Ailand order - Ank Rouge soft watermark print cardigan, key embroidery cardigan, big collar OP & check flare OP

When was the last time I made an online order from Ank Rouge? Truly, it's been years - before they switched over to Ailand actually lol. That was my first and last online order from Ank for 3 years. And I had just ordered 2 purses and no clothes. Apparently Ank Rouge had a fabulously timed email when I was on a shopping high, and I couldn't resist throwing a few things in my cart. I actually made this order in early June but I wasn't in much of a rush to ship it (and I had to wait for the refund from Tenso since it didn't end up qualifying for small package twice), so I didn't receive it until much later. Although I don't buy a lot from this brand, I love following their twitter account (@ankrouge) which features so many different shop staff coordinates every day!

Soft watermark print knit cardigan in purple
ふんわり透かし柄ニットカーデ

Between purple, ivory and pink, I decided to go with the color least in my comfort zone wtf. But I knew this light purple/lavender color would pop so well with white outfits! Next up - getting lavender shoes. I missed my opportunity with a AW Liz Lisa release because I didn't think they'd be very useful since white goes so well with purple as an alternative, but I'm starting to lean towards getting a pair soon. Meanwhile, this cardigan is keeping the color alive in my wardrobe.
with Ank Rouge blouse, Ank Rouge skirt and Liz Lisa 3D flower pumps -

with Liz Lisa faux 2-piece cotton OP and Liz Lisa knot wedge sandals + Liz Lisa picnic rabbit shoulder bag -

The stock photo makes the cardigan appear extremely thin. IRL, it's actually about as translucent as in the stock photos but the material is partly acrylic which means it holds some warmth. I actually didn't realize that there was a wing design on both the front and back of it until I put it on the mannequin lmao. This is a nice surprise but truly isn't obvious on a light colored background. The purple color is so soft that I'd say that it looks grey sometimes which may end up making it more versatile lol.

Key embroidery cardigan in blue
カギ刺繍カーデ

I was deciding between blue, pink and ivory but blue ended up winning because I already have a pink and many ivory cardigans this length lol. In the end, the cut didn't matter to me as much as the color since I'm looking to boost my (color) cardigan game. The design for this cardigan isn't extremely novel but there is a small embroidery detail which adds a little detail without being distracting so that this can work as a nice basic.
with Liz Lisa dot flower OP and Liz Lisa 3D flower pumps -

with Liz Lisa fit & flare flower fade OP and Liz Lisa flower lace-up back wedge sandals -

The color irl is just a little bit deeper than the stock photo and I didn't immediately know what to pair it with. I'd even say this cardigan also looks a little grey sometimes in bad lighting but I'd personally describe it as a periwinkle blue. Actually, I had a few Liz Lisa options to choose from that actually had a really close blue in their print including my recently purchased navy lace border flower skirt from TKL order 36, so I glad I ended up going with this color that I wouldn't usually choose.

Big collar sheer check OP in purple
BigカラーシアーチェックOP

I've excused myself from buying Ank Rouge OPs after having an odd experience back in 2012 where my purchase didn't fit me even marginally well, but time to give AR another chance and break the strike! I kind of had this OP on my radar earlier in the year when I was just bored and looking through Ailand listings and thought this color was really nice! The collar is big but the rest of the OP is toned down a bit and is simple and cute without being too plain.
with Liz Lisa paper can can hat and Ank Rouge heart spindle platform sandals -

with Liz Lisa (pom pom) pumps + Liz Lisa batwing knit + Kate Spade New York shoulder bag -

In terms of fit, the length is nice, but the waist doesn't hit the exact right place on my body so clearly this doesn't look as good on me as it does on Okarie lol. The waistline is elastic and since it's a bit high, it creates a little bit of poof where I believe it shouldn't. The collar isn't as overpowering as I thought it would be which is great and there's a nice, long zipper down the back. Despite a fit issue that I'm used to by now, it's still a nice, simple lavender dress.

Marueri check flare OP in blue
丸えりチェックフレアOP

While I was browsing, this dressed just seemed like a really nice pastel color and a great fit on Okarie (okay well I really shouldn't let that be an indicator for me but ugh, she sells it lol). I often shy away from high necklines because I feel like they're not flattering on me, but this one seemed really sweet and ruffle detail wasn't obnoxious so it felt safe but cute and preppy. I also just have a hard time rejecting gingham/check.
with Flag J pumps -

with Liz Lisa x Yui Kanno rose drop cardigan, Liz Lisa ribbon pumps and Liz Lisa beret -

with Liz Lisa heart suede pumps and Forever21 heart pouchette -

with off brand OTK socks and Guess? mary jane pumps -

In fact, the fit isn't nearly as terrible as it could be and, between the two OPs in this order, I think this one is better in terms of fit! It's not tight but an easy, loose, comfortable fit. Since the waist isn't defined with a stretchy elastic, it's a bit more flattering and the skirt has a nice flare. The color is really nice in person although there are some small oddities in the fabric which aren't obvious unless you're looking for them. There's hardly any stretch in this (in fact, I guess there's none really) but there is a full back zipper so it's easy to put on and take off. The skinny ribbon around the collar is completely independent and can be removed as desired.

This just seemed like a really good opportunity to bump my wardrobe in the non-white or pink areas. I do consider my wardrobe reasonably balanced on a grand scheme of things, but it never hurts to add a little more color. Especially for the cardigans because I wear them all the time these days and I love to have a variety to mix and match with different outfits instead of just the standard white/ivory color which matches with so much but just isn't as exciting. Had I been thinking more clearly, I would have added a red (short sleeve) cardigan to this order which I placed after the Liz Lisa strawberry jam one since Ank Rouge actually features that color and style of cardigan fairly regularly, but no -__-. This was a great opportunity to reacquaint myself with ordering from the Ank Rouge webshop and I'm glad I took advantage of it.