Party Outfit (Party Dress & Spencer Jacket)

[Grandma Nonnie]

*This outfit is not worn by Josefina in any of her books*

(The name of this outfit changed to Party Outfit in January, 2009 -price $28)

I love this outfit. The scoop neck empire waisted dress is a soft pale pink with delicate flowers on vines. The hem has beautiful detail with 3 tucks and a scalloped trim. The trim is repeated around the high waist seam. The skirt is actually pleated at that seam. The short jacket is a beautiful soft wool /wool blend and is fully lined. The sleeves of the jacket are velcro under decorative button trim. The front of the jacket has 4 tiny buttons that actually are buttons with buttonholes. The bottom band of the jacket has the asymmetrical detail with the tab to the right of center. The tab has a snap closure. This looks beautiful on. I do pair this with the soft beige fringed shoes from Josefina's shoes and socks and her ruffled pantalettes from her Christmas outfit. I will post pics later

See album link in message dated 10/7

[Tiffany]

Just a side note. Be careful with the spencer jacket. I had it on my Josefina for only a few weeks and it stained her arms with black marks!

[Grandma Nonnie]

I finally got an album of pictures together of this outfit. Sorry it took so long.

[QNPoohBear]

This is the best ever Josefina dress. The dress is a beautiful off white color with tiny flowers. It has little sort sleeves and is trimmed in delicate lace. The Spencer jacket feels like wool and it has real buttons. The only negative thing about this dress is that the buttons are incredibly hard to button. They are also really tiny and sewn on loosely and might get lost of they fall off.

Grade: A

Susanna looks just like Elizabeth Bennett from Pride and Prejudice in this dress.

Pictures of Susanna modeling after a long day of shopping, eating and sightseeing. Hopefully better ones soon.

[scandia]

I like this outfit quite a bit. The buttons in the jacket are hard to button- but otherwise it is very nice. The dress can be worn on its own. If the jacket is closed, it looks a bit too heavy. A-

[American Girl Rescue]

Just adding some pictures of the dress and jacket. Grade A from me!

Josefina's Regency style party dress

Josefina's Spencer Jacket

[FarmhouseGirl]

I quite like Josefina's spencer dress, it is very pretty and very summery. The jacket I've heard can stain doll's arms, but I've never had a problem. Here are some photos-





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This dress is one of my favorites--certainly one of Josefina's best! I prefer the dress over the jacket, but as for the jacket, I haven't had any problems with the jacket bleeding.

Grade: A+

[Wickfield]

The dress - Let me count the ways I ADORE THIS DRESS. It's perfectly Regency, and in my opinion it might carry over into the Romantic period. We bought it in 2005, and the fabric is quality but still thin enough to count as a summer dress; also, although the description calls it "pale pink" it's really more beige. There's a picture of a very similar fabric in Josefina's World, so the fabric is even historically accurate! There are no problems with the cut - Empire waist, scoop neckline, and square shoulders, although I will mention that the tab trim around the waist will stick out if the seam for the waist does not lay flat underneath. Also, the dress is a little short on it's own, so it really needs to be paired with Josefina's Christmas pantalettes for decency. : ) A++

The spencer jacket - this seems a little too heavy to go with the party dress, but only because it is MADE OF REAL WOOL! It is heavy and thick, and lined with black satin. It velcros at the arms but it actually buttons and snaps up the front. Also, the collar can lay down or be turned up, as in my picture. The only question I have is I wonder if a girl Josefina's age would wear this ensemble of spencer+dress. All the fashion plates I've seen show young women. Doesn't really matter though. Still gets an A+!

FWIW, I also have had a PM version of this, and I could detect no differences whatsoever. The PM wool jacket may have been the tiniest bit thinner but I'm not even sure about that. So now we know that there wasn't much of a change in this set from its introduction in 98/99 to the 2005 Mattel edition.

More pics so you can actually see how it looks on my Josefina :





And also a few on Agnes, a fair-skinned classic-mold girl:

[SummerofLOV]

The dress from this set is so beautiful. Its soft, its cut nicely so Josefina wears it well and I love the tiny floral pattern on it. The jacket I don't use. I'm not fond of the fabric and I am afraid that the sleeves will stain, as I have heard others say it does, so I just don't use it. But the dress gets an A+.

[green chile supergirl]

I think the dress is absolutely lovely. The colors are delicate and the trimming is so nice. The empire waist style looks beautiful on Josefina.

Unfortunately, I really don't care for the bolero. I feel like the black just doesn't go particularly well with the delicate colors of the dress. I certainly appreciate that the jacket closes with real buttons, but it just doesn't match this dress- or anything else Josefina wears, except perhaps the Christmas dress.

Grade: B


Without the jacket


With the jacket.

[reenee11]

I may be going against the majority view, but I don't love the party dress as much as I thought I would. I don't get the black wool jacket with a very light,airy summer dress. I prefer Josefina's riding dress. I have seen the party dress alone on other dolls, and love it on them, but don't care for it as much on Josefina.

[Rollsinsnow]

I dislike the wool jacket, I can never seem to get it to hang correctly.

[skukla]

[dragonflybg]

The dress looks great on every doll I've put it on so far. However, I'm not a fan of the jacket. It just doesn't seem to pair well with the dress.

[Buckingham Alice]

Oh, man. I had wanted this dress since approximately forever, and it came today. I don't have Josefina (yet... although soon...), but my Marisol is currently wearing this. (Looks gorgeous on her... will post pics later.) She's wearing it with Addy's work shoes since I don't have Josefina's white mocs and they were the only non velour (lol) slip on shoes I had handy in an appropriate color scheme. It's a pretty cute combo, tbh.

I love this dress. The fabric is thick enough to not feel cheap, but still an appropriate thickness for spring/early summer. The print is just gorgeous, and the scalloped trim is the perfect touch. I feel like it's a tad shorter than I'd prefer, but when I get the Christmas outfit, she'll wear the combination undergarment from that set with this one.

The jacket is cute. The material isn't quite what I expected, but it's still nice. The buttons are real, but they are a little difficult to undo, not unlike Rebecca's school sweater. There's a little plastic snap on the jacket's bottom tab... plastic snaps always *feel* fragile and like they're just about to break, so I would exercise caution with that one. I would have preferred a metal snap, or even velcro. (I know... boooo hisss)

A+ for the dress, B for the jacket, A- for the set.

ETA: Pics:

[The Dread Pirate Lady M]

I give this set a solid A. The fabric of the dress is soft and durable and it looks lovely on Josefina. The jacket is well made and is versatile. I have a black and red print regency gown from ebay that it looks lovely with. I am delighted that AG is still producing items like this.

My Josefina wears the choker from the Heirloom Accessories set with this dress and it looks wonderful. I have seen this dress paired with the fringed, ecru colored shoes from the Shoes and Socks set, but I prefer to use the more delicate black slippers from the new Dress and Vest set.

[QNPoohBear]

Ruthie makes a terrific Jane Austen heroine in this dress.

[madeleine]

I never liked this dress till I joined this board. The catalogue can't seem to do it justice. But after seeing all the wonderful pictures on here, I fell in love. Then once Caroline was announced, I decided I should get it so she'll have it once she gets here.
The dress is really pretty by itself. Lovely and delicate, but I can still see it as an everyday type dress.

I'm like many others, and don't feel that the jacket matches this dress. But the jacket itself I think is wonderful. Its a black wool fabric, and is fully lined. The little buttons actually button. I didn't have trouble using them, but I can see how a child might. Even though it doesn't really "go" with this dress, I think it'll be a good piece to have in Caroline's collection.

[KitandKat]

I don't know why I put off this outfit for so long because it is amazing!

Spencer jacket: DROOL. Real wool. Real buttons. Real snap for the bottom front of the jacket. Love the detail of the sleeves closing at the wrist too though it is velcro with a fake button. I want one for myself. Grade: A+

Dress: It is pretty and demure. Cute flower print and it is made out of a thicker cotton, but could still work for summer. The jacket is definitely my favorite part of this outfit, but I love the dress too. The only complaint I have is that it arrived with kind-of a weird triangle shape to the skirt due to being folded, so I'll probably end up having to iron it, but that's not a huge deal. Grade: A

I think the jacket and dress could go together maybe for early spring or late fall. I think the colors of the dress could go either way (spring-ish or fall-ish) and since it is a thicker cotton it wouldn't be too thin for cooler weather. I wear my wool jacket starting around the 40s/50s *F so I think this one could be appropriate for early spring and late fall in addition to winter. Please note this is totally based on modern fashion sensibilities so I am not sure if this would have happened when Josefina was alive, but I don't think it's too weird of a pairing if your dolls are modern. At first I worried that the black would be too harsh of a contrast compared to the dress, but I think it works okay because the dress is more of an ivory color and it's a softer contrast with the black jacket.

Overall Grade: A





ETA: Just an update to say that I forgot to check my jacket and left it on a doll for a few weeks and yes, it did stain. It doesn't really change my opinion of the jacket - I still think it is a great piece - but I will just remember not to leave it on a doll now.

[starwenn]

The Josefina I found at a yard sale yesterday came wearing this dress, without the black jacket. She has splendid taste. I've long thought this was Josefina's prettiest Regency-style outfit. I love the sweet, dainty print and lace trim. This is also one of Josefina's more versatile dresses. The neutral colors looks good on almost every doll AG makes and can pass as a modern dress as well. Worth picking up for Josefina, Caroline, or even modern girls.