Basic Caps Revisted: Alva by Noriko in Moonstone and Jones by Estetica Designs in SilversunRt8

It was bound to happen sooner or later. I inadvertently ripped the lace front on one of my daily wear wigs and it was beyond repair. What a reminder as to the fragile nature of lace fronts. But such is life, mishaps shall happen and one must move on. Thinking what a nice distraction it would be to watch something good on Netflix to shift the focus. But nothing much was happening on there, so I instead opted for the latest wig reviews on You Tube. After viewing one of my favorite reviewer‘s new vid introducing a new style by Noriko, I stopped dead in my tracks. Enter Alva, a classic bob, updated and alluring.

Alva was described as having a standard, basic cap; regular synthetic, no lace front or any monofilament features. My reaction was “how in the world could I wear a wig without a lace front?”. Wouldn’t that be like driving a Ford Pinto instead of a Mustang? I had not worn a basic cap in years. Alva was therefore written off and parked in the “friend zone”. But Alva persisted on invading my YT, popping up everywhere, even in my dreams. I saw no other way around this but to reach out to my favorite reviewer and inquire “what’s the scoop on this new style?" Her response: “you have to get it”, “you will love it”. That enthusiastic endorsement was major league encouraging.

My hesitation continued until Alva was seen showcased in the new color Moonstone; reminiscent of my favorite color SilversunRT8 by Estetica Designs. This color Moonstone sported dynamic darkish rooting rumored to have a hint of blue contrasted with silver, appearing even ashier and even cooler; just up my alley. And let’s just say the opportunity presented itself for me to purchase this kind of high fashion hair unit. I took the plunge albeit with some trepidation and clicked on “add to cart”.

Next step was anxiously waiting as each and every text message tracked her throughout my google map to destination: Staten Island, NY. When I received the announcement that she was due to arrive the following day, I staked out a spot for my beach chair in 35° degrees and waited. Well not quite, I’m kidding because I know precisely my Postman’s schedule and he’s quite punctual. The poor man was almost knocked over by me when I saw him approaching with my box tucked under his arm. I absconded with my package as I bolted upstairs to proceed with the unboxing, not knowing what to expect.

It was as if I was on one of those online dating apps where you see someone’s profile and they look so good in the photos but you never know how they will really appear in person. I was thinking of all the X factors; would she be a good fit? Would she be too small or too big? Would the roots look too blue or heaven forbid would she look too wiggy?

I kept up my end of the bargain, ready to rock with my makeup on, all set to dive into the cap, drumroll please. When I came up for air I was pleasantly surprised. This girl felt terrific and looked super trendy, very fashion forward. I could hear Frank Sinatra playing in the background “Strangers In The Night”! What were the chances we’d be sharing love before the night was through....because honestly I was in love with this wig. The time had come to re-assess my attitude regarding the standard/basic cap. Alva’s cap construction is nothing short of an engineering achievement. Noriko really changed my perception about basic caps looking like helmets.

One of the features I noticed was that the hairs are spliced in at the ear tabs which have nicely placed sturdy metal stays and also hair spliced in at the wide comfort band in the forehead area. This is done in such a unique way as to soften the demarcation line where the lace front would be.

Onto the wispy bangs, which were designed meticulously so that they curve strategically into the forehead area and extend beyond into the side area, perfecting a natural appearance. Not too heavy in density yet not too sparse either and providing excellent coverage. Fibers feel realistic, appear glossy but not overly shiny in my opinion.

Now in terms of permatease, Alva has it all in the right places, volume is easily attained. A smoother look can also be achieved if that is preferred. The permatease is not overdone and not visible from my vantage point. She fits a petite average head for sure, I would venture to say 21” to 22.25” comfortably.

Furthermore there are no lace front concerns. This opens up additional options in terms of ease of wear, affordable price point and durability. Not that I was going to throw the wig around like yesterday‘s newspaper but I did not have to go overboard in treating her like a fragile glass figurine. This led me to explore other trendy basic cap styles.

I happened to notice Jones by Estetica Designs, on clearance in SILVERSUNRT8 and snatched it up. I was now feeling more positive as per my recent basic cap acquisition of the now coveted Alva spurring me onward.

Jones arrived and took up residence on my kitchen table for a few days before the un-boxing. Turned out she was super roomy and frankly the largest cap I have ever encountered in the Estetica Designs collection, clearly perfect for a head larger than mine, I would venture to say from 22” to 23.50”. Out came my trusty Godiva’s Secret wig grip.

Jones is a regular synthetic basic stretchy cap with open ear tabs with sturdy metal stays, a comfortable velvet wide band at the front and an open extended nape with bra hook adjusters.

I have watched many reviews on Jones. She looks completely different on everyone. No surprise that she would look crazy casual right out of the box. This is a spunky, very unstructured style with textured shattered waves of medium density. Fibers are soft and silky. No one would ever think this is a wig because it looks completely messy but with permatease mindfully placed. My only challenge was which product to use to shape the style to flatter my face shape. After shaking the wig to separate the fibers I utilized Estetica Designs Shape and Hold Wig Spray and the Jon Renau Piece Out Contour Fiber Creme to achieve my look.

As with the color Moonstone, SilverSunRT8 is also darkly rooted giving the impression and appearance of parting space. Noting that the color SilversunRT8 being more of an Ice Blonde with a warmer tone and a touch of gold on the brown root.

In conclusion, the bottom-line here is that there is something for everyone. Please check out additional photos and the accompanying video for further intel on these two beautiful basic cap styles.

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you in upcoming blogs and in the private Wig Studio 1 Wig Topper and Support Group on Facebook.