Midnight Holly Outfit + Book (2007)

[AG*dancer*]

Description from American Girl:

Her doll can look great for an evening out in this festive bubble dress. Her doll will have a ball in this winter party outfit:
A lavish dress featuring a black velour bodice and a brocade bubble skirt
Black shoes with gold bows
Detachable faux-fur collar and cuffs
Also includes the book, Zoey’s Musical Gift

Grade: A+

This is a gorgeous dress. The faux fur collar is detachable (the dress has a slight turtleneck neckline) and the brocade bubble skirt is very thick and beautiful. It might hang better with a little steaming, since it was slightly creased when I took it out of the box. The shoes are little heels that are very easy to slip on, and it's not as hard as I would think for a doll to stand in them.

[EofA]

This was the dress offered by American Girl for the 2007 holiday season. I’ve owned a lot of AG holiday dresses over the years, and this is one of my favorites for sheer elegance and little-girl dress-up glamor.

The top of the dress is a form-fitting velour that velcros in the back. The bodice has attached fur cuffs. I think the official AG description could be misread and lead one to believe that the cuffs are detachable, but they are not. The black fake fur collar velcros shut and since it is detachable, the dress can have two different looks.

Without collar


With collar

As can be seen in the detailed photo in the first review, the attached bubble skirt is of a gorgeous embroidered golden swirl-patterned brocade that includes scattered red holly berries. The point of attachment to the bodice is hidden by a matching gold satin ribbon belt with black and gold jewel acting as a non-functional buckle. The belt is not detachable. There is a button hidden on the underside of the skirt at the waist, and one can theoretically attach the buttonhole tag that is also under the skirt for an asymmetrical hike to show a little leg. I say theoretically, because this button is darned near microscopic and I never could get it to stay in the buttonhole to achieve the intended effect. I don’t mind as I am not personally fond of that look, but I can imagine it being extremely frustrating for young girls who wanted to try it.

Vague approximation of hiked skirt

Lastly, the shoes are also of a velour material, though not as plush as the bodice. They are enhanced with gold ribbon and bow trim and have a slight kitten heel. It must not be as pronounced as some AG kitten heels, because the doll can definitely stand straight unaided instead of at an angle. The black elastic ankle strap not only looks good but provides extra insurance to keep the shoes on.

For looks, this dress gets a A+ from me. I am not normally a fan of bubble skirts, but I like the fullness of this one. The dress has versatility in its favor because different looks can be achieved with the fur collar and skirt lift; however since the latter worked in better in concept than execution, my grade for the dress gets lowered to an A-.

This dress originally retailed during the 2007 holiday season for $28, although it went on sale later in the year. It showed up in early 2009 as a purchase-with-purchase (PWP) special for $14 with a $40 purchase at AG stores, and eventually showed up in the Last Chance sales section for an amazing $12.

[agl ♥]

A very pretty dress. I give it an A-. I got it on sale for $12, definitely worth it! The gold skirt is beautiful. It has a black velvet bodice. I don't really care for the fur cuffs and collar. I'm glad the collar is removable. The shoes are too cute, they have little gold bows. Ivy's gold dangle earrings look great with this. Since it isn't red/green it doesn't really scream the holidays and can be used for other occasions. When I took it off of my doll there were black fuzzies all over her body, just to note.

*mod edit to remove dead image links*

[allison]

I love this outfit it is pretty I bought it 1 or 2 months ago on sale for 12 dollars and I put it on my doll for special events like birtdays,christmas,thanksgiving,etc.

[Aja Lee]

I got this at an fantastic price of $12. I don't have much to add to AG*dancer* and EofA's detailed reviews except for the fact I really don't like the jewel on the ribbon belt. It looks like the plastic jewels on Felicity's Gala Gown, but at least there's only one, so it's manageable. I love how the collar is removable and I wish the cuffs were as well since I don't love "furry" looks, but that's more of a personal preference, I suppose. I love the material of the skirt and it's so full. I like the option of the hiked up skirt, but I don't use it since I don't particularly like that look. I don't have a problem with the button-yet. Overall, a solid A.