Post by mamared on Mar 13, 2022 17:48:19 GMT -5
This outfit was available for preorder in 2021, and was available for purchase from March 2022 until it retired later that year.
“Racing stripes are the perfect detail for Maritza’s “need for speed” personality. In this outfit created by Harlem’s Fashion Row® designer Kristian Lorén, she can be a standout star on the soccer field, at The Community Center, or at school. It includes:
A blue mesh cropped mock turtleneck top with long raglan sleeves, a mock drawstring tie, and contrast neon-green detail on the arms
A pair of mesh pants with contrasting neon-green detail and patch pockets on the legs
A pair of white tennis shoes with neon highlighter soles”
SKU#: HJB87 $36
I initially brought this home for Joss, who has a similar color palette and sporty vibe, but my early release Josefina decided to try it on first. It’s nice to find another outfit that can fit the large-bodied PM dolls so well!
Although the fabric is described as “mesh”, it’s not an open weave. It’s made of a lightweight, thin, synthetic material, and the different weave of the “mesh” appears as slightly darker dots. I really like the vibrant color and the drape of the fabric, which is especially important since it’s such a loose style. (Sorry that the Josefina photos are kind of dimly lit. The vibrant color of this closeup, and the later Joss photos, are more true to life.)
There are mock drawstring ties sewn onto both the waistline of the pants and the front of the mock turtleneck. The ties are made of a blue cord that matches the color of the fabric and is knotted on both ends. Although the drawstrings are faux, the stitching and gathers around them make them appear more functional.
The top closes with a single strip of Velcro up the back, while the pants pull on and have an elastic waist. The top sleeves and pants legs both hang loosely, sans cuffs.
The neon stripes down the sides of the sleeves and pants are made of a wide grosgrain ribbon. The color is sort of a neon/highlighter yellow, with a hint of green.
The stripes extend all the way to the bottom of the pants and are broken only by the pockets. The patch pockets are actually sewn over the stripes, so when you open the flap you can see the stripe inside the pocket. They are real functional pockets, not faux.
The white shoes have thick highlighter soles that almost seem to glow in real life. I think they’re kind of a snazzy complement to the outfit, lol, and they also help add height, which can be helpful with the long pants. I like that they’re no-tie, but the actual construction seems to be a lesser quality than many AG sneakers, as just a single, rather thin, unreinforced layer of material goes around the back of the heel; I wonder how well this will hold up to play and frequent shoe changes.
Overall, I really like the carefree look and the fit of this outfit, and I’m pleasantly surprised that it can also fit the large older dolls. I do notice the top seems to be more cropped on my Josefina and Joss than it is on stock photos of Maritza; her photos barely show any belly between the two pieces, whereas the gap on my dolls is more apparent. It doesn’t bother me here, but it’s worth noting if this is something that might bother you.
I also wanted to show a photo of the inside of the top with the label and one of the back of the box. I think the collaboration with Harlem’s Fashion Row is pretty cool, and I like that information about the designer, Kristian Lorén, is printed on the box. However, I wish there was some kind of special designer label on the clothing, or even a HFR x AG label, to note the collaboration. It may be a little thing, but it feels like a miss to me.
All in all, there’s a lot to like about the outfit (color, overall fit and construction, sporty and fashion-forward vibe) and a few things I’d probably change (the label, shoe construction, and possibly mix-and-match potential). In regards to the mix-and-match potential, I don’t have Maritza’s Camo Combo Outfit and I’ll be interested to see any photos that pair up pieces from these two together. As I noted before, I picked this outfit up for Joss, so I’m including some of those outfit combos below, but it feels just a little more limited than I hoped for. I still love the Neon Stripe Outfit by itself, and with all of this in mind, I’d probably rate the full price item at a B, and a bit higher if purchased at a discount and/or if the Camo Combo Outfit pieces yield some good mixing results.
Here are some photos showing Joss mixing pieces of the Neon Stripe Outfit with pieces from her Cheer Practice Outfit.
The blues don’t quite match but I think they work okay together. The neon yellow/greens also look okay together without being too matchy-matchy. (And the stretchy headband, an accommodation to help keep Joss’s hearing aid from falling out in her stories, could also be used if someone decides to use a hearing aid with Maritza.)
One more, this time with the shirt from Joss’s Beach Jumper.
“Racing stripes are the perfect detail for Maritza’s “need for speed” personality. In this outfit created by Harlem’s Fashion Row® designer Kristian Lorén, she can be a standout star on the soccer field, at The Community Center, or at school. It includes:
A blue mesh cropped mock turtleneck top with long raglan sleeves, a mock drawstring tie, and contrast neon-green detail on the arms
A pair of mesh pants with contrasting neon-green detail and patch pockets on the legs
A pair of white tennis shoes with neon highlighter soles”
SKU#: HJB87 $36
I initially brought this home for Joss, who has a similar color palette and sporty vibe, but my early release Josefina decided to try it on first. It’s nice to find another outfit that can fit the large-bodied PM dolls so well!
Although the fabric is described as “mesh”, it’s not an open weave. It’s made of a lightweight, thin, synthetic material, and the different weave of the “mesh” appears as slightly darker dots. I really like the vibrant color and the drape of the fabric, which is especially important since it’s such a loose style. (Sorry that the Josefina photos are kind of dimly lit. The vibrant color of this closeup, and the later Joss photos, are more true to life.)
There are mock drawstring ties sewn onto both the waistline of the pants and the front of the mock turtleneck. The ties are made of a blue cord that matches the color of the fabric and is knotted on both ends. Although the drawstrings are faux, the stitching and gathers around them make them appear more functional.
The top closes with a single strip of Velcro up the back, while the pants pull on and have an elastic waist. The top sleeves and pants legs both hang loosely, sans cuffs.
The neon stripes down the sides of the sleeves and pants are made of a wide grosgrain ribbon. The color is sort of a neon/highlighter yellow, with a hint of green.
The stripes extend all the way to the bottom of the pants and are broken only by the pockets. The patch pockets are actually sewn over the stripes, so when you open the flap you can see the stripe inside the pocket. They are real functional pockets, not faux.
The white shoes have thick highlighter soles that almost seem to glow in real life. I think they’re kind of a snazzy complement to the outfit, lol, and they also help add height, which can be helpful with the long pants. I like that they’re no-tie, but the actual construction seems to be a lesser quality than many AG sneakers, as just a single, rather thin, unreinforced layer of material goes around the back of the heel; I wonder how well this will hold up to play and frequent shoe changes.
Overall, I really like the carefree look and the fit of this outfit, and I’m pleasantly surprised that it can also fit the large older dolls. I do notice the top seems to be more cropped on my Josefina and Joss than it is on stock photos of Maritza; her photos barely show any belly between the two pieces, whereas the gap on my dolls is more apparent. It doesn’t bother me here, but it’s worth noting if this is something that might bother you.
I also wanted to show a photo of the inside of the top with the label and one of the back of the box. I think the collaboration with Harlem’s Fashion Row is pretty cool, and I like that information about the designer, Kristian Lorén, is printed on the box. However, I wish there was some kind of special designer label on the clothing, or even a HFR x AG label, to note the collaboration. It may be a little thing, but it feels like a miss to me.
All in all, there’s a lot to like about the outfit (color, overall fit and construction, sporty and fashion-forward vibe) and a few things I’d probably change (the label, shoe construction, and possibly mix-and-match potential). In regards to the mix-and-match potential, I don’t have Maritza’s Camo Combo Outfit and I’ll be interested to see any photos that pair up pieces from these two together. As I noted before, I picked this outfit up for Joss, so I’m including some of those outfit combos below, but it feels just a little more limited than I hoped for. I still love the Neon Stripe Outfit by itself, and with all of this in mind, I’d probably rate the full price item at a B, and a bit higher if purchased at a discount and/or if the Camo Combo Outfit pieces yield some good mixing results.
Here are some photos showing Joss mixing pieces of the Neon Stripe Outfit with pieces from her Cheer Practice Outfit.
The blues don’t quite match but I think they work okay together. The neon yellow/greens also look okay together without being too matchy-matchy. (And the stretchy headband, an accommodation to help keep Joss’s hearing aid from falling out in her stories, could also be used if someone decides to use a hearing aid with Maritza.)
One more, this time with the shirt from Joss’s Beach Jumper.