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Post by americanmommy on Apr 26, 2006 17:40:19 GMT -5
Kit's School Outfit was released in 2000 and retired in 2015. It was rereleased in April 2023 under the branding of Kit's Birthday Collection. Kit wore this outfit in Kit Learns a Lesson.
Kit’s plaid jumper has a white blouse with plaid trim at the collar and cuffs. She wears knee socks and sturdy brown oxford shoes, and a tortoiseshell hair comb in her hair.
Kit’s School Outfit
$22 QSO
Grade A+
This set includes Kit's Jumper, blouse, shoes, socks and haircomb.
This review will prove how unbiased I can be since this is really not my favorite outfit.. okay, so I really, strongly dislike this outfit, lol. It is just not my taste- but it really is a lovely little outfit. :confused: :weirdface:
Kit's crisp white blouse is adorable with it's large printed collar and the scalloped cuffs onthe sleeves.
The jumper is sweet with it's nice pleated skirt and attached belt.
The white knee socks are soft and stretchy. The little oxfords are terrific! I love it when outfits include shoes, and these are some nice little shoes.They are very pretty and would go well with most of Kit's outfits.
The tortoiseshell hair comb is really cute, but you need to slide it in her hair where there is already a rubberband present, or else it slides right back out.
I give this outfit an A+ for being cute and well made, and including those adorable oxfords.
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Post by Keri on Nov 2, 2006 0:28:45 GMT -5
Has anyone else had trouble with these socks? No sooner than I put them on, then they started to get weird fuzzies along the top, like they were unraveling, and you could see a strip of elastic or something.
I was careful with them, so I don't know if it was just a bad pair or what. CS was nice enough to send me a new pair, but I am curious if I'm the only one with the problem.
Also, I pair these shoes with EVERYTHING. They are the perfect pair for autumn!
--- KERI
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Post by EB Agent J/Goo on Jun 5, 2007 12:58:11 GMT -5
 The box it came in, for no reason than I really like the boxes and getting pictures of them. Uh...yeah...it's a box. Although it's one of the newer boxes, I noticed that next to my other box I got in the same order, the bands on it are burgundy rather than pink (can't see due to my flash). Got a little rumpled in transit, but still a good box. B+ ^_~ Anyway, on to the actual review!  The pamphlet. For those who have never seen a historical outfit pamphlet (*cough*), it includes information on how the accessories and outfit pictured on it work into the story that it comes from. Good for those of you who look at certain items and go "What did that have to do with so-and-so's story?".  The outfit in the box. It wasn't packed as nicely a I would have liked. The shoes rattling around in there were a mess just waiting to happen. Oh well. Can't win'em all.  Here's the outfit as one solid piece, as it's assembled in the box. I was surprised to discover that the blue isn't as bright as AG's pics make it out to be. It's actually a very nice, sort of cornflower blue color that I liked a lot more than the one I thought they used.  Here is just the blouse (sorry the pic is so dark and blurry). The collar, I've found, doesn't like to stay down without some effort, but I like the trim on the sleeves. I can see this shirt showing up a lot in mixing and matching, maybe with a pair of light blue jeans. A-.  The jumper portion. I'm not sure I like the pleats (they can't seem to decide where they don't want to hold and where all they want to do is hold), but as I said earlier, I liked the color more when I actually saw it in person, and the flowers on it aren't as jarring as I thought they would be, due in part to the color scheme. My main problem is that it rides a little too low for my tastes, but I knew that when I bought it from the pics of Kit in it.  I didn't know, however, that the belt was a separate piece from the jumper. It actually has holes in it to adjust it, but they're just button holed (no grommets) and the buckle is made of white plastic, not painted metal. That seems kind of disappointing and cheap. Overall, a B for the jumper. I'm not exactly enthusiastic about it, and the belt being so cheap is what kept it from earning the extra "+".  The knee socks. Mine didn't fray like Keri noted, however, my long fingernails snagged on them a little. My bad, though. Should have trimmed my nails and all. Anyway, I like the slight ribbing on them, that makes them seem nicer and more authentic than my OG knee socks. Also, they are thicker, so you can't see the flesh tone under them, like you can with the OG ones. I happen to love knee socks, though, so I could be biased here (they're one of the reasons I wanted the outfit). A The oxfords. These are just adorable. The lighter portions are little more on the orange side than I would like, but they're very well-made and actually fit on PM feet, so maybe I lucked out on the tightness issue that was being complained about (I did have some trouble keeping the tongues out while slipping them on, but that's it). A The comb. I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. I usually don't care for hair accessories and thought for sure it would end up thrown into my doll stuff drawer, but I actually found it pretty nifty and easy to use, no instructions necessary (yay, I have common sense!). With long hair (you'll see in a second) I found I had to do something a little different than they do with Kit, but the style is still very pretty. A+I originally got the outfit for Mary, and she did look lovely in it (she always does, though), but other than the comb slipping a little, something didn't look or feel right about it, and I couldn't put my finger on it at first. Finally, the answer dawned on me, and it was very surprising. It's actually better on Liz! My main complaint about the outfit being in Kit's collection was that it seemed too girlie for a tomboy like her, but Liz, Tomboy to end all Tomboys, looks great in it, and it doesn't seem to offend her anti-girlie sensibilities. So for those of you who had the same reservations for the same reason, now you know that it does work as a dress for a tomboy, if a tomboy has to wear a dress at all.  What I did with the comb in her hair. It doesn't look too good from the back and I plan to fix it, but from the front the effect is really lovely. Overall, I give this outfit an A-, more for how much I love the extras than the outfit itself, but also because it's a good dress for tomboys and a very nice color. |
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Post by Keri on Jun 6, 2007 2:38:13 GMT -5
Figure I'll add that I didn't have any trouble with the collar or pleats and I lay the outfit flat in the trunk so that they aren't bent funny. You can probably fix them easily with a press of the iron.
Also, thinking on it, I wish the shirt had little buttons. It's a bit awkward without them for me, and I think I'd use it a lot more if it had them. I might end up making some with clay and clear varnish, someday.
Further, I found that the jumper bunched all funny on my doll, like it was a couple sizes too large. I'm sure if I had a slip or something underneath, it would fit much more nicely. Is it is, I cinched the belt to the smallest size and then had the jumper bunched around in the back, and I liked the way it looked in the front much better.
--- KERI
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Post by EB Agent J/Goo on Jun 6, 2007 9:03:57 GMT -5
Further, I found that the jumper bunched all funny on my doll, like it was a couple sizes too large. I'm sure if I had a slip or something underneath, it would fit much more nicely. Is it is, I cinched the belt to the smallest size and then had the jumper bunched around in the back, and I liked the way it looked in the front much better. --- KERI This may have been the reason I didn't want to keep it on Mary. I had it on her and something just looked odd, and I think it was the size/weird bunching in places that inspired me to try it on a slightly bigger, PM doll. It doesn't do that on Liz. |
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Post by Wickfield on Mar 11, 2009 17:23:33 GMT -5
We got our set in 2008 and I noticed some unpleasant changes.
The dress - I love the fabric on this dress! So nice and crisp and the colors are just beautiful, they look terrific on Kit. As another reviewer mentioned, the pattern is cornflower blue. The little yellow flowers are a nice touch, too. Unlike other reviewers we didn't have any problems with the fit of the dress, it is well tailored and if it is too loose you can pull the belt tighter. The belt is a separate piece and herein lies the problem - THE BUCKLE IS PLASTIC! Ick. I think it used to be metal or at least was thinner with a prong, now it looks like a seatbelt and very cheap. So the dress would have gotten A+ but for the ghastly belt-buckle A-.
The blouse - I can't imagine the blouse going with anything other than the dress, but together the two pieces create a nice effect. Again, the blouse fit our Kit well, and I love the contrast of the bright white front. I'm actually glad it doesn't have buttons, I prefer the smooth look it has. Of course it velcros up the back. A
The hair comb - here's the other new change, the hair comb has gotten smaller and it's no longer tortoiseshell! Instead it is opaque brown plastic. I don't like it much and it's hard to put in Kit's hair, but Kit usually wears her green barrette anyway, like in the books. C-
The socks - a nice, thick, functional pair of socks Kit could probably wear with other outfits. They don't seem as if they'd snag so easily as other historical socks, and they are knit in a nice pattern with little squares. A
The oxfords - these shoes are just the cutest thing! I suspect they are a bit different now (the soles are very shiny and slightly squishy), but they are easy to put on Kit and easy to tie. I just love the "classic-ness" of these shoes and they could go with custom outfits and would probably look nice with her Treehouse outfit (although they don't look cute with her new school skirt set, we tried). Even my mother thought these we great. A+
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Post by kitkittredge on Mar 17, 2009 23:12:17 GMT -5
Has anyone else had trouble with these socks? No sooner than I put them on, then they started to get weird fuzzies along the top, like they were unraveling, and you could see a strip of elastic or something. I was careful with them, so I don't know if it was just a bad pair or what. CS was nice enough to send me a new pair, but I am curious if I'm the only one with the problem. I got my set some time in 2001/2002 and the socks have been absolutely horrible to me ever since. Within the first year, one sock was completely ripped at the toe, then it began to fray. The other sock really did not give me any trouble until recently, when it started to fray. I really should call to CS soon, though. I am just a procrastinator  |
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Post by AGmom2AlliTori on Jan 29, 2010 16:26:09 GMT -5
We like this outfit a lot. It was purchased at the end of 2008. It fits our Kit perfectly - however I forgot to put the belt on before I took pictures, so the dress is photographed minus the belt. I really like everything about this outfit, the shoes are adorable. I've never had problems with the socks, I prefer these socks to many of her others.   Overall, I give this outfit an A+! D~ |
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orkira
Girl of Many Lands
Posts: 667
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Post by orkira on Mar 12, 2010 15:29:30 GMT -5
This outfit is really cute. I think it looks adorable on Gwen who I have modeling it.  |
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Post by yoshi on Sept 25, 2010 17:50:37 GMT -5
I love the jumper, shirt, and socks- but the shoes and comb are another story. You have to force the shoes on and they make the socks bunch up funny. The hair comb will not hold any hair and is much to small. This outfit is very nice when it gets on so I will give it a B.
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Post by kgabor19 on Apr 17, 2011 21:36:38 GMT -5
I like this outfit, but it is not one of my favorites from Kit's collection. The socks really annoy me and get fuzzy things on them. Also, they feel thin and cheap. You see the fuzzies in the pictures below. I did not have much of a problem putting the shoes on the feet. Overall, it is a good outfit, but I like Kit's other school outfit better. Beatrice is modeling because she was jealous that Ruthie was the model and wanted her turn. It doesn't look bad on her.     This was my goal for 2011. My MIL owns a pale purple version of Kit's School Outfit. She bought it at the Chicago store shortly after Kit was released. She didn't even realize that the outfit is suppose to be blue until I told her. Many people on this board are skeptical of the outfit and think it has faded over the years, but it is purple. My personal opinion is that quality control was off at the plant and for what ever reason purple fabric was used instead of blue. Pictures are below. My Blue School Suit next to my MIL's Purple School Suit  Opened Up a Pleat - the fabric has not faded from blue to purple  Profile of the outfit on Ruthie  Side By Side Fabric Comparison  |
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Post by WildPigeonChase on Nov 1, 2013 21:29:02 GMT -5
This outfit was WAY too big on my Mattel Kit. Even with the belt it was baggy. Besides the horrible fit, it is a cute outfit for chubbier Kits. The pleats did make it look smaller. The blouse I can't see matching with much else, but it looks good together. I don't know if the cornflower blue pattern is historically accurate, and it looks a bit baby-ish to me. For some reason I keep thinking of the Wizard of Oz outfit. The shoes are very cute and I haven't had any problems wit the socks. If not for the bad fit I might keep it, but I think I'll be exchanging it for the school suit outfit.
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Post by cheshie04 on Dec 23, 2013 15:24:58 GMT -5
Love this outfit. It's cute and fits PM dolls well. It's good quality. The shoes are the best part! Great pair of oxfords!
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starwenn
American Girl Prototype
Posts: 4,694
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Post by starwenn on Aug 24, 2014 19:28:57 GMT -5
I bought this back in the spring when it was on clearance. I grabbed it just under the wire - the day after I bought it, it was sold out! I've always thought this was a really cute outfit, and I'm not disappointed. The shirt and skirt are a little thinner than I thought they would be. Otherwise, everything is well-made and fits my plump PM Molly nicely. I was actually surprised the belt buckled at all - I figured it would be Velcro. My socks seem to be ok, with no pilling or ripping. (As Goo mentioned, they do snag easily - I got my fingernails caught on one, too.) I especially love the oxfords - they'll be nice replacements for Molly's hard-to-find Brown Oxfords. I also love that they're easy to tie (unlike the slippery laces on Molly's Saddle Shoes).
This is a really cute warm-weather school outfit for modern girls and girls from Kit's time onwards. Recommended.
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Post by keeperofthepast on Jun 21, 2023 17:10:20 GMT -5
This is my daughter's set, but I love it! I love the scalloped design on the collar as well as the cuffs. The loafers are wonderful and have real laces that tie. A super sweet outfit.
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