cami713
Historical Dreamer
Order of the Llama
Posts: 2,287
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Post by cami713 on May 1, 2006 11:53:38 GMT -5
This outfit was worn by Samantha in the 1986 and 1998 editions of the book Samantha Saves the Day. Originally sold as the Middy Dress with Tam, beginning in 1988, it was later combined with the High Button Shoes, and from 2007 to 2008, they were sold together as the Middy Outfit. The outfit retired in 2008 with the first archival of Samantha's collection. Additional descriptions and reviews of the shoes can be found HERE.
Every Victorian girl had a middy dress, a most popular style in 1904. Samantha's is trimmed in black braid with an anchor, a crest, and stars on the back of the big square collar. A shiny brass bos'n's whistle hangs on a cord around her neck. With the middy, Samantha wears a sailor's tam for an outfit that's truly shipshape!PM, 95 or 96 The Good: I don't know why, but this was *always* a favorite of mine. The hat is so cute, and it looks so historical. The Bad: The bo's'n's whistle is hard to get to stay right. That's it, really. Rating: ****3/4, A
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Post by shiniker on May 28, 2006 23:12:12 GMT -5
I had this outfit as a child, but it didn't fare the best so I bought a replacement from AG and was disappointed at how short the sleeves seemed. I ended up returning it, but was disappointed because I really do love the style.
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Post by QNPoohBear on Sept 2, 2006 12:10:39 GMT -5
I love Sam's middy dress. It's made from broadcloth and based on the new navy uniforms at the time and Middys were all the rage. Samantha is quite fashionable in this dress. The black trim and little anchor are nice details that make the dress look like a real navy uniform. It snaps at the waist and ties just below the waist with a grosgrain ribbon. The tam is made from the same fabric as the dress and doesn't stay on Sam's head very well but looks cute when it does. The whistle is metal and really works. It hangs on a cord which gets stretched out and loses its' elasticity over time. My sister acquired a used Pleasant Co. version of the middy dress and that one was pilled and worn. If stored correctly and not washed in a washing machine, it should hold up. This is a great historically accurate dress. Grade: A
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Post by rabluv on Dec 25, 2006 10:50:49 GMT -5
It looks so great on my sam! she loves it and the whistle is darling! just wish it came with shoes and tights like the picture...
A+
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Post by samo22 on Jan 7, 2007 14:14:32 GMT -5
This is one of my favorite outfits for Samantha! It looks so good on her. I haven't had any issues with getting the whistle to stay in place (as somebody said before). The only downside is that the little button on the bottom back of the dress broke the first time I put it on. However, I still give it an A.
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Post by Masquerade on May 9, 2007 18:05:35 GMT -5
This is probably my absolute favorite Samantha dress. Of the set: Dress: A-. Trying to get the shirt bit to billow slightly over the skirt is sort of difficult, and I'm not sure why it has a single snap in addition to the velcro on the back. Otherwise it's great and incredibly durable - I've had mine 13-14 years and it's still pristine white after being played with so much when I was younger. Tam: C. It's cute and it matches the dress, but I have a heck of a time trying to get it to stay on her head. I've finally given up, and she wears a white ribbon in her hair instead. Boots: A. I can't remember if these came with the outfit or if you had to purchase them seperately. Either way, they're Samantha's cutest shoes. My only worry is that someday I'm going to break off one of the pearl buttons, but they're just as old as her dress and they still work fine. Pictures:
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scandia
Historical Dreamer
Ich liebe meine Puppen!
Posts: 2,448
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Post by scandia on Jun 10, 2007 8:57:55 GMT -5
I really like this outfit. My brother went crazy over the whistle. It has stayed in good shape. It works even with the lacy whites underneath. I have had no problems with the tam- however, I do braid Samantha's hair when she wears this outfit. I do not think it is too boyish- after all it has a skirt. I give it an A.
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Post by princessemily on Sept 22, 2009 16:22:29 GMT -5
I love this outfit! It's been one of my favorites over the years, so it was the first thing to jump into my cart upon hearing of Samantha's archival. I got the more recent set, obviously, which included the dress, tam, and button-up boots. The dress: The detail on this is amazing! I love the little bow in the back and the intricate middy detail of the bodice. It fits my PM Samantha fine. The tam: Cute, but takes a while to adjust so Samantha's bangs don't fall in her eyes (like all doll hats, though). The boots: I love the real buttons! The Mattel pair is pretty sturdy, so I doubt a button will pop off easily, but nevertheless, I still feel as if I'm going to break a button off when I put these on Sam. They are very dainty, but the best feature of the boots. Again, they fit my PM Samantha's feet fine. Grade: A+ (Note: The whistle in the picture is not the official whistle. It's silver as opposed to the brass original, but I thought it'd be perfect for my whistle-less middy outfit. The stockings pictured are her meet stockings.)
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Post by samfan123 on Apr 2, 2010 11:33:00 GMT -5
I love the style of this dress. The material is nice and thick and it looks adorable on Samantha. The only flaw I can find is that the sleeves are a little short. When I use the hat I pull the back of it over Samantha ponytail. That usually helps to keep it in place.
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starwenn
American Girl Prototype
Posts: 4,694
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Post by starwenn on May 5, 2010 20:34:20 GMT -5
This is the other outfit my parents bought for me along with Samantha for Christmas 1993. It's her official summer "play" outfit - she's wearing it as I type this. I've also long given up on getting the hat to fit her, nice touch though it is. She only wears it when there's company.
On the other hand, even though the elastic's stretched over the years, I still love the whistle. It emits a nice little tweet when you blow on it. Alas, I never did get the boots - she's wearing the flats from the 1996 JLY "meet" outfit and a new pair of Springfield Collection stockings (the elastic was gone on her original ones) with it now.
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Post by robinhoo on May 16, 2010 15:02:04 GMT -5
Samantha's middy dress was one of the first outfits I ever got from AG; I've had it for at least 12 years, and it remains a favorite. I don't have Samantha herself, so #14 Julian used to wear it quite a lot, but now Rebecca has (quite rightfully) claimed it, and I just love the way it looks on her. I've never had a problem with the tam on either Julian or Rebecca. I like that the broadcloth has some "heft" to it so that the tam can sit on the doll's head at a jaunty angle and not be floppy. I think this outfit is really well made. It somehow feels like you're getting more for your money with this outfit than with some of the more recent, cheaply-made AG outfits. Overall I'd give this outfit an A. It misses out on A+ just because the pearlescent paint on a couple of buttons of the boots has chipped off completely after 12 years of being buttoned and unbuttoned. (This is the one benefit to the velcro-backed boots that come with Rebecca's meet outfit -- no wear on the buttons... because they're not functional. )
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Post by skukla on May 16, 2010 17:24:49 GMT -5
My Rebecca Loves this dress too! Until the release of her Summer Dress, it was the only summery thing she owned (Movie Dress and Costume for the Costume Chest aside.)
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Post by Memory on Aug 8, 2011 17:18:36 GMT -5
I recently acquired a 1988 tagged Samantha's Middy Dress. I have a couple questions for anyone who owns this version... 1. The skirt side seams are not serged. Neither are the armholes and the v-neck portion. My definition of not serged means the seams are not serged and are fraying. Is this normal? 2. It had 3 pieces of velcro for the back instead of one long continuous strip. Is this normal? The three strips of velcro were used for a couple of years. I have to admit, I never paid attention to the seam finishing.
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Post by 1994samanthafan on Nov 12, 2011 20:14:06 GMT -5
Adding another picture in. This is a WB doll in a dress circa '93. The cuffs won't velcro closed on her. My Samantha ('94) doesn't have any problems with this. I love this dress and it has held up well over the years. A+
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Post by xmaskat on Nov 13, 2011 15:19:13 GMT -5
Here are a couple of pictures of Connie (JLY#3 with a haircut) wearing this outfit.
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Post by samfan123 on Nov 17, 2011 16:05:37 GMT -5
I've got your Addy mold. My pictures aren't that great, but here you go.
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Post by Librarian4 on Jan 20, 2012 20:23:31 GMT -5
I just purchased two of the middy dresses off ebay and I am absolutely in love with them. I am using them on Addy and Cécile as their school uniforms because I once saw an old picture circa late 1800s/early 1900s of African-American school girls attending Catholic school in New Orleans all wearing white dresses similar to this - minus the navy insignia.
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Post by cheshie04 on Apr 28, 2012 17:28:33 GMT -5
Got just when the announced the archival, as I had to have an outfit for summer. It's cute and classic. I wish it came with the whistle, but by that time it was only the middy, tam, and boots.
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Post by thevintagelover on Aug 20, 2012 22:19:06 GMT -5
A+ I love this outfit! I remember very distinctly going to AGPNY with my Aunt and Uncle and picking this one out specifically in 2003. It's held up very well, and I somehow, miraculously didn't lose the whistle! The dress did yellow, but a washing in tide fixed that very quickly. The material is a thick rayon, and the details are very intricate on this outfit. It's very nautical, to say the least! The collar is precious, and has two stars embroidered on the back, just like it would in real life. The hat adds a very nice touch, but sometimes my Sam wears a wide white ribbon instead. This is a must have piece!
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Post by fionabrigade on Sept 10, 2012 23:23:13 GMT -5
I have a PC version and the fabric is thick with nice embroidered detailing but the fit is a bit roomy on all of my dolls though. The hat is a bit of a let down.
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Post by WildPigeonChase on Feb 19, 2013 14:31:16 GMT -5
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Post by dreamearth on Jan 17, 2015 22:23:27 GMT -5
I had a question for those who have the tam: Are all the black ribbons on the tam (hat?) so stiff and feel more plastic than fabric? I bought this set off ebay a little while ago and was puzzled why the ribbon was like that when the rest of it is so high quality. My ribbon is even starting to fray from the sides (not just the end) like it wasn't finished.
Also to answer the question on why the dress is so baggy above the waist (even though that's from a long time ago!) That's how the fashion was supposed to be. There's even a little instruction sheet that came with my set with a picture of how the elastic around the waist should keep the skirt at the right height, and then the excess fabric from the top billows out or bags over. A lot of fashion drawings from that era seemed to emphasize a big belly.
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Post by woodnearathens on Nov 1, 2015 7:31:17 GMT -5
This is my favorite of Samantha's dresses, probably because Samantha Saves the Day is my favorite of her books. Also, though, it's a very well-made dress. The fabric feels thick and heavy, and the trimming and ribbons have held up over time. The one major problem would be the black ribbon on the back of the dress, which started to fray and eventually, I replaced it. I haven't had any problems with the ribbon on the tam. In fact, the dress and tam really looks like they were made just yesterday! A grade of A!
I wanted to point out that I've owned middy boots that have wooden circle heels. Those boots were purchased off eBay and came with a complete set of Samantha's other things, all in original PC boxes. Since the boots came off eBay, I can't 100% confirm the authenticity; however, since they came with a whole bunch of other Samantha items that look authentic, I feel like the boots themselves are authentic.
Mod edit to remove broken image link
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Post by igsbeth on Oct 25, 2017 19:24:31 GMT -5
I love the middy dress. Sailor dresses keep coming back into style.
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Post by keeperofthepast on Jun 5, 2023 15:10:38 GMT -5
Love her Middy dress and tam. The fabric is thick and nice and the braided trim is well done. The gold bosun whistle hangs perfectly around her neck and best of all it really works.
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Post by keeperofthepast on Nov 15, 2023 16:16:28 GMT -5
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