Post by mamared on Mar 8, 2022 1:25:53 GMT -5
I wanted to add on to the post above in response to requests for side-by-side photos of the 18” and Bitty versions of this dress, and to answer questions about the fit on different dolls. This post will have a lot of nit-picky details along with the photos, so apologies in advance.
First up, I’ve got my Josefinas helping me. The Josefina on the left, with the high ponytail, is one of the larger PM dolls from the late 90s. The Josefina with the braids was purchased new around 2001-2002.
As you can see, the PM Josefina is wearing the full-length 18” version dress, but it barely fits her. It was difficult to get it on, and although part of the Velcro strips can close, they don’t align or close completely.
The early 2000s Josefina is wearing the Bitty version, with the bow removed (and tied up in her hair instead). It fits her well, closes completely, and has a bit of room to spare. (It could be cinched in, but I think it looks nice as is, too. It also might have looked nice with the bow still attached, I think.)
Next up, the same two dolls, but this time I switched their dresses. PM Josefina is so happy to be wearing the Bitty version of the dress, which fits her perfectly! I think it looks adorable on her, too. IMO, this is definitely the version I’d buy for a PM doll.
Early 2000s Josefina is wearing the 18” version, long in the first few photos and then with the bottom tier tucked in. This dress fits her well once it’s on, and it’s not at all difficult to close the Velcro completely, but it did take some maneuvering to get it on. Her body is still thicker than the more recent AG dolls, even though it’s not like the linebacker PM bodies.
One note about folding up the bottom tier of the dress: each tier is stitched to the lining, and there’s also a seam that goes the center of the back, all of which results in some minor but odd bunching when the bottom tier is folded up. This only happens at that center seam on the back; everywhere else, the second tier drapes gracefully over the folded up part.
Next up, I paired the early 2000s Josefina with Jess, who’s the 2006 Girl of the Year. Bodies had continued to slim down, and unlike the Josefinas, Jess actually has a bit of a defined waist (although not like the slim waists of the more recent AG dolls).
Josefina’s still wearing the 18” version of the dress (first in the shortened style and then in the longer), and now Jess is wearing the Bitty version. The Bitty version definitely fits loosely on Jess. I suppose it might almost pass for a dropped-waist style, but IMO she looked like she was swimming in the dress, so I took out the tie from Josefina’s hair and used it to cinch up Jess’s waist in the second photo. Clipping it in the back would have also worked. I don’t think that leaving the bow on this dress would have looked quite right on Jess without also cinching up the waist.
Finally, I switched dresses on these two, so Jess could try out the 18” version. It was much easier to put the dress on Jess than either of the other two dolls, and everything fit well and closed easily. Here are some front and back photos of Jess wearing it long and short.
The more modern dolls, like Gabriela in my first post, have an even slimmer waist than Jess. It is easy to put the dresses on them, and you can see the different proportions in that post.
In summary, the Bitty version was the only one that fit my PM doll well. My early 2000s doll could wear either version, although the 18” version was a little harder to get on. My mid 2000s and later dolls could also wear either version, but the Bitty version benefitted from a slight modification to make the proportions look a little better. (I made the modification by snipping off the bow and using the tie to cinch in the waist, but clipping the back might have also worked.) Both of these dresses, along with the rest of the collection, are so much fun, and hopefully this gives some ideas about which piece(s) might work best for you.
First up, I’ve got my Josefinas helping me. The Josefina on the left, with the high ponytail, is one of the larger PM dolls from the late 90s. The Josefina with the braids was purchased new around 2001-2002.
As you can see, the PM Josefina is wearing the full-length 18” version dress, but it barely fits her. It was difficult to get it on, and although part of the Velcro strips can close, they don’t align or close completely.
The early 2000s Josefina is wearing the Bitty version, with the bow removed (and tied up in her hair instead). It fits her well, closes completely, and has a bit of room to spare. (It could be cinched in, but I think it looks nice as is, too. It also might have looked nice with the bow still attached, I think.)
Next up, the same two dolls, but this time I switched their dresses. PM Josefina is so happy to be wearing the Bitty version of the dress, which fits her perfectly! I think it looks adorable on her, too. IMO, this is definitely the version I’d buy for a PM doll.
Early 2000s Josefina is wearing the 18” version, long in the first few photos and then with the bottom tier tucked in. This dress fits her well once it’s on, and it’s not at all difficult to close the Velcro completely, but it did take some maneuvering to get it on. Her body is still thicker than the more recent AG dolls, even though it’s not like the linebacker PM bodies.
One note about folding up the bottom tier of the dress: each tier is stitched to the lining, and there’s also a seam that goes the center of the back, all of which results in some minor but odd bunching when the bottom tier is folded up. This only happens at that center seam on the back; everywhere else, the second tier drapes gracefully over the folded up part.
Next up, I paired the early 2000s Josefina with Jess, who’s the 2006 Girl of the Year. Bodies had continued to slim down, and unlike the Josefinas, Jess actually has a bit of a defined waist (although not like the slim waists of the more recent AG dolls).
Josefina’s still wearing the 18” version of the dress (first in the shortened style and then in the longer), and now Jess is wearing the Bitty version. The Bitty version definitely fits loosely on Jess. I suppose it might almost pass for a dropped-waist style, but IMO she looked like she was swimming in the dress, so I took out the tie from Josefina’s hair and used it to cinch up Jess’s waist in the second photo. Clipping it in the back would have also worked. I don’t think that leaving the bow on this dress would have looked quite right on Jess without also cinching up the waist.
Finally, I switched dresses on these two, so Jess could try out the 18” version. It was much easier to put the dress on Jess than either of the other two dolls, and everything fit well and closed easily. Here are some front and back photos of Jess wearing it long and short.
The more modern dolls, like Gabriela in my first post, have an even slimmer waist than Jess. It is easy to put the dresses on them, and you can see the different proportions in that post.
In summary, the Bitty version was the only one that fit my PM doll well. My early 2000s doll could wear either version, although the 18” version was a little harder to get on. My mid 2000s and later dolls could also wear either version, but the Bitty version benefitted from a slight modification to make the proportions look a little better. (I made the modification by snipping off the bow and using the tie to cinch in the waist, but clipping the back might have also worked.) Both of these dresses, along with the rest of the collection, are so much fun, and hopefully this gives some ideas about which piece(s) might work best for you.