Irregular Choice Sanrio Haul: First Impressions

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Irregular Choice launched a big release last week, a collaboration with Sanrio, featuring Hello Kitty (HK), My Melody (MM), Little Twin Stars (LTS) and Gudetama. I really wanted the MM boots, but was unsure of sizing, so ordered two pairs and knowing I had one of those to return anyway, I got a bit carried away and ordered quite a lot. Mostly bags, they were good in this collection! My order arrived a few days ago and I've quickly photographed each thing, just to give a brief overview of what I thought. I know it's been a long time since I've written my detailed haul reviews...I have nowhere to photograph that type of thing upstairs and I just don't think I have the energy for those kinds of posts now, which is unfortunate. Anyway here's my thoughts, starting with those MM boots.

Everyone Loves You were one of the pairs we saw in the previews before release. I love MM, so I was hoping there would be something with that character I'd like. I actually think these are my favourite shoes of the whole release. I'm living for that green glitter and the lilac heart base is really pretty. These are a shorter ankle boot, more like Jurassotops than Hider Seeker. HS were really small on me in my regular size. J, I tried both and kept the 5/38 and I find these fit similarly. There's not tonnes of room, but they're not tight like HS, so I'll be returning the 6/39. I expected the MM to be more floppy, but the ear stands up and keeps it's shape, it's pretty solid (but not softly stuffed like a toy). Oh and the pom pom on the back is soooo soft and fluffy.

I also got the matching clutch, My Melody Pouch. This is probably the most practical of my handbag buys, believe it or not. The back and front are very different, so you're really getting two looks for one here. I love the big hearts on the ends of the zip with the illustrations and also the picture on the back. The "My Melody" bit is actually embroidered on the back and this pouch comes with a little wrist strap too, which I always find quite useful. I really love this one, it's a definite keeper.

I made my mind up before I saw the collection, that if there was a scarf, I'd get it. There were three and I bought them all as I really get a lot of use out of my scarves. Kind Hearted Scarf is exclusive to IC and features a very typical fun, bright Kitty scene.

I'm glad Pretty Melody Scarf is quite saturated. I thought a lot of the pastel stuff looked quite washed out in the stock photos, but it's brighter in person.

The Kitty Cute Scarf is quite different from my other IC scarves, with the black base. They all have the pom pom trim around them and are very large.

As for tights, there were 6 styles and I bought 4. I haven't taken any of them out yet, but I'm keeping them all. Best Friends Tights are again exclusive to IC and like the scarf, these feature the bright park scene. I just thought they were really fun and look how cute the boxes are too.  

The Strawberry Melody Tights are obviously a good match for my boots and pouch, with strawberry themed MM all over and a lilac heart base.

So Lovely, really are just that. I adore the the pastel lolita theme of these and again they weren't quite as pale as I thought (though the tights do tend to lighten as they stretch over your legs).  All of these tights by the way, are the newer design with added gusset.  

Another light pair are Spreading Happiness. These feature LTW, who are one of my favourite Sanrio characters and cute carousel style animals on a rainbow, pastel base.  

My sister got the Twin Stars Dream Socks, unfortunately IC are too big for her or else she'd have gone crazy with all the trainers. The socks match the tights above. The packaging is cute even on these.

The Say Hello When You See Me Bag is hilarious. It's basically a purse on a strap. It won't fit your phone, most purses will struggle to fit inside, but if you're just popping a lippie, loose tissues or keys (without big keyrings) in, then you're grand! I just couldn't resist it though, it's very "me". One side has MM, the other HK and there's little jewels and pearls which I love. I'm miffed that the matching boots (Just Be You!) aren't something I'd wear, they're gorgeous.

It's Time To Have Fun Bag is probably equally as impractical, kinda. It's bigger, but it's completely flat, so you can't squish bulky things into it. It's shaped like a plane with Hello Kitty, My Melody and Kiki and Lala appearing at the windows. The back has that short pile rainbow fur fabric and the placement will vary with each bag. I happened to get a really good mix of colours, so I'm happy. This has a back zip and a detachable strap that hooks onto the back.

I also bought the matching shoes, It's Time To Have Fun. I'm less sure about these. I was unsure when ordering them to be honest, but I like them much more in person. They remind me a bit of Wing Invador. I like that all the characters are included and my favourite bit is the clear window detail which sticks up against the foot. It's a really unusual design feature and quite cool when you see it. I think it's the block heel I'm less enamoured with...I wish it were slightly higher. They have to be one of the comfiest pairs of IC's I've ever worn though. I thought they looked quite narrow and wouldn't fit when I first took them out of the box, but they are actually slightly roomy (not enough to size down). The insoles and outer soles are insane in this collection, like Disney Alice level precious in my opinion. I'm sad I didn't get any LTS soles and that the MM boots have a rubber sole.

The other shoes I got were the Playing Dress Up boots which we also got to see in the preview. They feature a brand new character heel shape with a chunky, glossy Hello Kitty figure. I think some people might think the heel is lower than it is, by just focusing on Kitty, when actually there's a taller (pink glitter) heel incorporated into it. I absolutely love the concept of these boots. One feature HK on the side, the other a wardrobe which opens up (with Velcro) to reveal a selection of clothing and accessories which you can stick onto Kitty (again with Velcro). The large pastel bow is the item I'm not sure about as the Velcro for the head accessories is only the small red dot in the centre and that piece is particularly long. The dresses stick well. There's bags which stick to her hand, they attached well, but I'm not sure I'd trust it to stay when wearing them. The wardrobe has several points of closure, so it stays well stuck.  I didn't realise the spotted section of the boots was fabric. I was so sure about these online, but now I'm not. I'm just not sure if the concept is too gimmicky and not practical enough. The boot I tried on has creased greatly already (between Kitty and the writing) and it makes it look like the embroidery has puckered the fabric, which it hasn't. The Kitty heel also comes in a court shoe in three colourways (Star Of The Show), I'm wondering if I should've got them instead. I'm probably most disappointed with these as I thought they were a sure bet that I'd keep. Size wise, they fit like Sleigh Ride from last Christmas, which I suspected. So a bit roomy, but not enough to size down.

The Cutest Style Bag was another concept I thought was really cool. It's shaped like toy packaging with a see-through window and the lining in this one is striped rather than pink velvet (since you can see it, it adds to the concept). I have the Say Cheese bag in this shape from a few years ago and I quite like it. It's larger than the round bags, but not as deep, so although it's quite big, it feels less bulky to me. It comes with a detachable longer strap and a fixed short handle on top. I like that there's a lot of embroidery in this collection, as I tend to prefer that to print.

I'm definitely returning the Hello Kitty Bag. I have quite a few of these square bags, but I find this one too difficult to get into and the magnetic front adds a lot of weight and as a result, it doesn't stand on it's own (so if I were to display it...well, I couldn't as it would fall over). This bag comes with a short handle, but I find the roof is leaning back onto it and getting in the way. The front of the house opens with a Velcro tab at the side and there's a small HK figure (magnet) which you can then move around the rooms as this entire panel is magnetic. How secure Kitty would be, I don't know. I certainly didn't note her slipping when I tried it. I just found the whole bag a bit awkward. The hinged front flap doesn't open that well and then the main bag is just so difficult to get into. These bags are usually a bit tricky because there's no gussets, so they don't open widely, but this one is particularly bad. As cute as the idea is, I'd definitely pass on this one.

Finally, the Kiki & Lala Bag is possibly my favourite bag from this launch. The last group bag post I wrote was of this shape, I have 12, so I clearly like it. It's convenient for me and a good size that I can fit all I need in it, but it's actually quite compact from the outside. This was one I worried about being too pale, but was pleasantly surprised by how vivid it was. That purple glitter (along the bottom) is a stunning shade and again I got a good mix of colours in the rainbow fur which peeks through in places on the front. I should've photographed the base of this, it's amazing, purple metallic but with a rainbow finish. It's absolutely stunning (the round bag above doesn't have the same rainbow effect on the back, though a similar colour). The illustration on the back is just beautiful, but then I love LTS. The flap features a star shape with an image hidden behind loose glitter and the sequins gussets in the side flip to that amazing holographic finish that's featured on several things recently, such as the yellow Paint A Flopsy. This and the matching shoes, sold out pretty quickly, but I suspected the bag would as this shape is often popular in limited releases. I'm sad, I didn't buy any LTS shoes. I might get the heels (Smiling Down At You) at some point, but they weren't an immediate must-have for me.

So overall, it was a mixed reaction.  A little disappointed in some, but more enamoured with others than I expected to be.  The trainers in this collection are amazing, I've been falling for a lot of trainer styles from IC for the past couple of seasons, but unfortunately I don't wear anything flat.  I still have some decisions to make on what I'm keeping or returning, but what do you think of this collection, did you get anything?