Photo: Adorkable Apparel
Cosplayers have been fawning over Adorakable Apparel for years. So I decided to see what the fuss is all about. Here’s my brief Adorkable Apparel review!
Adorkable Apparel Review
One of my absolute favorite aspects of the cosplay community is the limitless amount of opportunities we have to portray characters we hold close to our hearts. Whether that’s through cosplay, Disney bounding, or simply indulging in an unhealthy amount of fandom-style clothes (thanks, Hot Topic), it’s fun to find pieces that show ardor for our fandom of choice.
One such company that incorporated fandom fashion with cos-bounding is Adorkable Apparel.
What is even more incredible about this clothing company is that it was started by fellow cosplayer and fantasy pop singer, Traci Hines. Traci is known for her unique twist on cosplays such as hipster Ariel and the reimagined Princess Villains.
Adorkable Apparel came to life in 2013 and has quickly become a well-established brand within the cosplay realm. I’ve had my eye on a couple of pieces from Adorkable Apparel (this shell crop top is iconic), and finally gave in to my online shopping tendencies and bought a shirt!
Sea Star Mermaid Crop Top
I picked out the Sea Star Mermaid Crop Top. This one spoke to me because the style is a bit different from the flowy crop top and T-shirt cuts available. And being that I live in Florida, it seemed like the perfect way to bring a subtle Little Mermaid vibe to my frequent beach trips.
I typically pair my mermaid crop top with this flowy teal skirt (that I believe I purchased from Forever 21). While the design on this top isn’t a direct nod to Ariel, it definitely brings out that classic Disney vibe.
The shirt itself is a little on the tight side, particularly in the arms. I have a size small in this specific style and it’s very form-fitting. In hindsight, I would recommend buying a size larger than your usual shirt size. Which I would have known to do had I read their disclaimer that clearly says:
If you’re unsure what size to order, we recommend ordering 1 size up.
Another downside I have noticed since I have worn (and worn) this shirt is that the initial vibrant white has dulled down a bit. And I’m a bit nervous to bleach the shirt because of the digital print design that is the main focus of this crop top.
But other than that… holy moly is this crop top holding fast to its name. It’s adorably dorky in all the right ways. Besides this skirt, I think it would be fun to pair it with light washed skinny jeans or shorts. I haven’t had a chance to wear this to Disney yet, but I feel like a day there in this outfit would be a perfect casual Disney bound. But maybe as one of Ariel’s sisters like Arista so that I don’t have to wear a wig!
Adorkable Apparel Pros and Cons
Pros
- Truly aDORKable; great for Disney bounding, a beach day, or heck, even a night out!
- No fuzzies! I’ve had this for a while now and it still hasn’t deteriorated like most cotton shirts do after multiple washes. This is such a relief to me because I cannot stand those fuzzies.
- Versatile and comes in Small, Medium, and Large
Cons
- Tight in the arms (so I recommend ordering a size bigger than normal)
- The white color has faded in time, so this creates the problem where I think I can bleach it, but I’m uncertain if it will damage the star designs on the front.
- Pricey; This pricing point seems fair for small shops like Adorakable Apparel, but it’s still hard negotiating with yourself to spend almost $30 on a crop top.
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There are a ton of options to choose from when you shop through the Adorkable Apparel selection. It was hard to choose just one! And while I have yet to add more of this adorably dorky fashion to my wardrobe, having at least one piece of this brand is a necessity if you’re a Disney fan! I also take pride in supporting fellow cosplayers who have turned their passion for their favorite characters into something they can share with the world.
So all in all, get some Adorkable Apparel. Let the world see just how fashionably geeky cosplayers can be.
