Drawstring Cargoes & Plaid Shirt (1999 - 2001)

[Cheekadee]

Drawstring Cargoes & Plaid Shirt


Grade: A +

Original Price: $24

Review:

This outfit is one of the most sought-after classics in the Girl of Today Line and there's no question why. While each piece can stand on its own as a basic, the outfit as a whole represents the epitome of fashion ... about two or three years before it actually came out, but still. As a girl living in the Pacific Northwest while grunge was all the rage, this outfit was an almost carbon copy of the clothes I saw teenage girls wearing on a daily basis and in middle school I had an identical bucket hat and khakki cargoes. Meanwhile, each of the pieces on its own is fairly standard and basic, with little to date it.

So, a great representation of what was popular, while still retaining an element of timelessness: perfect. What are the negative aspects? Well, while the outfit as a whole is great in terms of quality, the layering does make it seem frumpy and can be tricky to pull off. On to specifics:

Pros:
- Lots of pieces, great for mix and match!
- Quality construction.
- An accurate reflection of what girls were wearing at the time.
- Regular colors, not pastels.

Cons:
- The sweatshirt is hugely baggy and the sleeves are too short.
- The bucket hat is just a smidge too big.

Pictures:

Minus the first layer:


Minus the second layer:


Sweatshirt only:


Shoes:


Edited: For grammar.

[Buckingham Alice]

I've had this outfit for quite some time... it was one of my first purchases from ag.com, if not my very first. I agree about all the pieces being basic and timeless. I think that the many layers would look dated now, but as seperates, it's an awesome set to have around. I would definitely recommend picking this up if you can find it on the secondary market for a good price.

My grade: A

[pevensie]

I just found this again in my old stash and squealed like a kid when I put it on Emily... it's just so darling (and not pastel, as mentioned above!). I must say that in MN, that plaid shirt still hasn't gone out of style (!) and reminds me of little girls who love grabbing their Dad's cast offs. And when she can't wear jeans, a pair of cargo / khakis go with everything (did I mention the Velcro pockets have room for stashing stuff? Adorable). Great colors, great versatility. Don't love the shoes... still an A! [sorry, no pix]

[Summer's Mama]

If there was a uniform for teenagers in the 90's I feel like this would have been it! It's great as a whole, and each item is great on it's own. Except for the hat. I'm not such a fan of the hat.

I love this outfit! I love how it comes with many clothing pieces that you can mix'n'match with other outfits. I use those pieces constantly, especially the shoes!

The only flaw with this set is that the drawstring bit broke off, but I was able to thread in an old shoelace as a replacement. Works much better now!

Grade: A+

[kgabor19]

When I first saw this outfit back in the late 90s, I secretly coveted it. I only had Addy back then and was "too old" to play with dolls, but my sister wasn't and I would page through the PC catalog. I actually owned cargo pants and a sweat shirt just like this set.

If the grunge look ever comes back Jess is all set, but my doll should be comfortable and wear whatever she wants to.

I really like the quality of this outfit, every piece feels solid and well made. The plaid shirt is so soft and I adore the pockets on the pants. I can understand why it is sought after on Ebay.

[starwenn]

Considering how sought-after this outfit is, I was thrilled to win everything but the shoes and plaid shirt on eBay. No wonder it's popular. It may be the single most realistic modern outfit AG ever did, and certainly the best for mix-and-match. The sweater's a little big and the hat's bigger, but that kind of goes with the grunge vibe. Fits just fine on my PM #4.

I remember my sister and her best friend coming home in clothes like this in the mid-late 90s, much to the despair of my mother who wanted them to grow out of their tomboy phases! They did...but the outfit remains timeless. Highly recommended for boy customs, less overtly girlie-girls, and those in need of the perfect separates for layering.

[slou61]

I'm going to echo what everyone else has said about the great mix and match-ability that this set has to offer. The sweatshirt actually fits my Molly really well, as does the hat...maybe her braids help the hat to fit better because it doesn't seem big at all on her. We collect travel pins when we go on vacation and I always try to find some small enough to put on this bucket hat.

As for the "grunge" feel of the outfit, I feel like it has more of an LL Bean sensibility. When we vacation in New Hampshire it seems like we run into lots of people wearing some version of this outfit.

I give this outfit an A+ for both quality and execution.