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Thursday 11 August 2016

A C T I V E | Release Review

We got a brand new store completely in the Plaza last week - ACTIVE! It's a sportswear brand, which probably classes itself as 'athleisure' or whatever trendy term you want to call it, cool for those of you who are young and teenagers right now but for those of us in our twenties we remember these styles very differently! The homepage ad is fine, nothing to rave home about but it's a new store so it always will get some interest, let's get on and take a look:
So we got  two floors in this new release, with 11 mannequins of stylings to choose from. Also there are no male pieces in this release, which I think is a bit of an obvious flaw because I think this style would greatly appeal to those with male dolls.
For me, I don't see a huge range in this store, Nike and Adidas are the main inspirations for this and I'm not really a huge fan in RL so that doesn't set me up to have a great outlook over this store - some of you no doubt will be the complete opposite and love this, but it's not generally a style I would be interested in wearing a lot so it's not clothing I would invest a lot of money in.
I'll start with the accessories, which is just a whole lot of trainers, as expected! The is one canvas styled bag (Strong Is The New Skinny Bag), but I think they could have been a little creative with these and had some sort of backpack or bumbag, or even other accessories - there have been iPhone headphones and such before so this store would definitely have been an appropriate place for some more. So the trainers - huge range of colours to go for which is good. For me the classic black Free Fit Sneakers are the immediate go-to's because their colour makes them easily style-able into looks, and we haven't had a plain black pair of trainers yet so I think this definitely filled a gap in the market. They're also in SC's which is very welcomed! The next popular I'd say would have to be the Everyday Sneaker with their versatile grey print with black laces. Then there's also a vibrant orange-red with the Runner Lunar Shoes, neutrals with the green Military Sneakers and lastly a little more feminine with the Air Sneakers Pink. Definitely a good range there and I think the SC prices of a few pieces will definitely be attractive.
And now the clothing. Everything, as expected, is all about sports so shorts, leggings and yoga pieces really dominate the offering in this release. I think I'll start with the matching sets this time, of which there are 3 and in a good range of colours and items. My favourite is the blue - the Track Suit Jacket and Pants. The jacket is a great over the shoulder styled piece and I think would fit into a lot of different styles outwith that of the store. The trousers are alright, with a good fit, and I don't think the lines on the sides detract too much. I really do like the colour though, it's bright and could add a nice effect to an outfit. There's also a grey-ish feminine tone with the Grey And Pink Yoga Long Top and Grey Yoga Pants, or another bright with red in the Comfy Sweater and Sweatpants. There's a good range of bottomhalves available asides these items, with both long and short leggings with shorts too - I really like the colour scheme on the Military Training Pants with the army green complimented with pink and white and the length looks flattering on the leg. If trousers are more your thing then I'd recommend either the Loose Fit Boxer Pants or Wide Yoga Pants. The shapes of both are good and I think they could be incorporated well into a range of styles. There wasn't much else in the way of clothing that I really found catching my eye - the one last piece I want to mention is the Blue And Black Sweater, I love the colours, design and fit of this piece. From the spoilers it's the one piece I knew I'd want to have immediately! I'm looking forward to trying out different things with this piece beyond what I've styled below =)
Now speaking of investing money, there are numerous SC pieces in the release which is great. The rest of the prices range from 8 to 19SD's with most items in the middle of the range, so it's not too bad really, nothing to make your eyes pop out^
And some Styled Outfits, despite my general unease with this style of clothing I did manage to work with a few of the pieces and I think I could work them into more classic-me looks in the future. To get over my issues I challenged myself to style the pieces quickly without giving too much thought and I think the outcome is alright =) Firstly the Blue And Black Sweater which I styled with some Dior trousers and heels to try and dress it up a little, I think this is ok, but I know I have other pieces which would look better with it. My second and third looks are much more casual. The second look is with the Track Suit Jacket, and I stayed pretty sporty for this one, choosing these loose navy trousers and a minimal white top, bag and shoes. The white really lets the blue stand out, and I think it really works for this piece! And lastly my look with the Free Fit Sneakers which is by far my favourite. Stuck with some of the more casual items from Nelly releases with these cool cropped trousers and this sweater and I'm really happy with this combination - this is about as casual and 'athleisure' as I'd go in RL really and I think it might be on the limits for my doll too^
And a few quick features with the Track Suit Jacket. Firstly ccaauu1414 going all for it and wearing the Track Suit Pants too. Also wearing a black top but I think this suits the pairing much more than the black top in the store does. The trainers were a bit of a must but I do quite like this Fendi addition, it really brings that little bit of something special to this outfit!
And secondly our very own Miloshki dressing the piece up a little. Love the navy polo for the blue contrast but also that a skirt has been worn, a perfect combination for all pieces involved I'd say! Casual is further infused with the sweater on the waist, but glamour is kept with those pointed heels and the popping red of the bag, great job =D

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