Post by mamared on Sept 20, 2022 21:33:55 GMT -5
Released in August 2022.
Whimsical style meets serious sparkle. Designer Samantha Black—in collaboration with Harlem’s Fashion Row®—creates a modern take on 1920s opulence in this special-edition outfit that’s gilded in gold. Includes:
A gold glitter headpiece that frames her face
A dress entirely covered with gold sequins—look closely to see it’s a leotard wrapped by a full, flounced skirt
Matching golden sandals
A high-neck capelet that commands attention: it’s covered in gold sequins and features contrasting silver trim
Along with Claudie’s historical debut, American Girl released three modern Samantha Black /Harlem's Fashion Row outfits that take their inspiration from the 1920s. This one, with all its blingy, over-the-top pizazz, not to mention its appearance in the catchy (if somewhat strange) Claudie “Dream” music video, is my favorite.
Here is the American Girl website description, along with additional pictures and thoughts about each piece:
Whimsical style meets serious sparkle. Designer Samantha Black—in collaboration with Harlem’s Fashion Row®—creates a modern take on 1920s opulence in this special-edition outfit that’s gilded in gold.
SKU#: HMJ52 $50
Includes:
A gold glitter headpiece that frames her face - The headpiece is actually a headband covered in gold fabric with gold glitter rays emanating outward. The headband is easy to put on and take off the doll’s head; it seems somewhat flexible and not like it’s a fragile piece that will break easily (although of course I didn’t test this out!) The rays feel like they’re made of thick oilcloth or PVC, so they’re flexible, and the headpiece comes on a piece of cardboard to support and protect its shape (as shown in the photo below). The gold glitter on the front is under a smooth plastic coating, and the back is plain white. Grade: A
From the front:
And from the back:
A dress entirely covered with gold sequins—look closely to see it’s a leotard wrapped by a full, flounced skirt - I was not expecting this to be a leotard with attached skirt, so I thought that was a nice surprise! The fabric is stretchy and covered in little gold sequins on one side. It’s sleeveless, has a gold band at the neckline, and closes with a single strip of Velcro up the back. There’s a fabric AG tag on the inside of the skirt (just says American Girl, no mention of HFR), as well as an unobtrusive plastic oval vanity tag on the side of the waist. Grade: A
Matching golden sandals - These are made of a plasticky material that covers the gold glitter - I’m assuming PVC or maybe plastic coated oilcloth, and I think they have a nice, substantial weight to them. The last photo above shows how the heel of the sandal is enclosed. Straps Velcro around the ankles, and a T-strap goes down the front of the sandal, where it meets a gold glitter bow across the toes. There’s a small heel at the back. I think these are cute, fit well, and perfectly complement the rest of the outfit. (I would also say they are by far the best quality shoes of Claudie’s three HFR outfits.) Grade: A
A high-neck capelet that commands attention: it’s covered in gold sequins and features contrasting silver trim - The capelet adds so much drama to this outfit! It consists of three long flowy pieces of gold sequined fabric that all drape down from a central collar - one over each arm and one at the back. These three pieces almost (but not quite) brush the floor. Thanks to the length of these panels, their placement, the glittery sequins, and the translucent nature of the single-layer thin fabric, I think they look very dramatic and elegant. The central collar piece is more substantial. It’s also made of gold sequined fabric, but it has a more heavy-weight yellowish-gold lining, and it’s also partitioned and trimmed with a silvery braided trim along the high collar, the scalloped bottom edge, and the separate partitions. This provides a nice contrast to the gold. The collar has a partial Velcro opening in the back, which I guess would be my one complaint; if the Velcro opening was between two of the panels and could open fully instead, then it wouldn’t have to get pulled over the doll’s head to put on. Still, it’s a lovely and creatively designed piece. Grade: A
Looking inside the capelet when it’s removed from Claudie. You can see the lining, a second AG label (the other is inside the skirt), the scalloped edges with longer bits that go over the shoulders and down the front and back, and the Velcro opening.
The translucent panels:
From the back:
A note about packaging:
The Glitzy Sequin Gown and Capelet Outfit comes in a special American Girl x HFR Claudie box that’s pictured at the start of this review. The back of the box (below) has more information about Harlem's Fashion Row and about the designer, Samantha Black. I love the pamphlets that usually come with historical dolls, but since this design is inspired by the historical period rather than a part of it, there's no corresponding pamphlet. I wish there were. I would have really enjoyed reading more about the collaboration and the inspiration for this outfit, and I would have also appreciated having the HFR/Samantha Black information in a pamphlet rather than on a box, as I seldom keep boxes.
A note about durability:
I’ve read some concerns about the durability and playability of this gold sequined fabric, and I think those are fair concerns. There was already one loose sequin when I opened the box, and it wouldn’t surprise me to lose a few more when actively playing with or changing the doll. That said, the quality and feel of the fabric remind me very much of the fabric that was used in an outfit one of my daughters had to wear and perform in as part of a team when she was in about second grade. Kids had to handle and wear those outfits, and I think kids could handle this one also - albeit with a little extra care. Some sequin loss is likely inevitable, but I think kids will still find this outfit beautiful even with fewer sequins, and collectors who want it in pristine condition can consider tucking an extra one away.
My overall grade for this fun and glamorous outfit is (obviously) an A. I love the glitz, the drama, and the collaboration. While I don’t often get the fancy outfits, this one is a stunner.
Whimsical style meets serious sparkle. Designer Samantha Black—in collaboration with Harlem’s Fashion Row®—creates a modern take on 1920s opulence in this special-edition outfit that’s gilded in gold. Includes:
A gold glitter headpiece that frames her face
A dress entirely covered with gold sequins—look closely to see it’s a leotard wrapped by a full, flounced skirt
Matching golden sandals
A high-neck capelet that commands attention: it’s covered in gold sequins and features contrasting silver trim
Along with Claudie’s historical debut, American Girl released three modern Samantha Black /Harlem's Fashion Row outfits that take their inspiration from the 1920s. This one, with all its blingy, over-the-top pizazz, not to mention its appearance in the catchy (if somewhat strange) Claudie “Dream” music video, is my favorite.
Here is the American Girl website description, along with additional pictures and thoughts about each piece:
Whimsical style meets serious sparkle. Designer Samantha Black—in collaboration with Harlem’s Fashion Row®—creates a modern take on 1920s opulence in this special-edition outfit that’s gilded in gold.
SKU#: HMJ52 $50
Includes:
A gold glitter headpiece that frames her face - The headpiece is actually a headband covered in gold fabric with gold glitter rays emanating outward. The headband is easy to put on and take off the doll’s head; it seems somewhat flexible and not like it’s a fragile piece that will break easily (although of course I didn’t test this out!) The rays feel like they’re made of thick oilcloth or PVC, so they’re flexible, and the headpiece comes on a piece of cardboard to support and protect its shape (as shown in the photo below). The gold glitter on the front is under a smooth plastic coating, and the back is plain white. Grade: A
From the front:
And from the back:
A dress entirely covered with gold sequins—look closely to see it’s a leotard wrapped by a full, flounced skirt - I was not expecting this to be a leotard with attached skirt, so I thought that was a nice surprise! The fabric is stretchy and covered in little gold sequins on one side. It’s sleeveless, has a gold band at the neckline, and closes with a single strip of Velcro up the back. There’s a fabric AG tag on the inside of the skirt (just says American Girl, no mention of HFR), as well as an unobtrusive plastic oval vanity tag on the side of the waist. Grade: A
Matching golden sandals - These are made of a plasticky material that covers the gold glitter - I’m assuming PVC or maybe plastic coated oilcloth, and I think they have a nice, substantial weight to them. The last photo above shows how the heel of the sandal is enclosed. Straps Velcro around the ankles, and a T-strap goes down the front of the sandal, where it meets a gold glitter bow across the toes. There’s a small heel at the back. I think these are cute, fit well, and perfectly complement the rest of the outfit. (I would also say they are by far the best quality shoes of Claudie’s three HFR outfits.) Grade: A
A high-neck capelet that commands attention: it’s covered in gold sequins and features contrasting silver trim - The capelet adds so much drama to this outfit! It consists of three long flowy pieces of gold sequined fabric that all drape down from a central collar - one over each arm and one at the back. These three pieces almost (but not quite) brush the floor. Thanks to the length of these panels, their placement, the glittery sequins, and the translucent nature of the single-layer thin fabric, I think they look very dramatic and elegant. The central collar piece is more substantial. It’s also made of gold sequined fabric, but it has a more heavy-weight yellowish-gold lining, and it’s also partitioned and trimmed with a silvery braided trim along the high collar, the scalloped bottom edge, and the separate partitions. This provides a nice contrast to the gold. The collar has a partial Velcro opening in the back, which I guess would be my one complaint; if the Velcro opening was between two of the panels and could open fully instead, then it wouldn’t have to get pulled over the doll’s head to put on. Still, it’s a lovely and creatively designed piece. Grade: A
Looking inside the capelet when it’s removed from Claudie. You can see the lining, a second AG label (the other is inside the skirt), the scalloped edges with longer bits that go over the shoulders and down the front and back, and the Velcro opening.
The translucent panels:
From the back:
A note about packaging:
The Glitzy Sequin Gown and Capelet Outfit comes in a special American Girl x HFR Claudie box that’s pictured at the start of this review. The back of the box (below) has more information about Harlem's Fashion Row and about the designer, Samantha Black. I love the pamphlets that usually come with historical dolls, but since this design is inspired by the historical period rather than a part of it, there's no corresponding pamphlet. I wish there were. I would have really enjoyed reading more about the collaboration and the inspiration for this outfit, and I would have also appreciated having the HFR/Samantha Black information in a pamphlet rather than on a box, as I seldom keep boxes.
A note about durability:
I’ve read some concerns about the durability and playability of this gold sequined fabric, and I think those are fair concerns. There was already one loose sequin when I opened the box, and it wouldn’t surprise me to lose a few more when actively playing with or changing the doll. That said, the quality and feel of the fabric remind me very much of the fabric that was used in an outfit one of my daughters had to wear and perform in as part of a team when she was in about second grade. Kids had to handle and wear those outfits, and I think kids could handle this one also - albeit with a little extra care. Some sequin loss is likely inevitable, but I think kids will still find this outfit beautiful even with fewer sequins, and collectors who want it in pristine condition can consider tucking an extra one away.
My overall grade for this fun and glamorous outfit is (obviously) an A. I love the glitz, the drama, and the collaboration. While I don’t often get the fancy outfits, this one is a stunner.