AG Store Exclusive: Merry & Bright Gown Set (2013)

First of all, sorry about my awful photos! At least Pru is pretty in them, right?

I got this outfit for Christmas and have mixed feelings about it. It's VERY pretty and I'm glad I received it, but there are a few disappointing things about it. This set has so many pieces, I'll just give my thoughts on each one!

Cape: Beautiful. Nice fabric. I love it! the snowflake embroidery is so pretty and the brooch is gorgeous, love that shade of blue. It would have been nice if they'd used a snap to secure the brooch instead of velcro because you can see the square of velcro behind it.

Gloves: Pretty nice, my first pair of doll gloves. I like the silver fabric. One of the gloves went on Pru's hand really easily, the other required a little tugging, but not too big of a deal. They're pretty cute and help make this outfit look super fancy.

Belt: Blah. I put it on Pru, then took it right off because I didn't like how it looked. It's very tight and squishes the bodice of the dress too much. Wish they'd done a necklace or something instead of the goofy belt. That said, the construction of the belt is fine. It's pretty stiff. I thought it was just going to be a piece of ribbon with velcro on it.

Tiara: Very pretty! Again, love the shade of blue of the stones. A tiara is such a nice touch for this outfit. It's kind of tough to make it look nice on a doll with a side part, but I think it looks nice when arranged properly.

Dress: Pretty, of course. I'm not usually into sequins, but like the sequins on this dress. The dots on the skirt are nice as well, and the fabric the skirt is made of seems fine. I wish the blue was a shade that matched the blue of the stones in the brooch and tiara better. Also, rather annoyingly, the skirt of my dress came out of the box with wrinkles and I'm not sure how to fix it, don't want to melt the fabric! The underskirt is a nice touch, but I think I'd actually prefer the dress without because it makes the overskirt pooch out kind of awkwardly at the waist. As for the bodice, I wish it wasn't just a straight across line between the sequined fabric and mesh fabric, and that there was a sleeve of some sort or ribbon around the edge of the sleeve holes/neckline or something. The seam between the sequin fabric and the mesh fabric also sticks out rather awkwardly. The dress definitely looks better with the cape on top!

Shoes: Oh, the shoes. Sad times for me. They're very pretty, but one of mine is defective. It was cut improperly so the doll's toes show. I'm fairly displeased about this since the outfit was so expensive. I own many pairs of doll shoes and this is the only pair with this problem, figures it's from the most expensive doll outfit I own!



My overall grade for this outfit is a B. The shoes are a big issue for me, and the weird things about the dress bug me, especially considering the price. I do like this outfit regardless and am glad I have it!