Costume Chest (Costume Set) (retired)

[mom2princesses]

This set was released in 2009 and was originally titled Rebecca's Costume Chest. In 2015 it was revised and no longer included the trunk, after which it was called Rebecca's Costume Set. It retired in 2016.

Rebecca can imagine that she’s a movie star with this mix-and-match costume set! This set features eight costume pieces Rebecca can wear when she dreams of being a movie star:
A sleeveless turquoise dress with golden trim at the waist
A sparkly overskirt with scalloped edges
A matching turquoise headdress
Fancy golden wings
A knit shawl with a bow at the neckline
A double-strand, faux-pearl necklace
A pair of cream-colored satin gloves
Miniature photos and magazine covers featuring movie stars from 1914
An elegant faux-leather chest with a lid that opens and a removable tray to keep everything organized


Since I have so many pictures, I am going to break up my review into two sections. This first one is just for the trunk.


I purchased the trunk mainly because the clothing inside it was so pretty but I also hoped to be able to store Rebecca's clothing inside as well. Thankfully the trunk is big enough to accomodate all of Rebecca's clothing (so far!) with the exception of her movie hat. I have all of her clothing folded in the bottom part with all of her shoes, bows and other accessories on the top removable tray.



The trunk itself is not as high quality as I would have hoped. It is not wood, but rather a cardboard type material with faux leather. It feels a bit flimsy and I feel it is on the small side. I do not know how well it would hold up to play but seems like it is a bit fragile.

The inside is lined with shelf like paper and comes with a movie photo glued on the inside lid. The trunk also comes with a handful of movie poster cards.



overall, I was dissapointed with the trunk but purchased it anyway because of the clothing it came with. If it had been sold seperately I would not have bought it at all. I would give the trunk a C.

[mom2princesses]

This review is for the clothing that comes inside the trunk. The dress up outfits are just adorable. They have alot of mix and match potential. The only thing I don't 'get' is the wings. Not sure of its historical relevance, so perhaps thats why I feel lukewarm towards them. I would have rather AG include a second dress, but even so the entire set is very pretty and well made.


In the picture the shimmery overdress looks more turquoise but in real life it has a definate golden shimmer. The dress itself is a beautiful color and has a sort of slippery feel to it. The headband is cute in theory, but on my Rebecca it is a bit too big so the back keeps slipping down. The bows are sewn in place and it ties the gold and turquoise together well.


the 'white' accessories are adorable as well. The sweater is very well made; my only complaint is that they used velcro for the closure instead of a hook or even a snap.

just showing the finger detail of the gloves.


here is the back of the dress where the gold wings hook in and the gold wings with hook

and finally how it looks all put together on Rebecca


My favorite part of this outfit are the shoes. SO CUTE! They fit better and feel sturdier than other slipper type shoes AG has made, and though they are a bit tough to get on because of all the elastic, they are worth a little extra trouble.




Lastly here is Rebecca modeling some of the dress up combos:

[Latte]

My sister and I split this item -- she took the trunk to hold all her items for Nellie, and I took the costume pieces for my Rebecca.

I LOVE the little pieces! Each thing is not exactly spectacular on its own, but when put together, these pieces are adorable! I love the little gloves -- the stitching for the fingers is a great detail.

[Deleted]

I checked it out in the store and while it didn't seem as flimsy as I'd expected from people's reviews of it, it's not something I would spend $100 on. The trunk was obviously cardboard, and there was only the one costume... not worth it, IMHO.

[violet6]

Hello! Just thought I'd add my thoughts as I have a somewhat different opinion from most...while I agree that the trunk is flimsy and also think that the set is very overpriced, I splurged on this set b/c I really love the outfit & accessories. I just found the items to be so unique & beautiful!

[skukla]

I had to do something therapeutic while sitting with my son as he studied for a test last night. Rebecca tried on her costume from the Costume Chest: She is also wearing the choker from E's Ball Gown 'cause I'm not too fond of the neck/body interface.

[GOTY1812]

I really like this piece. It is much smaller than any other American Girl trunk, and is sized to the scale of the dolls. (assuming it is a large trunk.)

For my set up this is preferable to the bigger trunks. My dolls now all have their own rooms, and I am attempting to store most of their items in their rooms. Some items are on Display, and others are in storage containers, like this one.

For me, I wish American Girl would make the doll's personal trunks this size, but then perhaps also sell larger trunks for those who like to have a place for everything.

I was able to buy this on eBay for about $80. It is in perfect condition. I felt better paying $80 than $100. (duh!) I love the costume pieces! I like the little pictures too- I am always looking for bits to personalize a doll's room. The magazines are a let down- they are just covers, and not actual magazines with pages.

The pieces that come with the costume are quite versatile, and many could be used for other doll's. To me, this is a really fun piece for dolls other than Rebecca too. I think AG did a good job of bringing in some of the fun fashions of the day, yet kept it appropriate for a child.

[mickeyd]

Can anyone give the dimensions on the trunk? I was wondering if I could get a trunk from Hobby Lobby and try to make it like Rebecca's trunk. Thanks

[sarahangeline]

This set truly has some serious play value! I ordered it for myself but my son and daughter have been playing with it since I received it. My son thought it was a "treasure box" and couldn't wait to open it. He loved the double stand pearl necklace and placing all her things in and out of the chest. My daughter adores every piece and has tried different mix and match combinations which seems to please her and even gives her self esteem a boost somehow! The pieces in this collection are extremely easy to dress on and off so there's no frustration. I'm really not sure which piece I love the most and together it's a winning set! I'm surprised at how much I love the headdress, it's a fun, fun, piece!! So Downton Abbey like with the gloves and pearls! The shoes are the sweetest softest silkiest golden ballerina flats and her shawl is thick and soft with a darling bow at the neck with Velcro closure. The wings are quality, thick with a nice metal clip which I totally get-fun imagination for children as well. It's also a manageable size and easy to get on and off. We also have the limited edition set with the wings and this one is very portable but still fun! The chest fits a nice size collection of clothing in the base and the top shelf keeps her small movie posters, necklace and smaller items stored nicely. The rounded top is high enough to store her high button boots on the top tray along with her makeup box from her special edition set, and phonograph record book all as well! I prefer to open the chest against a wall or AG furniture as the lid is attached by hinges and looks better. The interior wallpaper and photo is a nice touch. The chest doesn't take up a lot of space but sure holds a lot and it's light weight and portable. So a great alternative to a real wooden chest!

[agigsurvivor]

I just bought the chest and most of the outfit from someone on Facebook marketplace, and while I paid more than I would've liked, I was able to get all of the paper products that it came with which is great for me. I have attached the scans of them below.

[keeperofthepast]

I just recently found the golden slippers only from this set. They are so cute with their four straps. I think I'll once again be fitting them into my 1980's girl's wardrobe.