I am here today to talk about my personal disappointment with Angelic Pretty’s 2023 MTO of Sugar Hearts. This is all based on my personal opinion and is not meant to judge anyone who does like this release. But to talk about Sugar Hearts we first need to go back in time and talk about 2011…
The year is 2011… I am heavily involved in fairy kei and one of my absolute favorite motifs is conversation candy hearts. This motif was blasted on my tumblr non-stop because I thought it was so cute. I even took to trying to use the actual candies in jewelry making. Working hard to discover what method I could use to seal them for longevity. (note: This is a bad idea. Do not try to use actual food items in your jewelry and crafts, it just doesn’t work out. The sugars eventually break down, it’s tragic). At this same time I was also gearing up for a debut in lolita fashion. I had been studying the fashion for a bit and started collecting pieces for my first coord around this time. Then Angelic Pretty released Sugar Hearts that same year and I was OBSESSED with it, particularly the white colorway.
I pined for this dress for years and long since gave up on it for two reasons. While no full measurement range is available on lolibrary for this item due to its age, it is listed as a minimum 85cm bust. Given that shirring usually stretches a maximum of 10cm, that means the biggest this dress could likely accommodate is 95cm which is smaller than my bones. The second, and more deterring reason is this…
Sugar Hearts is such a beloved and coveted piece, it sells for these kinds of prices regularly. Especially since the pandemic when the lolita economy went apeshit.
However, in 2019, AP would rerelease their iconic Honey Cake, followed by Sugary Carnival in 2021, and Milky Planet in 2023. I knew that a Sugar Hearts rerelease was coming and I was ready to throw it all away for her. I had an empty credit card just waiting for the day Sugar Hearts would be announced… and then one fateful day in October of 2023 it was announced and revealed to the world, only to be significantly different from its ancestor.
My excitement quickly turned to confusion, and the more I examined this dress, the more I hated it? Wow, what a feeling right? To go from complete desperation to confusion to ultimate disappointment. I want to do a side-by-side to discuss the aspects of the changes that have ultimately left me deciding to NOT buy the Sugar Hearts MTO.
The bodice: I think the most glaring difference between the two releases is the completely reconstructed bodice on the new version. I personally find it too busy, with too many ruffles, and too many bows. It feels distracting from the print. The print shines more in the original release because the dress construction is simple and complementary to the print. For example, the original release had a heart neckline, which I love and think suits the theme of the dress perfectly. I also prefer the super high-waist/baby doll cut of the original release, as this kind of high-waist / kind of natural waist cut of the new version is not flattering on me. The removal of the actual conversation heart candy buttons on the bodice is also devastating.
The skirt: The tiers have been changed entirely from the original release and I am a bit surprised by this decision. The original release is tiered in a more old school style with the three even sections separated by lace, and with old school experiencing a huge resurgence in popularity in recent years, I am surprised they would change this. The new skirt is boring. the tiers look awkward all at the bottom like that, since this is an all over print, I feel like the larger tiers helped add interest to the skirt so that it wasn’t just a big sheet of fabric. The original design feels purposeful and styled. In addition, the removal of the contrasting pink lace is one of the BIGGEST killers for me with this MTO. The multi colored bows of the original skirt were removed and all crowded into the bodice bringing an immense imbalance to the dress. The contrasting lace of the original added such a sweetness to the dress as well as visual interest, allowing the lace to pop against the white backdrop. The new release with all white lace allows the lace to disappear into the dress completely.
Ultimately, the new version of this dress feels imbalanced by its over-crowded bodice, and plain skirt. Overall the new cut is boring and generic to me and is completely missing everything that made Sugar Hearts such a charming piece. Because of these changes, I don’t see the resell value on this original changing any time soon.
I am really disappointed that AP would rerelease this dress in such a vastly different cut and design than the original. The new version is slightly more bust friendly, but there’s no reason the original cut of this couldn’t have been made more size inclusive. Meta does it all the time with their baby doll cuts.
I have made the definitive decision to not buy this rerelease. This dress is just about so much more than the print on the fabric to me, and without the elements that really made me love the original, I know I cannot be happy with the MTO.
If you love the MTO and intend to buy it, I am immensely happy for you! I don’t mean to say this is an objectively bad or ugly dress, I think had this been a new design with nothing to compare it to, I would have liked it more. But knowing what once was, I just can’t. So I guess I will continue to hold out for some day when they decide to rerelease this in its original cut, maybe in another ten years…
At this point, I cannot think of any big re-releases AP could do that would matter to me, I feel that Milky-Chan the Fawn will be coming in the next year or so, and when it does, I will be living vicariously through your collective happiness.
What do you think of the new Sugar Hearts MTO? Let me know in the comment~
Mahou Queen 
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