|
Post by Blakeney Green on Dec 4, 2012 16:47:27 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by Blakeney Green on Aug 2, 2012 12:57:16 GMT -5
So, I'm finally getting around to reviewing my new(ish) #58, Marigold. She's a very sweet doll, with pretty facial colouring and gorgeous hair. I love her natural curls! Right out of the box her curls were smushed down, but when I played with them a bit with my fingers, they quickly sprang back to life. Her hair is fun to play with, but I would strongly recommend using your fingers rather than a pick or comb. The curls hold up well to being fussed with. When stock photos of #58 were first leaked, some people thought she might be a #26 with a different hairstyle, but those two dolls actually look quite distinct from each other in person. They have a very different skin tone, different eye and hair colour, and a very different curl pattern. You won't be repeating if you have both. Marigold is a very cute, cheerful-looking doll who always brings a smile to my face when I look at her. There's nothing to dislike about #58, really. I would rate her A+ without hesitation, and I hope she proves a good seller for AG. *mod edit to remove broken image links*
|
|
|
Post by Blakeney Green on Aug 2, 2012 12:38:34 GMT -5
My new #58, Marigold, came wearing Meet Outfit 10, True Spirit. I found it impossible to assign a grade to this outfit as a whole because the quality was very uneven, so I'm going to review the major pieces separately. (The undies were just standard AG undies, nothing particularly good or bad about them, so I'm not going to bother reviewing them.) The major pieces were shirt, skirt, and boots.
Shirt:
The shirt is cute, and pretty well made. The sleeve detailing is nice, and in person it's more clear that they're going for a folded cap sleeve rather than a baby onesie look. The patterning is hard to see in a photo, but it's a nice touch and makes the outfit look a little more grown up than it otherwise would. I also think the shirt would be pretty versatile to pair with jeans, a jacket, and/or a different skirt.
Although tastes may vary, the shirt grade is a solid A for me.
Skirt:
I love the idea of this skirt, and in theory it should be cute and versatile, but mine at least was very badly made. The hemming is uneven, the seams are so bulky and lumpy that they're larger than the seams on a lot of my human-sized clothes, and although the skirt is nearly to the doll's knees in front, it's so much shorter in back that the doll's underwear is partly exposed when she is bent forward. The material is also a magnet for pet hair and dust, so someone with allergies may not want to use this skirt for a long-term display outfit.
I would have to give the skirt a C at best, because although it's an adorable idea and I wanted to like it, mine was so noticeably poorly made that the doll's shape looks distorted when she wears it. It could have been a lot better.
Boots:
The boots ended up being my favourite part of the outfit. They're very cute, and although they don't coordinate well with the skirt or shirt (the green detailing is especially puzzling,) they would work well for mix and match with other outfits. It would have been nice to have socks or tights underneath rather than bare feet.
The boots aren't as sturdy as some other AG shoes, so they may not hold up to play as well. They also attract pet hair and are harder than you would expect to brush clean because of the texture of the material.
I'd give the boots an A- grade. They're cute and useful, but they don't merit quite full marks for me because they're a little flimsy and don't match the outfit well.
Overall: The shirt and boots are a win for me, but the skirt is a miss - not because of aesthetics but because of workmanship. It's a cute, versatile outfit overall, that I think is good but will not upgrade to great until AG does a bit more quality control.
~mod edit to remove broken image links~
|
|
|
Post by Blakeney Green on Apr 23, 2012 17:29:31 GMT -5
My Cécile looks more like your first Cécile - definitely ringlets, not sausage curls. Personally, I prefer the ringlets, so I'm glad of that.
That said, hair style is the easiest thing to change. Sausage curls can be restyled into ringlets and vice versa. So I wouldn't make the choice of which to keep on that basis. I would decide based on the things that can't be changed very easily.
|
|
|
Post by Blakeney Green on Aug 17, 2011 2:02:25 GMT -5
Just got this outfit and really like it. The jacket and tank are nicely fitted and have cute designs (embroidered on the jacket and printed on the tank.) These are great versatile pieces that pair well with other pants or layer with other tops; you wouldn't have to just use it for yoga.
The pants are less versatile, but they're cute and suitable for the activity. The one odd thing about them is they're cut rather wide in the waistband; they fit my Pre-Mattel dolls great, but are loose on my Mattel girls. The fitted shirt and jacket hide that so it still works.
For me it wasn't a problem that the outfit doesn't come with shoes, because I don't wear shoes when I do yoga. It does come with the mat as an accessory, so I think it evens out in value with other sets.
A minor realism quibble is the mat. I wish it was pebble-textured like my real yoga mat so it would stay put on the floor better. The printed design on is also rather busy and attention-drawing for a yoga mat, but the bottom side is plain so if this bothers you, you can flip it over.
I recommend this outfit. It's well made for the most part, is suitable for yoga, and has mix and match potential.
I'd rate it as a solid A or A-, although some minor grips keep it out of A+ territory for me unfortunately.
|
|
|
Post by Blakeney Green on Aug 17, 2011 0:43:21 GMT -5
Summer, my #26, came in the mail today. She is really, really lovely! I'm so happy that I chose her as my birthday gift. She looks so cheerful and appealing. She does look a little different in person than I expected. For one thing, her skin is noticeably lighter than my other medium tone dolls. Her hair also does not seem to be textured at all; I thought it would be more like a curled Addy wig. (I'm actually glad I didn't know this before I ordered her, or I might have been too scared to try working with un-textured curls. Since she's already here, I'll be brave enough.) Her hair is not all totally uniform in colour. It has highlights of different shades of brown, so it looks realistic and catches the light nicely. I've played with her hair a little, and it seems to recurl just fine with a little finger help. Her amber eyes are more subtle than they sometimes look in photos - they actually look very natural, but still unique. Summer's curls are realistically tousled. I think it looks really cute, but this doll is not likely to have perfect hair 100% of the time, if that's an issue for you. If you just accept that she's going to look like a real kid rather than a model, though, it's very endearing. Summer is a very sweet, beautiful doll. I would definitely recommend #26. A+ for sure! ETA: Added pictures! Note that these are after Summer has been out of the box, played with, had her clothes changed, and traveled on an airplane... without having her hair redone in the meantime. Her hair could therefore be more immaculate, but I'm presenting her like this to show she's a very playable doll, and doesn't have to be only for display. A couple of pictures with Bree, to show the difference between eye colour and hair tone. Bree has brown eyes and dark brown hair; Summer has amber eyes and lighter hair.
|
|
|
Post by Blakeney Green on Sept 3, 2010 1:53:30 GMT -5
This is one of my favourite modern outfits. The colours are nice, it has remained stylish, and the pieces are very versatile and can be worn in combination with other garments.
My favourite part is the boots. They're adorable little Doc Martens style chunky boots. If at all possible, make sure these are included when you buy; they're worth it.
The only major downside here is the fit. The yolk of the shoulders on the shirt is not cut wide enough, and the sleeves are slightly too short, so a little of the wrist is exposed. The stripes on the neck section do not perfectly line up with the body of the shirt for the whole diameter. Also, the skirt is cut a little shorter than I would prefer; a PM girl will show her bum if she bends all the way over, and on one of my taller Mattel girls the skirt actually looks slightly questionable just standing. (Pairing it with tights rather than having bare legs somewhat minimizes how noticeable the issue is.)
The points it loses for the poor cut, though, it gains back for nice design and great mix-and-match potential.
I would give the outfit as a whole an A and the boots an A+.
|
|