Urban Outfit: Meet IV (2000-2002)

[EofA]

I actually like this outfit, but I would have to rate parts of it differently.

Hoodie: B-
The hoodie is prone to stretching out over time, and one of the ones I had wouldn't ever stay snapped. I did like the hoodie's muted colors and its versatility with other outfits, but I really wish that it was longer in the torso. To my eyes, it makes the dolls look short-waisted (okay, yeah, I know they don't have waists, but still....)

Skirt: A
I really like the skirt. I like that it has a zipper instead of velcro, and I like that it is long. I like the weave in the fabric that gives it texture, I like the cargo pockets. Okay, I admit it; I'd wear this. It's a refreshing change from the short skirts AG usually gives us. The skirt fits well on most PM dolls and I think the style is great. It was a unique look for AG. While I personally loathe status labels on my own clothing, I don't mind the AG logo that is on this skirt.

Vest: B-
The vest was a disappointment. It is also too short-waisted for the looks of the outfit. I could have lived with a short vest had the hoodie been longer. Also, the AG tag on the vest is an irritant. The zippers for both vests I had were a little tough to maneuver, so I would think it would also be a challenge for a young girl to zip. My grade would be lower for this piece, but it is redeemed by its reversibility (once the pesky tag is snipped off, that is).

Footwear: B
Shoes are okay. I am not a MaryJane person so they don't impress, but they are fine for what they are and can be switched out with other things, I guess. Socks haven't gone all slouchy over time, so that's a plus. These socks can work with your average non-AG Hogwarts uniform, by the way.

No grade for the undies, since I never had them, They are plain white briefs, nothing to write home about.

Total grade: B.

Incidentally, my daughter's doll below is wearing the messenger bag that was sold as part of the Meet Accessories from 00-03. I only have the bag, otherwise I'd review the whole set in Accessories.

[iluvkmec]

The vest is okay, it's not the grestest colors. The zipper on the skirt is stuck. And the shirt is blah.

[scandia]

I finally put this outfit on Gretchen today...and I did not end up liking the way it fit on her at all. I thought it would look much better for some reason. But it ended up being very bulky. The gray of the hoodie was too faded- it is possible that it was crisper when it was new, but now it looks horrendous. The vest was fine, though it felt very bulky and heavy. Something just did not seem right about the skirt- maybe it just wasn't working for the character, since technically there was nothing wrong with it. Socks were good. Mary Janes seem too platformy.

Overall, it just was not my cup of tea. I do not think it would work for any of my other characters either.

[Deleted]

I liked this outfit better than the newer ones, but it's not my favorite. I've never known anyone who would actually WEAR something like that, but go figure (although the shoes are pretty typical late 90s-early 00s). This outfit only looks good (IMHO) on the doll it came on, which is a #8. I HATE the snaps in the hoodie; they came off really soon after I got the outfit. Meaning, it doesn't snap now because the snaps are snapped together on one side of the fabric. Grr.

[okstateprincess11]

I liked the Urban outfit but it seemed to fall apart the easiest. the biuttons on the shirt are broken and the shoes are already showing wear and they werent even used that much. this outfit gets a B from me.

[venusdemilo]

It's not my favorite 'meet' outfit, but it is serviceable. IMO only certain types of dolls can pull it off. The only one in my collection who can is Harriet (#18) and this was not the meet outfit she came in, it was the purple one with the cardigan.



I like the hoodie and the skirt but could do without the vest. The shoes are okay, I had a pair like those.

[kimpa]

I actually love this outfit because I love the skirt and the vest. I also like the shoes and the slouchy socks. I have seen kids dressed in similar outfits and just love it. I must admit that I use the purse from this outfit the most. It's such a me thing. I love it. I wish I had the watch and hair pins that went with it but I'll be on the lookout for them.

[daughterofthedryad]

My doll arrived wearing this outfit. At the time I thought it was a little ugly, but over the years, it's grown on me.

Hoodie:
The hoodie is made from nice quality, soft cotton fabric. There are tiny blue, red, and gray stripes running throughout the fabric. The hood doesn't exactly fit over your doll's head of hair...it might work on Kit. The shirt slips over the head easily. I have three nitpicks with this shirt: the snaps don't stay together very well, they fall off easily, and the shirt itself seems too short.

Skirt: This skirt is made from rather thick, quality rip-stop fabric. It has a hidden zipper in the back which is rather hard to close all the way; but the front pockets are cute.

Vest: The vest is quilted, reversible, and made of soft, suede-like waterproof fabric (not exactly sure what it's called). The zippers are metal and easy to use. The vest doesn't really look good turned dark blue; I keep mine on the red side all the time.

Shoes: The Mary Jane shoes are dark blue suede with thick soles that make it easier to stand your doll up in them. The velcro straps work fine. These shoes have a LOT of mix-n-match potential...I've used them with tons of other outfits. The suede is not the best quality, though...after nine years, it's rubbed off in spots and now the shoes look ratty.

Socks: very good quality, will go with lots of things...I really like these. Unfortunately, I lost one of them....

Undies:
The undies that come with the meet outfit are good quality cotton, nice elastic waist, and they come up to the doll's waist all the way (no bikini-style here!). Very basic.

Quality Grade: meh....B-

Cuteness/style of outfit: A

Overall Grade: B+

ETA:
Four Months Later: after being taken out of the closet, the shoes have once again been played with and the suede is almost all rubbed off, which makes me sad. They're starting to leave little grayish-blue marks on my doll's feet when I put them on. The straps have not broken, though, after many years of tugging.

[RedBug]

I really like this outfit. I especially love the skirt. The length and mix-n-match ability make it one of my favorite pieces of doll clothing.

The hoodie, however, isn't actually one of my favorites. The snaps are all broken, it is rather stretched, and too short for my liking.

The vest is nice, except if you try to have the blue side facing out, you see the red zipper band. I usually have the red side facing out anyway.

I love the shoes, but I have to make sure that my doll is wearing socks, otherwise, the shoes stain the feet.

[Emma]

In one of Margaret Drabble's novels, she describes a much-admired teacher's shoes as so fashionable they were almost orthopedic. I always think of these shoes.
I find the skirt a fairly unbecoming length, but the hoodie and the vest, paired with jean shorts, make a cute hiking outfit. The socks work under hiking boots.
B

[cymbre]

Just a note to say my Mary Janes from this set have not only started to disintegrate, today they left a huge blue mark on a doll's foot just attempting to try it on without a sock. The mark came off easily with Magic Eraser and the shoes went in the trash.