Town Fair Outfit - 1997 Special Edition (RETIRED)

Felicity’s Town Fair Outfit
Item# ELO $28 - Released 1997
Retired

The town fair on Market Square was the place to be seen in Williamsburg! Felicity looked fair indeed in her “walking dress”—a style inspired by French fashion. Her dark teal gown has contrasting white sleeves and three bands of ribbon across the bottom. Add a striped pink apron and a mob cap trimmed with lace and gold ribbon.
Felicity’s souvenir from the fair is a fanciful wooden windmill. Hold it up to the breeze to make the propellers spin and the pennant snap to attention!

Managed to stay NIB for twelve years than I got it.

[*Mod edit to remove dead image links throughout review.]

Yeah for PM Limited Edition awesomeness!

The dress, apron and hat are all made of soft cotton, looks and feels much like the higher end fabric you would find in the quilting department at Joanns. That is not a bad thing, most of my dolls' wardrobe comes that wall. The gold ribbon is a silky texture, much like what you would find in the Joann's ribbon section, like the .50 cent ribbons. This style is slightly out Felicity's timeline, this style is a bit more 1780s than 1770s but it could pass for the simple vest and petticoats Felicity would had worn around the house.

The skirt is a lovely shade of blue, matches Felicity's hair and PM green eyes very well. It has a liberal scattering of darker blue flowers. I think the major appeal of this dress is it does not seem like Felicity's time (well, actually it is not but aside from that). However, this type of fabric would had been something Mother could had brought. The cut is not as generous as Felicity's school petticoat or even her summer dress but that would into a casual play dress.

The part of the dress that is meant to be her shift is attached to the dress. It is possible that Felicity would had worn a dress like that but most likely it would had been in two pieces. The cut is slightly low but not that much and the slight peak of lace is cute. Simple, but nice and a tiny little addition that makes the dress pretty.

The apron is red and white stripe a la candy stripe. The apron is a bit flimsily, and it is a bit hard to get it to lay just right on the dress. I am kind of torn about my feelings on this apron. On one hand it is kind of skimpy but on the other hand, the dress looks like it is missing something without the apron.

I love, love this mob cap. It is made of thick white cotton. The ruffles are a little heavy but it is very lovely and trimmed with small white lace, it frames Felicity's head well while not taking over her head. The gold ribbon had that magical trick of not being too matchy matchy while working with other outfits, I like it with Felicity's yellow tea lesson gown and school outfit. The gold ribbon is an exact match to the dress.

The greatest hindrance to this dress is that while Felicity does is that while Felicity only needed so many ball and gala gowns and does need more everyday dresses this one is so darn easy for any seamstress with basic dress making skills can make this dress. Case in point.

While the dress is easy to make, the windmill is not. I really love it, Felicity needs more toys! However, like everyone else says, it is very fragile. Very typical of the Peasant Company but still, my windmill broke with (1) my fat cat decided she HAD to sleep on Felicity's bed and (2)I set it out of its usual place and I stepped on it. Okay the second time as not PC's fault but still, I should be terrified of breaking it every time I pick it up.

But yeah it is fragile but hey, Felicity can cold the windmill!
Once again, there is a fear that it will break when I put the holder in her hand but it is such a lovely detail.

Old school pamphlet! I love these things and their addition will make me pay more...not ashamed. The pamphlet gives the basic background behind the fashion of the dress, and a bit about town fairs in Felicity's time.

Despite the flawed with the windmill, and the fact that anyone with a Joann's coupon can make this dress, I love Felicity's town fair outfit. It fits her coloring and personality perfectly, and it is very well crafted and has aged very well. The windmill needs to be handled carefully but it is not like something you see everyday. Plus Felicity looks so darn cute with everything. A