rosegal is a positive one and I'd feel safe dealing with them in the future as well. I don't feel like I got anything of poor quality and even though the prices seem like a "too good to be true" case sometimes, I still feel like they're trustable and deliver products that match the stock images, at least as long as you use some common sense when shopping. I give major points for the absolutely massive selection of goods ranging from wigs and clothes to home decor as well – can't deny it's convenient to have everything in the same place. Although it does stir in me a slight feeling of "jack of all trades but master of none" haha.

I also feel a need to state that I am very well aware that, as a blogger and reviewer, that I'm more likely to be given their best service so yeah, I can't guarantee that they will give that same service to everyone. Any online website is always a risk, unfortunately. But my personal experience is a good one, based on this collaboration and the products that I chose. :)

Edit: I just want to clarify that I am very aware of how bad "fast/cheap fashion" is for the environment, but in my defense I extremely rarely buy new clothes. I mainly buy second-hand and try to only buy what I really want or what I need. Shop responsibly to save our planet.

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Thank you for reading. Thank you Rosegal for this opportunity!

~  Shiro Samurai out.

[Sponsored] Allstarco review: acrylic gems store

Hello everyone!

Sorry for the silence, I got the flu last week and have had no energy nor time to blog in a lil' while. But today I will do a review for a store that sells acrylic jewellery in all shapes, colors and sizes and it's very useful for cosplayers and costumers alike! 

Allstarco contacted me during summer asking if I wanted to review their products and after a quick check online I decided to accept the offer, thinking that this review could be useful for a lot of people out there who lack the materials or skills to cast their own resin gems etc and are looking to just buy them ready-made!

Let's do this~

Kindly note that the items I'm reviewing in this post were sponsored, for review purposes, by Allstarco but that all opinions and text is my own. I never compromise my honesty regardless of if I paid for the products with my own money or not.

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My order arrived like this, nice and simple.

Shipping & customer service: I placed the order on 29th June and I think it was shipped somewhere near 2nd July and arrived in my country on 11th July. Pretty fast considering it came from over the Atlantic ocean! Yes, Allstarco is based in Canada which actually had me surprised because I'm so used to almost everything being from China lol. But yeah, because Sweden's postal company is a bunch of greedy turds whom half the country hates I was not surprised to receive pure rip-off level customs to pay. Thankfully Allstarco was super sweet and understanding and actually helped me pay for the customs which I'm really thankful for as I'm a broke-ass student with literally almost no income, not even study grant. I am 99% sure this was a special privilege I enjoyed purely for being in a collaboration with them (and for being really poor) so don't expect to get your custom costs etc covered as a regular customer. ^^" But I'm mentioning it as this level of kindness and customer service was way over my expectations and super kind of them! Speaking of customer service – the contact person I had, named Adil, was really friendly, thorough and almost always replied to my emails within 24 hours, which is always a plus.

Package contents.

Products: On 19th July I finally got the package in my hands and opened it up. All my chosen gems were separately packaged inside a big ziplock bag and then I also received a business card and something that I later learned was a color chart that is, in fact, a request-only product (meaning it's not for sale) that is sent to influencers like me to show off their range of colors. I got the type H, which kinda implies that there's more color charts than just one. Hmm.

Color chart!

So many pretty colors... ~

I guess one could find a way to use the tiny example gems in this chart if one really wanted but I'm not gonna try it. Yet.

Allstarco sells a whole lot of acrylic gems with different fastening methods (sew-on, glue on, self-adhesive) and in a myriad of different colors, shapes and sixes! Their products range from plastic rhinestones, gems and diamonds to studs, cabochons and specialized tools and accessories like stud setters etc. You're almost certain to find what you might need for your costume, in other words. I was honestly really positively surprised by the amount of variation, it shows the dedication and knowledge of the needs of the creative and crafting communities – there's even a category for extra-large cosplay gems!

The diamond packs.

The round "pirate treasure" packs.

The octagon "pirate treasure" packs.

Here's a list below of the items I ordered, along with links to the product pages:

Acrylic Diamond Confetti AB Coating 5mm 1000 Pcs

Acrylic Diamond Confetti AB Coating 12mm 50 Pcs

Plastic Diamonds AB Coating 20mm 25 Pcs

Octagon Pirate Jewels For Treasure 25x18mm 40 Pcs

Round Pirate Jewels For Treasure 27mm 25 Pcs

Quality: The quality is as one might expect of plastic gems in general, nothing ultra amazing but seem durable and certainly fun for parties and games. The gems are pretty lightweight and look cool, they shine nicely when the light hits them (I love sparkly things!) but I sadly didn't manage to capture this effect well on the camera for some reason – they look a lot nicer in person, I promise! Especially the red ones were really hard to photograph and look more dull and dark than what they actually are.
I don't think that the gems feel cheap but rather affordable for the price. I did notice though that they are not in mint condition by any means; there's visible surface scratches on pretty much every gemstone (possibly from rubbing againt each other?) but it's nothing that really bothers me that much personally. There might also be imperfections such as small air bubbles trapped within the gems or various marks and snags from the production. Again, this kind of damage does not bother me in this particular case as it's minor and not super visible, unless you look closely or the light hits a certain way to reveal the imperfections.
The visibility of the gems is generally good and clear, as in that when you look through/into the plastic it doesn't seem overly dim, blurry or dirty. It's not crystal clear but clear enough to still look valuable, if that makes sense. xD Sure that these acrylic gems still look fake, especially when compared to real gemstones because these gems are obviously plastic, but you get the point.

I couldn't find the information on the site but I asked through mail and was told that most of the products are made in Canada, which gets a thumb up from me. But some of the newer products (I don't know which ones are concerned) have moved production to Asia because of the cost, most likely to China.

Product close-up images below, all photos taken by me outdoors:

5mm clear diamonds.

12mm clear diamonds

20mm clear diamonds.

Blue round "pirate jewels".

Red round "pirate jewels".

Amber octagon "pirate jewels".

Green octagon "pirate jewels".

Purple octagon "pirate jewels".

None of my chosen gems are of the various flat back types, meaning that these are purely decorational and used as-is and thus can't be attached to any surfaces. There are a lot of choices for sewn-on gems, self-adhesive gems and flat back gems that you can glue on yourself but I wanted the "normal" gems for my project. And what is my project you ask, why would a cosplayer like me not take flat back gems at all? BECAUSE I'M PREPARING A PIRATE TREASURE CHEST FILLED WITH BOOTY. :D Yep, and I want it to have a lot of different fillings in many colors and shapes! I find it funny how some of the products on Allstarco are even named and marketed for pirate treasure as that was my first thought too and I immediately decided on that I want to make a Sea of Thieves inspired cosplay and carry around some serious loot!

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That's about all I had to say for this review about Allstarco, based on my experiences and impressions! Below's some quick grades and summary for the lazier readers.

Quality ★★★☆☆

Price  ★★★★☆

Value ★★★★☆

Shipping  ★★★★★

Customer service ★★★★★

Summary: Allstarco is a Canada based specialty online store with a focus on all kinds of acrylic gems for cosplay, costuming (including live-action roleplay) and crafting projects. There's a huge sortiment of shapes, sizes, colors and styles and at generally affordable prices too. Allstarco carries rhinestones, studs, acrylic gems, cabochons etc and even stick-on gems for your face! If your next cosplay is from Sailor Moon, Steven Universe, League of Legends or even Fortnite and you are stuck on the gem part then give Allstarco a shot, odds are they have what you need! And even if you aren't a costumer you can have use of their products for things like wedding decorations, table scatters, parties and games with kids, Halloween, school projects and much more! Only your imagination is the limit. I'm surprised I did not know of them before this, especially as I've several times had the thought  of "okay so where the heck can I get a gem like that?" lol.

Use exclusive discount coupon 20SHIROSAMURAI for 20% off on your purchase!

I also feel a need to state a small disclaimer and say that I am very well aware that, as a blogger and reviewer, that I'm more likely to be given better service than average. But based on this collaboration and the products that I received I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Allstarco. I will surely keep them in mind for future projects as it's great to know that there's a dedicated store for crafters and cosplayers out there that focuses on filling all your gem needs, in one place.

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Thank you for reading. Thank you Allstarco for this opportunity!

~  Shiro Samurai out.

[Sponsored] MoviesCostume review: Star Wars Luke Skywalker cosplay costume!

Hello geeks around the world!

Firstly I need to apologize for this review being so so late; I've had a really rough time for a while now and some other issues delaying the review, in particular, which I'll mention later.

MoviesCostume contacted me for a collaboration offer a while ago, I accepted as I like to spread the honest word around about different cosplay online stores because seriously, there's a whole ocean of cosplay shops out there! I'll admit that I had not heard of them before this but after looking through the site I saw a lot of similarities with CosplaySky. I suspected they were related and after getting my costume I'm almost certain they are.

I had a bit of trouble deciding on a costume to review as I had to stay within a certain price range. I ultimately decided on going for Star Wars again, mainly as I have been more drawn to movie characters and video games lately. I choose Luke Skywalker, the staple character and front figure of Star Wars to many – and I ended up having to pick the "old man Luke" outfit from the newest movie, also known as The Last Jedi. Now I am very well aware that the fan opinions on this movie in particular range from pure unadulterated hatred to those who actually think it's the best in the series or at least enjoyable – I won't go into that as it's a fandom hellhole of galactic proportions and gets really toxic really fast but I'll just say that I liked the movie and yeah, haters gonna hate I guess. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

But if we get back on track I want to say that MoviesCostume seem to have a pretty large selection of costumes for affordable prices. They carry a wide selection of cosplays ranging from TV-series and movies to anime and video games, you should be able to find something you like.

My reviews are always 100% my genuine opinion, no matter if the items were sponsored or bought with my own money. I never compromise my honesty and true thoughts to my readers. 

With all of that said I want to welcome you to a completely honest review of MoviesCostume! I hope you will find this post helpful and feel free to leave a comment if you have any questions after you're done reading.

 Let's go!

~ "Forewords" ~ 

I feel like I should mention that I am generally observant when I browse online cosplay costume shops – I have a habit of scrutinizing even the smallest details (I'm a perfectionist to a fault, lol) and comparing them with official reference photos to see how accurate they really are. I do often strive to find the most accurately made costume possible but I also keep realistic expectations in mind – you won't get something that's 100% accurate, well-made and with high-end quality fabrics for cheap. Ever. 
"You get what you pay for" is something that I always keep in mind when I browse cosplay shops, especially once you know the process (I study sewing and fashion) and what things would actually cost if an experienced seamstress made it custom for you. I think most people who have done their research know by now that no Asia-based cosplay shops really are "tailor made" so yeah, I do lower my standards and expectations accordingly for most online bought costumes (unless custom commissioned), to give a fair review based on the quality that can realistically be expected.

 ~ Contact, packaging and shipping ~

So many things have happened since I originally started contact with MoviesCostume that I honestly don't really remember much, so sorry about that. Truth be told I've had an (ongoing) harsh depression period eating at me for a while now and I struggle, hard, with literally everything. The only thing I have a faint memory of is that the shipping took somewhere between 1-2 months from China, which is to be expected. I'm sorry I suck so much. ;_;

Shipping.

Costume bag.

The costume arrived in this green plastic bag that I had to pick up from the nearest postal office. Once you opened that up you were met with the costume bag itself, a ziplock style clothing bag and yes, it's in every way identical to the ones CosplaySky uses – a big reason for why I do believe that these two stores are related, or possibly even the same company. The costume bag is roomy, clean and actually really usable – you should definitely keep it for storage!

~ Fabrics and sewing quality ~

A quick look on the costume's product page tells us that the costume is made of PU, linen and "cloth" – whatever that is. Seems really vague to me and that's often not a good thing. But based on my previous experiences with online costume stores you can almost certainly assume the fabric to be polyester or a poly blend and I'm 99% sure that's the case this time too. Oh and yeah, PU most likely refers to PU-leather, aka fake leather.

Inconsistent sewing quality.

My first impression was that most of the fabrics felt thin and kinda cheap, save for the tunic and the cloak which appear to be linen (although it's hard to be 100% sure without doing a burn test as it could be a chemical fiber imitating linen really well) and notably thicker and more rough to the touch than the rest, in a good way. I don't really expect any costume parts to last more than a couple or so rounds through the washing machine but honestly, who really diligently washes their costumes anyway, lol? I only wash mine if I literally spill something on them or get some dirt etc that won't go away, otherwise I just air the costume out after wearing for a few days.

Okay so, I inspected the costume parts for a while and noticed that the sewing quality is kinda inconsistent. The majority are straight neat stitches and that's good but there's also some, err, questionable stitches. Mainly some hems were uneven, bunchy, warped or such. Nothing that ruins the costume in itself (as the seams still obviously hold the costume together) but when you study to become a professional tailor it's among the little things that you immediately notice.

Closer look on one of the tabard's lesser quality sewing.

One thing I also couldn't help but notice was the staggering amount of random loose threads poking out everywhere. Like I'm not even kidding, I can understand that there's a couple or so as when you tidy up your finished work it's easy to miss a few but seriously, whenever I cut one off it felt like soon enough three more sprouted on another spot! Sure it's really easy to just take up the scissors and snip them off, so in a sense it's really no big deal, but to me it gives a sloppy impression when there's random threads poking out literally everywhere I look.

What is included:

• Tunic

• Coat

• Tabards

• Under-belt 
• Belt (with pouch)
• Pants
• Feet wrappings
• Glove
• Cloak

What is NOT included:

• Boots
• Wig
• Any props (lightsaber, mechanical arm etc)

~ Detailed description of costume parts ~

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Disclaimer: I had to go to school and dress a mannequin as, sadly, the costume doesn't fit me and I still needed to present it for the review somehow. :( More about that at the end of the post. Also, I'm sorry but I had no way to iron the costume before taking the photos as I did this after school time, so it's basically "straight out of the bag". Oh and yeah, in my class we pretty much only have female mannequins so sorry about the tiddies lmao.
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Tunic: I'm not sure if it even is a tunic but that was what I saw it called on a quick Google search so yeah, I'll roll with it. Basically I'm talking about the collared under shirt. It appears to be made of linen, medium-ish thickness with a visible texture. It's one of the two clothing items that feels like it's of decent quality.

Tunic back close-up. Zipper.

There's a dress zipper in the back to get it on as the fabric does not stretch at all (linen, duh). The zipper feels okay and more sturdy than I expected, I'm not sure but the zipper head/lock itself appears to be of metal (painted white) while the zipper 'teeth' are plastic. I swear I had a photo of how far down the zipper goes but the photo magically disappeared from my camera and I can't find it anywhere.

 

Shoulder seams and collar visible.

The length is approximately to my hip bones so it's not super long or anything. This was also one of the few clothing items I could sort-of wear but it behaved in an unflattering way on the upper torso, it's hard to explain but the cut was kinda boxy and awkward, especially around the shoulders. Most likely a sizing issue.

Sleeve mouths.

Coat: Again, I'm unsure what to call this but I refer to the vest-like cream colored garment Luke wears that is the main part of his outfit. This piece is of a thin, polyester or poly blend that is smooth and has a very slight matte shine to it, in certain lights. I don't really like this fabric and feel like it's way too "flimsy" feeling to fit anything in Star Wars, to be honest. Only good part with it is that this fabric is light-weight and thus will easily flow in the wind and look cool, assuming you have ironed it.

Coat button. Grandma style. :'D

I honestly can't remember Luke's outfit having a button (at least not a visible one?) so I think this might be inaccurate. Someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. The button is where the coat fronts overlap.

Notice the fastener on the shoulder, the tabards have matching ones to
keep them in place.

The coat is long, full-length pretty much, with the sides split starting from the waist and going all the way down. I had a photo that showed the split but it's somehow gone as well, but you can kinda see that the coat splits at the sides on the full body photos farther down.

Tabards: Basically two long rectangles that drape over the shoulders and just kinda hang there, in classic Star Wars style. Although when I laid them out they didn't seem to be completely straight but actually had a slight curve to them. These are made of the same creme colored fabric as the coat, except that there is some kind of interfacing between the layers to make them a bit thicker and less floppy. The tabards stay in place thanks to a plastic fastener on the coat's shoulders, so you won't need to be tugging at them constantly as they won't be inching towards your arms after a while.

Tabards attachment.

Under-belt: Not so much to say, a simple sash with velcro closure that goes under the actual belt. It helps to hold the tabards in place at the lower half too. Same thin cream fabric as the coat.

Under-belt velcro fastening.

Belt: Faux leather belt. My least favorite part, sadly. It just feels really cheap in every possible way – it's not sturdy at all and awkward to wear. The belt doesn't stay put and the material is so flimsy that it just kinda buckles up and down, leaving gaps between the belt and your body you know? I can guess that the complete lack of any kind of tightening or adjustment option is the main reason for this and, honestly, there's literally nothing even keeping it in place as there's no proper closure in the back. What the heck.

Belt front.

I just don't like the "belt buckle". It's just a fabric shape stitched on top of the belt, it looks off to me. Only points I can give it is that it looks just like on the stock photo so I did expect it to be like that but yeah, as soon as you take a closer look it looks weird. And it feels almost a bit sticky to the touch?

Belt back.

Belt back. Closer look. Seems okay right?

The belt's "closure" seen from above. See what the problem is?

In case you don't see it I'll make it clear. Look at the photo above, see that little leather "strap" that goes in the metal clip? Well, on the backside/underside there's nothing to secure it to anything whatsoever. No button, no velcro. Nothing. So yeah, the belt totally comes off if you as much as move a meter. This could just as well be a single miss on my particular costume but as it's what I got to review –and it doesn't work– I have to mention it.

I've also tried securing the belt strap the "normal way" (as in first under the metal clip edge, over the middle part and then under the other edge of the clip) but it's no better because there's no prong nor belt holes to keep it in place and so it just slides off anyway.

Pouch.

On the belt comes a pouch that is attached to it. You can freely move it around as it's attached on a belt loop. It's fully functional and the flap closes with velcro. This pouch also reveals that the fake leather is fabric on the other side.

Pouch opened.

Pants: Same cream fabric as the coat and all, again. It feels way too thin for pants, like I honestly fear that if these would have fit me they might have torn if I sat down. The pants feel really costumey but they at least look like proper pants on the outside. The darts and stuff are there, belt loops and there's even functional pockets! The pants close with a button and zipper. I don't trust the zipper to last though, the tunic's zipper seem to be the better one of the two.

Pants front. Close-up.

Pants closure.

Pants back.

Pants inside, just to show pocket pouches.

Feet wrappings: Not much to say, same cream fabric again. It's basically just two long strips of fabric that's overlocked around all edges to not fray. You are supposed to wrap them around your lower legs like Luke seemingly has. There's no velcro or anything so you either just tuck them under themselves or tie the ends off or something to keep them in place, once wrapped.

A photo of all the costume parts I couldn't dress the mannequin with.

Glove: Fake leather single glove. Luke covers up his mechanical arm with a glove on his right hand. It has some shine to it and feels like you'd expect any inexpensive fancy dress leather glove to feel like. Good thing it's easy to modify as this thing is as shapeless as a potato sack. It's basically the same width all through with some chunky fingers and yeah, remember when you were a kid and outlined your hand on paper and cut it out? It looks like that. :D Okay, I know that making actually fitting gloves and patterning those can be a major pain in the ass but this is like such a level of bad that I don't know if I should laugh or cry, especially if we are to believe the "professional tailor" claim. I can't think of any human being who would have swollen shovel arms in these proportions – that's gotta be a hypothermic neanderthal or something lol.

Inside of the glove is different color. (notice really uneven hem)

Glove, "above" view.

Glove, "under" view.

Cloak: And here's the best for last, the cloak! My favorite part of the outfit. It appears to be made of a grayish brown linen, slightly softer in touch than the tunic and less textured. It's basically a hooded full-length cape and it's really wide. Shame it gets wrinkled easily but it's still pretty sweet to twirl in and watch it flare out in the wind! There's no sleeves and to keep it in place there's a tiny hook closure at the front. I can see a lot of use for this cloak on live-action roleplays and such as it's generic and fits many fantasy settings more than just Star Wars.

Cloak worn on top. Front.

Cloak worn on top. Back.

Cloak hook closure.

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Below is a couple "full" (minus the cloak, pants, glove and feet wrappings) cosplay photos dressed on a torso-only mannequin.
All photos taken by me.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Front without cloak.

Back without cloak.

Front close-up.

In all fairness this particular costume is about 90% accurate to the stock photos on the site. I knew what it would look like but I was hoping for the fabrics to be a bit more fitting but, then again, I'm not surprised as this is the typical China quality, give or take. But hey, make sure to study the stock photos carefully as you are likely to get something similar to it if you buy from MoviesCostume.

Feeling a need to dress up to align with the Force?

Link to MoviesCostume main page: MoviesCostume Online Cosplay Store

Luke Skywalker TLJ costume link: Star Wars Luke Skywalker Cosplay Costume Version B

All Star Wars costumes: MoviesCostume Star Wars costume selection

MoviesCostume store & Luke Skywalker costume rundown – Pros and cons:

+ Accurate to store's stock photos
+ The linen fabric is pretty okay
+ Sewing quality is good for the most part
+ Quick processing & making time
+ Shipping time as expected
+ Packaging
+ Easy to deal with customer service
+ Replies fast to emails
+ Clothing bag

- Despite ordering custom size some parts are too big and others too small
- A lot of loose threads and a few uneven/bad stitches
- The main fabric (creme colored) is thin polyester, doesn't fit idea of Star Wars
- Not applicable for Legion 501st etc standards
- Not for those who demand screen-accuracy
- The belt lacks any closure to keep it in place without falling off (mistake?)

~ Sizing ~

I have already realized that "custom size" is in reality not custom size with online costume shops. It can't possibly be with big factories that creates a full costume in less than a week. Because to do custom size you generally need to draw the pattern from scratch for each customer etc.

Which means that previously when I've had "custom size" costumes fitting it has been because I've been lucky with having my measurements corresponding to the ready-made sizes once they were mixed and matched; aka "custom size" is most likely just the store taking whatever pre-set sizes they have and making each costume part to whatever pre-set size lands closest to your given measures, for example M for pants, S for shirt etc.

Most of the costume parts were in this case too small, which is harder to do something about as bigger you can (almost) always take in but smaller you're stuck with. I would always prefer to wear the costumes that I'm showcasing myself but this time it was not possible so I had to resort to another solution, hence the mannequin. It was my only way to get the review done, I hope you can understand. 

Luke Skywalker reference image.

~ Conclusion and final thoughts ~

Okay, so despite how harsh my review might sound I want to stress that the costume does look like the stock photos and if that is good enough for your costuming needs then you need not worry, especially if you are not picky about fabric choices and fit into standard sizes. MoviesCostume are, based on my experience, really patient and easy to deal with.

MoviesCostume's turn-around times are comparable to other overseas costume shops, so be sure to plan in advance and order at least a couple months prior to the event you need the costume for, just to avoid any stress. Their costumes might not be the most character accurate out there but will work as decent bases if you can't sew from scratch but want to do some small modifications to an existing costume. There's a lot of crappier satin monster cosplay stores and scams out there so yeah, MoviesCostume is actually decent if you count in the whole spectrum of online shops. Some of the issues could potentially be fixed if you're sewing savvy.

Overall, I can say that I would only recommend this Luke Skywalker outfit for those who are new to cosplay, for Halloween, a movie showing, themed parties or your Star Wars crazy nephew's birthday and the like. Basically it's a "quick fix" costume or one on which you don't want to spend a lot of time doing research beforehand and are content with simply being recognized as "old man Luke" as this will do it. But if you're looking for a screen-accurate or authentic feeling Luke Skywalker costume then keep on looking, this is not the costume you're looking for. But if you don't care too much about details or don't mind being a grumpy old Jedi on a budget then by all means go for it, it's not expensive for the fun that can be had with it! May the Force be with you.

Final Grade (from A-F): C

Recommend to others: Maybe

That about sums it up. I hope you found this review helpful and hey, do hit that "follower" button if you aren't reading my blog yet, I always appreciate new faces!

A huge thank you goes out to MoviesCostume for making this review possible and to you for reading this! ♡
~  Shiro Samurai says goodbye.