Post by mamared on Aug 20, 2019 13:10:00 GMT -5
“This dazzling limited-edition ballet outfit is inspired by the magical story of the Snow Queen in The Nutcracker.”
Advertised as limited to an edition of no more than 10,000, this outfit was offered as a limited pre-sale in July 2019 with the remaining outfits to be available in October 2019. It retails for $50. Here is the holiday-themed box it’s packaged in, followed by the description of the outfit components. Full disclosure, I’m not a dancer or even much of an enthusiast (beyond trying to see any Matthew Bourne productions in town), so my review is just from the perspective of how nice something looks and not how realistic it is for the production.
“A white velveteen leotard with silver sparkle trim, shining sequins and bright rhinestones on a felt snowflake to catch the light, and silver sparkle straps with glittery off-the-shoulder tulle sleeves.” This is actually my least favorite part of this outfit, and it’s entirely because I’m just not generally a fan of off-the-shoulder looks on AG dolls and how they highlight the differences between the vinyl head and arms and fabric bodies. That definitely holds true for this piece, and I almost didn’t get the outfit for that reason, but I do think the rest of the outfit makes up for it. The leotard is well-made of a nice thick material. The top part is all lined, and it fastens with a strip of Velcro up the back. The tiny shiny sequins down the front of the bodice are sewn on and really pretty, and there’s also one larger rhinestone at the center of the neckline that looks very appropriately sized for the piece. The silver sparkle straps go over the shoulder, and the tulle sleeves have some glitter that matches the tutu . Although the description of the leotard mentions a felt snowflake, that piece is actually on the tutu and not the leotard. Grade: C+ because of the style, although the actual construction deserves much higher
“A tutu with sparkling elastic waistband, rhinestones in the shape of snowflakes, and four layers of glittery and solid tulle.” The tutu is lovely! The plain tulle layers are underneath and between the glittery ones, and the glittery ones match the leotard’s sleeves. The elastic waistband is nice and thick, as are the five fabric pieces that overlay the tulle. These have silver embroidery surrounding the decorative rhinestones, and are also edged with silvery trim. Here’s also where you’ll find the aforementioned felt snowflake, also decorated with a rhinestone and some silver sparkle. I really like the scale, fit, feel, and overall construction of this piece. Grade:A+
“An elegant faceted metal tiara and metal snowflake wand with shining rhinestones, fit for a queen.” These are both very nicely constructed of thick metal that should hold up well to many years of play, with no real worries of getting broken or damaged. The wand even has a band so the doll can realistically hold it. Great quality and attention to detail here. Grade: A+
“Silver foil-print ballet slippers with ribbon ties and a pair of soft-white knit tights.” The ballet pointe shoes are very sweet and have white ribbons which are definitely long enough to tie easily. I have no idea if I’ve tied them correctly. The tights are very soft and thick and are also quite nice. Grade: A+
“An illustrated limited-edition collectible card with the Snow Queen’s story.” This is a nice touch. Also to note, the card is where AG decided to number the limited editions (there’s no special labeling inside the clothing noting that these are special or limited editions, just the regular AG tag). Grade: B+ (nice touch and thick card stock, but just not that special to deserve a higher grade)
Overall, I really like the concept and construction of this piece. I almost didn’t get it because of the whole off-the-shoulder thing (personal opinion, yours may differ), but I’m really glad that I did as the other pieces more than make up for it. Overall grade: A
Advertised as limited to an edition of no more than 10,000, this outfit was offered as a limited pre-sale in July 2019 with the remaining outfits to be available in October 2019. It retails for $50. Here is the holiday-themed box it’s packaged in, followed by the description of the outfit components. Full disclosure, I’m not a dancer or even much of an enthusiast (beyond trying to see any Matthew Bourne productions in town), so my review is just from the perspective of how nice something looks and not how realistic it is for the production.
“A white velveteen leotard with silver sparkle trim, shining sequins and bright rhinestones on a felt snowflake to catch the light, and silver sparkle straps with glittery off-the-shoulder tulle sleeves.” This is actually my least favorite part of this outfit, and it’s entirely because I’m just not generally a fan of off-the-shoulder looks on AG dolls and how they highlight the differences between the vinyl head and arms and fabric bodies. That definitely holds true for this piece, and I almost didn’t get the outfit for that reason, but I do think the rest of the outfit makes up for it. The leotard is well-made of a nice thick material. The top part is all lined, and it fastens with a strip of Velcro up the back. The tiny shiny sequins down the front of the bodice are sewn on and really pretty, and there’s also one larger rhinestone at the center of the neckline that looks very appropriately sized for the piece. The silver sparkle straps go over the shoulder, and the tulle sleeves have some glitter that matches the tutu . Although the description of the leotard mentions a felt snowflake, that piece is actually on the tutu and not the leotard. Grade: C+ because of the style, although the actual construction deserves much higher
“A tutu with sparkling elastic waistband, rhinestones in the shape of snowflakes, and four layers of glittery and solid tulle.” The tutu is lovely! The plain tulle layers are underneath and between the glittery ones, and the glittery ones match the leotard’s sleeves. The elastic waistband is nice and thick, as are the five fabric pieces that overlay the tulle. These have silver embroidery surrounding the decorative rhinestones, and are also edged with silvery trim. Here’s also where you’ll find the aforementioned felt snowflake, also decorated with a rhinestone and some silver sparkle. I really like the scale, fit, feel, and overall construction of this piece. Grade:A+
“An elegant faceted metal tiara and metal snowflake wand with shining rhinestones, fit for a queen.” These are both very nicely constructed of thick metal that should hold up well to many years of play, with no real worries of getting broken or damaged. The wand even has a band so the doll can realistically hold it. Great quality and attention to detail here. Grade: A+
“Silver foil-print ballet slippers with ribbon ties and a pair of soft-white knit tights.” The ballet pointe shoes are very sweet and have white ribbons which are definitely long enough to tie easily. I have no idea if I’ve tied them correctly. The tights are very soft and thick and are also quite nice. Grade: A+
“An illustrated limited-edition collectible card with the Snow Queen’s story.” This is a nice touch. Also to note, the card is where AG decided to number the limited editions (there’s no special labeling inside the clothing noting that these are special or limited editions, just the regular AG tag). Grade: B+ (nice touch and thick card stock, but just not that special to deserve a higher grade)
Overall, I really like the concept and construction of this piece. I almost didn’t get it because of the whole off-the-shoulder thing (personal opinion, yours may differ), but I’m really glad that I did as the other pieces more than make up for it. Overall grade: A