Laced Jacket & Petticoat (RETIRED)

[cami713]

This outfit is worn by Felicity in the book Felicity Learns a Lesson, the short stories "Felicity's New Sister" and "Felicity's Dancing Shoes," and in the DVD Felicity: An American Girl Adventure. It was introduced in 1991 and retired in 2009.

PC description: Lace up Felicity's jacket so she'll sit with perfect posture during tea lessons. It has a perky peplum. The jacket's daisy floral print coordinates with the berry-colored brocade skirt, called an outer petticoat. The outfit is complete with a mob cap - a must for colonial girls!


I bought this one as soon as it was re-released in 2004. (or was it early 05?)

The Good: Nice pieces that go well together. I love the mob cap, it's plain white so it matches with anything else. Looks great with her undies (especially, of course, the hoops) underneath.

The Bad: Colors don't look so great on my M Felicity, thanks to her creepy eyes . Lacing the jacket up might be a bit hard for little hands. The ribbon is really slick, so you have to double knot it or it unties right away.

Rating: ****1/2, A

(Has anyone tried the jacket paired with her Riding Outfit skirt? I wonder how that would look, as there's little bits of green on this top.)

[heidinmi]

May 1, 2006 12:09:01 GMT -5 cami713 said:

Has anyone tried the jacket paired with her Riding Outfit skirt? I wonder how that would look, as there's little bits of green on this top

The fabric of the top may look a bit mismatched with the felt of the riding habit. Hmmm...will have to try it. I love this outfit but it is a bit hard to get the top on without undoing the laces.

[shadowrose]

Pre- Mattel A+
This one was from 1991. I was so elated by how beautiful it was! The quality is superb. I couldn't be happier with it. O know I saw a more recently made one, and the quality of this one surpasses it.

[eagle0621]

I just got this outfit yesterday and it looks fabulous on my 1992 Felicity. It takes some effort to get her in the outfit but all that work is worth it. A+ for wonderful quality

[scandia]

The outfit is beautiful per se. Skirt is really good. Jacket looks pretty but it is hard to lace up without her shift showing underneath. And two of the grommets have fallen off already- I bought this outfit in 1998 or 1999. A-

[agcollector293110]

I think this outfit is very cute and I don't remember any trouble (other then the time it takes) to lace up the top. However the string that laces it DOES fray. At least for me. I went through 2 replacements and the one I have now shows signs of fraying. If you do get this outfit be careful when lacing it. Mine was premattel so I don;t know if this is still the case with mattel sets.

[QNPoohBear]

review is of original set:

I really like the colors of this outfit. The skirt is a beautiful wine red color made from brocade like fabric. There is a little floral pattern embroidered in the skirt. The lace jacket is lined with plain white fabric and it closes in front, no velcro, which can be difficult to squish Felicity's arms in easily. The jacket has a delicate floral pattern in wine red and blue. It has a cute ruffle at the top and on the sleeves. There is a little piece in the back called a peplum. Mine sticks up and doesn't lie flat, but I don't think that is normal. The jacket has metal grommets and a silken cord that threads through the comments to lace up the jacket. The cord frays easily but mine has stood up to many years of play and is still in good condition. The skirt closes on the sides with velcro and barely fits around Lissie. There are holes in the sides to reach in her pocket, but the skirt won't fit with the undergarments on. The cap is a plain white cotton mob cap, which one traditionally sees associated with the era. Mine came all wrinkled and crumpled so Felicity never wears it.

Overall grade: A-

(Yes she laced her jacket upside down.)

[EofA]

(Elizabeth's outfit is not AG, LOL). This is one of my favorite outfits for Felicity. I think it makes her look very proper and neat. I love that the skirt has slits for her to reach her pocket if she needs to. If I had to pick one casual outfit for Felicity, this would be it.

[Amy]

I used to think that this outfit was too plain and boring, but thankfully I got over that. Lissie looks great in red.

What I Like:
-Like I said, Felicity just looks awesome in this. I think it really brings out her crazy neon green eyes.
-The skirt poofs out. I like that.

What I Didn't Like:
-The jacket is a little tight and hard to get on.
-Same with the mob cap. It's difficult to fit it just so on her head.

Grade: A

[tara]

The PM one has a silk cord, while the Mattel one has what looks like a shoelace cord, but not plasticy. It seems more durable--I've had the Mattel one for a year and it has not frayed.

[horsemom]

May 1, 2006 12:09:01 GMT -5 cami713 said:

(Has anyone tried the jacket paired with her Riding Outfit skirt? I wonder how that would look, as there's little bits of green on this top.)

I have and I think it looks cute.

[Latte]

I bought this outfit new in May 2008 and have only tried it on a PM doll -- it is difficult to get tight enough that her body/undergarments do not show.

I am getting a brand new Felicity within the next few days, so maybe it will fit her better because of the slimmer body...we'll see!

[LissieAB]

I can't say enough nice things about this dress. I love it! I bought mine earlier this year off of ebay and was very pleased at what I found.

I love the style. Love it. The jacket fits my 2009 Lissie perfectly. It is not feel like plastic and has a very pleasant pattern on it. I don't find it hard to lace at all. The skirt is made of nice, thick material (does not feel like plastic, either) and there is a subtle vertical pattern on it. It fits my Lissie great as well, unlike the skirt of her Christmas dress.

I find that this dress looks great on the newer and older versions of Felicity. It is defiantly one of my favorite Felicity outfits - my Lissie doll is wearing it right now!

So:
Laced Jacket and Skirt: A (I don't give A+'s).
In conclusion, I believe that this is a wonderful period outfit and a must-have for any collector of Felicity!

[FreakTM]

I Love the laced jacket jacket and skirt. It has great mix and match quality and great playability. A++

[rosieangel]

For pure aesthetic purposes, this is my favorite of Felicity's outfits. The cotton jacket with the dainty floral print contrasts beautifully against the heavy textured brocade of her skirt, which has soft side pleating to give it a lovely shape. I also love the plain mob cap. It's been my all-purpose one, since it goes with all of her dresses! Makes it so I don't have to dig around for her other caps.

My big complaint with this outfit is that the ties are slippery and glossy, and lacing the jacket closed so it doesn't gap is difficult! When I was little, I'd hand the doll off to my Dad in frustration, asking him to help me. Even as an adult, I find dressing her in this to be a bit of a project - the last time I wrestled Felicity into this outfit, it took me 35 minutes to fully dress her (yes, I'm crazy enough to time such things)!

She looks her loveliest once it's finally on properly, though... It complements her complexion and eyes just beautifully.

[artz_annie]

pardon the scarf for the work dress which happens to be in the photo too..

I havent been able to take additional photos yet. But I will soon.

[1994samanthafan]

Another shot. I love this outfit - and I'm not really a Felicity fan. It is VERY snug on PC girls, if you accidentally buy the AG version like I did. Also, be very careful washing the skirt. I had to wash mine (it was a stinky eBay purchase) and although the skirt came out fine, the lingerie bag I wash doll clothes in was stained a deep, dark pink. Be forewarned! A

[LissieLover]

This is one of my favorite Felicity outfits, mine is good quality, and I love to pair it with the skirt from her riding habit. (see photo)

Attachments:

[starwenn]

Wow, I thought I reviewed this. I picked this one up on eBay about two years ago. I can't tell when it was made; the jacket is a little tight on my PM/transitional Felicity. I didn't get the mob cap or the lace used for the jacket. I've substituted a white ribbon, which is a little wide to fit in the holes, but a lot less slippery. At any rate, the outfit looks so nice on Lissie, it's worth the trouble of lacing up that jacket.

[JustMagicMaria]

I think Felicity looks stunning in this outfit.

[igsbeth]

I have always thought this is such a lush gown. The colors are so beautiful, and the fabric feels very heavy and nice.

[bhaythie]

Lissie looks very smart in this outfit. I wanted this so bad when I was a kid as burgundy is my favorite color, and I'm so thrilled to have acquired this secondhand. The fabric for the skirt is very heavy and holds its shape even without her hoops underneath; it also has a subtle pattern that I had not noticed in the catalogue photos. As stated a few times above the jacket was tricky to lace tight enough to not show her shift (scandal!) I also like the addition of a plain mob cap.
Grade: A

[chernayakoshka]

Jacket: A-

This smart jacket is made of stiff, white fabric with a burgundy and green flower and vine print. The print is simple in design, yet provides just the right amount of visual diversity to the more solid skirt – it’s a very flattering pattern. The cut is equally flattering, with a peplum around the bottom to emphasize the doll’s form. The neckline and sleeves are trimmed with white ruffles. The jacket is lined with white fabric, a lovely touch to round out a sturdily designed garment.

The jacket opens fully in the front with a lace-up closure. The holes are reinforced with grommets, so you don’t need to worry about the fabric fraying. The lace itself is burgundy – matching the flowers in colour – and is made of a silky material. The ends are caped off with aglets to prevent fraying. It’s a lovely look, if not the easiest thing to actually get on the doll. Really, I love the way this jacket looks and the historical lacing detail, but I do wish the process of dressing the doll was just a little less cumbersome.

The fit of the jacket is fine. It’s quite difficult to get it to close cleanly over the doll’s shift. Marya is wearing her colonial undergarments, which kept the shift flattened down, but added a bit of bulk overall. Keeping the lacing tight so none of the shift or undergarments show through is quite a task (and I never completely succeeded). My sister had this outfit when we were kids and I specifically remember both of us being frustrated with lacing it up, so it was rarely used. It looks lovely once it’s on, but it’s definitely a chore to get it there.


Front. It's worth noting that I had the lacing laced the wrong way in this photo.


Back. I really love the peplum.

Skirt: A+

The skirt is made of a heavy burgundy brocade-like fabric with a subtle floral print woven into the fabric (and when I say subtle, I mean it…it’s the same colour as the skirt and only barely shows up in photos). It opens on either side with Velcro to easily slide over the doll’s head or feet (whichever is your preferred way of dressing). It’s very roomy in fit and, like many of Felicity’s clothes from this era, seems designed to fit the colonial undergarments underneath it. Admittedly, it’s a tad tight around the waist with the undergarments, but not prohibitively so. It looks lovely with the jacket.


The skirt. You can sort of see the print here.


Demonstrating how it opens.

Good Value?

This was available for practically the entirety of Felicity’s initial run. It varied in price over the years, research saying that it went from $18 to $24 during its availability. It seems to go for a pretty penny on the secondary market now. I got mine as a package deal with the Windsor Chair, Felicity’s Tea Lesson, and the Reading and Writing Lesson back in 2018 for $125, and I’m pretty pleased with that. Even without the mob cap that the outfit is meant to come with, I’m satisfied with the outfit and what I paid for it. As I mentioned earlier, my sister had this set when we were kids, so my parents clearly thought it was a decent value (they didn’t buy just anything from AG). Would I recommend paying current secondary market prices for it? Eh, I guess it depends on how much you like it as a unique outfit. Frankly, I think it’s generally overpriced for a jacket and skirt (the mob cap can easily be swapped out for one of Felicity’s other caps, like I have), but if you find a deal for it…then have at it!

Overall: A

This is a very flattering, smart ensemble. Even when I was a kid, I admired the cut and fit of the jacket and the rich colouring of the skirt. As an adult, I’m very pleased to have a set of my own to enjoy. The jacket is kind of a pain to get on the doll, but the outfit looks nice enough that I’m not terribly bothered by the effort…though I admit that I might feel differently if I was intending to play with Marya instead of just having her look pretty for a few months. If you’re interested in Felicity or colonial attire, I’d say this is a must have. The styling feels very authentic and, however cumbersome, I do rather love that it laces up instead of using Velcro. Plus, I have yet to see a doll that it doesn’t look amazing on. It’s just a lovely, classic outfit that anyone interested in this period should own.


Marya looking very sharp and ready for a reading lesson...or some tea. Probably some tea.

[keeperofthepast]

This is so well made. The laced jacket has grommets to thread the silky cord through. The petticoat is very rich looking. The mob cap is cute. All around a fantastic outfit.