AGPSF Flash: Peeking for Perma-Panties

While I need to write a few longer posts on PantyGate, for tonight I want to give a short update on American Girl Place San Francisco and the presence or non-presence of perma-panties.

In brief, as of this Monday evening, AGPSF seems to still be primarily stocked with the older versions of the 18" dolls--no obvious signs of perma-panty dolls. I was only able to open a few boxes, such as the TM 55 pictured above and below.

It was surprising how happy I was to see the removable panties on the TM doll!

I peeked in a few more boxes in the TM area and then opened one Julie box and was pleased to see she was still sporting removable panties as well.

So now a on worrying note--the store was quiet, there were plenty of assistants doing what looked like stocking and arranging--but the # of doll boxes on the shelves in the BeForever area seemed extremely sparse. 

Where I might normally see BeForever doll boxes lined up in each character kiosk area at least 2 deep and all the way across I now saw boxes only 1 deep and not all the way across. My (irrational?) fear is that for the big debut of Tenney & Logan on Thursday that AG is also planning to pull, re-box, and "debut "the BeForever girls in some new atrocious full-window style box.

Note that AG has been known to pull out and re-box store-stock dolls in the past. For the big Truly Me debut launch in May 2015 the Visual Department at AGPSF took ALL the modern dolls out of their old boxes, redressed them in what we know as the current Lilac Dress, and then re-box them in the new Truly Me box. (I overheard some of this while in the store the morning of the Truly Me debut in 2015 and also managed to get a few behind the scenes tidbits of info when I found a chatty employee who told me that Visual hd been up until 4am making those very changes the night before.)

TL;DR

*AGPSF still has older dolls with removable underwear in stock. Go soon to avoid perma-panties.

*The BeForever box could change without warning and Thursday's debut is one possible (but not confirmed) switch-a-roo point.

Spring 2017: BeForever Releases!

Updated with prices and a second dress for Kit!

AG designers have a win with the new BeForever outfits and accessories! Starting with my absolute favorite...

Kit's Play Dress $28

(This goes straight into my shopping bag!)

Kit's Golf Outfit with Monogram

Kit's Mini Golf Set $48

Maryellen's Flamingo Swimsuit Set $34

Julie's Peasant Top Outfit $32

Julie's Floral Accessories $24

Julie's Basketball Uniform $34

Rebecca's Play Dress $32

I will add/edit as more information surfaces. Look for these BeForever offerings to potentially be part of the February 16th release bonanza!

2017 Felicitations!

American Girl's 2017 new offerings are beginning to shape up!

These undergarments are surely for Felicity, as well as the Blue Colonial Dress featured last month.

This roll sits atop of the hips and will give the skirt of Felicity's dress its distinctive shape.

But it is not just these garments that have Poppets & Posies convinced Felicity returning in 2017. 

A Journey Book for Felicity! This all but guarantees her return. Similar to Samantha's return, Felicity will undergo a BeForever revamps which will include condensing her original 6 book series into Volumes I and II and then a new "Journey" book added for Volume III.

February 16, 2017 publication date! Any chance Felicity will return in February, or will it be a six month delay between books and doll as it was for Melody's staggered release?

Sweet Summer, Sweet Josefina! New Outfit?

Josefina fans have waited literally years for a new outfit for Josefina. Could this be the new rumored outfit?

The outfit seems to come with an embroidered camisa, a separate cotton print skirt with scalloped edge, and a silky green shawl. It seems a complete outfit would include a Josefina-style-and-color appropriate coordinating sash and shoes still yet to be found.

Eta: A possible sash has now been sighted!

Josefina missed out during the 2014 BeForever revamp of the Meet outfits and scored only a new skirt and sash. Josefina also missed out on the 2015 BeForever Limited Edition outfits--remember for example Kit's Chicken Keeping Outfit or Addy's Sewing Outfit? Yup, Josefina missed out on being included in a great set of Limited Edition outfits! However, finally we have hope of a new outfit for Josefina!

Rumors have it that Josefina is due for 2 new outfits this year, so crossing my fingers. I am a yes-yes-yes for all new Josefina items, sight unseen. However, this early peek is a happy surprise and will be coming home as soon as it officially debuts.  

Caroline's Farewell (AGPSF Flash)

The news is all over social media and the blogosphere--Caroline is to be archived. 

No official word on the exact date of archival, but a few items are already gone (Parlor and the Party Set) and it looks like some items are already low inventory! To assess the situation further, I decided to visit AGPSF to take a look at the inventory and contemplate final purchases from Caroline's line before items begin to sell out.

AGPSF has two display areas still set up for Caroline, the main one (below) and a second area for her bed. All of her outfits are available in the store with the exception of the new Party Dress (aka the "Frozen" dress). If you want that dress, better hurry online--it is currently back ordered until June 5th, but I have the feeling that may be the last major batch!

Soon this display area for Caroline will be emptied to make space for the newly announced BeForever Maryellen, a strawberry blonde cutie whose story is set in 1954 (debut set for August 27th). But before she leaves, I will be bringing home her dresses, though I will be passing on most of the large items, such as her Parlor (long gone), her Skiff, and the Table and Chairs. 

I really like the color scheme of the Table and Treats. The ceramic tureen with the blue floral design is really tempting, but I can't imagine getting $150 worth of play or display from this set. I might be interested at a $50 price point, but even then I think I would pass.

I plan to post detailed reviews of the Caroline items that have come home with me, so I took photos of items I thought I would not have available for detailed pictures at home. Originally I had decided against Garnet the Calf (he is so overly magenta) but he will be traveling here soon!

So what is next for Caroline as she heads into the archives? While Caroline and her clothing and accessories will soon be gone from American Girl--I have a feeling that she will grow in popularity after retirement.

In celebration of Caroline's three glorious years as part of AG's Historical/BeForever line up and to wish her a terrific "Bon Voyage" for future adventures launched from my home and from the homes of thousands of other Caroline fans, I will be spotlighting Caroline's dresses, accessories and even her bed in a series of reviews!

I am pleased to introduce my poppet Charlotte, an original Caroline! 

Charlotte time-and-distance-travels between her 1812 canon storyline set near Lake Ontario, her home in Regency Era England (think Jane Austen!), and her modern day La Patisserie in Paris! She will be dazzling and charming us with her Caroline wardrobe in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Waiting for Grace: Samantha's Holiday Set Unboxing

Posey, who is my BeForever Samantha poppet, was inspired by the pictures of Kini Zamora's red-and-black plaid dress and begged to be able to get out her new Christmas dress by unboxing Samantha's Holiday Set. So today's official Waiting for Grace activity will be more holiday preparations!

Samantha's Holiday Set is a large box because her holiday dress has been bundled by AG with her revised tea set. The box contains essentially three layers--the outfit on top, the tray and tea cloth in the middle, and the tea set on the bottom.

The cautionary note was appreciated! I plan to keep the entire box and styrofoam and stiff cardboard layers to be able to store the tea set components safely after use.

Ooh! Pretty! The tartan plaid is wonderful and the black lace detailing at the hem of the skirt divine. Posey noted that she would need to press out this dress before wearing it.

And look at the white lace bow! Posey can't wait to try it on!

On the upside of the design, the bow is attached to a scrunchie for ease of attachment, but this is also less than historically accurate. AG went for ease of play and practicality over historical accuracy here--a decision that I am sure does not please all customers. I am mixed on this. I have minimal hair styling ability so I appreciate the ease, but I love the long ribbons that came with earlier Samantha outfits that need to be tied on by hand.

Velvet books with bows and a pair of black tights. Posey was not thrilled with the velvet boots--they seemed very wrinkly. Maybe they will look better on.

Oh no, the velvet boots come with tiny heels. Posey is not certain she will be able to pose and stand securely in these boots if previous experiences with these sorts of heels is any indication. 

The next layer down in the box reveals the white tea cloth and silver-tone tea tray.

The tray is very nice and shiny, though the underside of the tray is already showing scratches (not pictured) just moments out of the box. Posey will keep you posted if more start developing.

And finally the tea set is on the bottom. I would have never bought the tea set had it not been bundled with the holiday dress. Let's face it, AG knew the holiday (Christmas) dress for Samantha would be a hit and could drive up profit margins by bundling. Well played, AG. 

The tea set itself comes with a teapot and separate lid, a teacup, saucer, and a set of three petits fours which do not separate. As a little tea set goes, it is cute, cut I don't have much use for a single place setting. Maybe it will show up in some photo shoots because it needs to earn its way!

Posey is thrilled with her new holiday dress and will return before the holidays are over and give a twirl in front of the camera. She has been so busy with the unboxing that she (and I) almost forgot that we were waiting for Grace!

AGPSF Flash: Project Runway Dresses!

Quick before they are gone, my local American Girl Place San Francisco has the winning look from this year's Project Runway and American Girl BeForever mashup episode displayed in their store. Many thanks to my sister who took time to take these photos in the middle of her holiday shopping at AGPSF!

The winning look, designed by Kini Zamora, was inspired by the dress from BeForever Samantha's Holiday Set.

Other looks from the Project Runway episode are also on tour. But be quick, because these dresses are due up at the American Girl Place store in Seattle by December 17th!

Below is the outfit inspired by BeForever Rebecca.

The black and red dress below was inspired by BeForever Josefina.

And the black jacket with the orange and pink dress inspired by BeForever Addy.

The cropped pants outfit was inspired by BeForever Kit.

And finally, the dress and with the fringed jacket was inspired by BeForever Kaya.

I am a big fan of Project Runway, so I was very excited about the episode. But if I am being very honest, many of the "inspired by" outfits created by the contestants missed the mark for me. Many of the color combinations were dreadful and the outfits themselves dowdy or downright strange (not all the completed outfits went on tour). 

The bright spot was Kini's winning look inspired by BeForever Samantha. Even so, I feel American Girl missed out on not putting the winning look for girls into production both for the 18" dolls and girls. I know I would have been in line for such a creation!

Samantha Meets Samantha: Looking Back, Looking Beforever

With the addition of Beforever Samantha, we now have two Samantha dolls in our home. Our first Samantha is a Pleasant Company era doll from early 1994. She was our daughter's first Pleasant Company doll and in fact the first Pleasant Company doll of any kind in our home. Our daughter would go on to be gifted a Felicity (PC era) and then later to purchase Josefina (PC era) with her own saved money, but Samantha would always be the first.

PC Samantha has since been handed on to me after having been packed away in a box for several years. My daughter was torn about just selling her or giving her away, and was relieved to find out that Samantha could have a forever home here. She has been well played with and loved over the years.

Meet Posey and Samantha!

BF Samantha (aka Posey) and PC Samantha look related though PC Samantha is definitely showing her age. She has surprisingly tight limbs for being twenty years old, though her head tilt has become very pronounced and remains even after tightening her neck string. This will need to be addressed at some point, but not sure how to go about it yet. 

PC Samantha's skin tone is a bit darker as well as more sallow, even yellow in undertone. Again, this may be due to aging as well as being handled and played with by a little girl for many years.

I find it interesting how much the new BF Samantha Meet dress really does harken back to PC Samantha's Meet dress with the maroon waistband sash and the pink tones of the dress fabric. However, the long sleeves, studious checked pattern, black tights, high neckline and long sleeves of the Pleasant Company era dress feel very restrictive and somber compared to the Beforever Meet. Short sleeves! Open neckline! Lace! Mesh overlay! Light pink and white! Fuzzy little dots! Froth and frills!

The hair color and length are surprisingly similar. The biggest difference is the level of sheen. PC Samantha has seen a fair amount of play and her hair shows its age. Like other older Samantha dolls, her bangs are very thick--our PC Samantha's bangs are downright thick and shaggy. PC Samantha's wig is also of an older construction style with the wig tape showing around much of her hairline. I also believe her wig is a bit defective, something not noticed at the time as it was my daughter's first Pleasant Company doll. In comparison, BF Samantha's wig construction is beautiful and nearly flawless.

Their feet also look very different sized--partly because PC dolls had larger feet, but also because the particular shape of the plastic molded shoe.

I was mostly surprised to see the general effect of wave and illusion of volume is almost identical between the two dolls. I would like to presume PC Samantha's wave has relaxed over the years, but I cannot say that definitively. (Note that while PC Samantha appears taller here, much of that is due to a higher placement of her ponytail.)

PC Samantha has earned her retreat from the limelight and now spends her sunny days playing in the yard, bikcycling, and swimming at Piney Point. She is thrilled to have met BF Samantha (Posey) and wishes her twenty years of brand new adventures!

Samantha's Bicycling Outfit: A Beforever Review

Samantha's new Bicyling Outfit was on the top of my favorites when visiting the store for the Beforever launch. And while the debates continue on the blogs and forums on how historically accurate such an outfit might be for Samantha, this outfit quietly made its way home.

Her outfit comes with an embroidered blouse, houndstooth-checked bloomers, gaiters, a hat,  and a pink bow for her hair.

I love all the pieces but have mixed feelings about the gaiters. The felted material is sturdy but I am uncertain how well the gaiters will keep their shape. 

Additionally, when I dressed Samantha with the gaiters I kept catching the velcro strip on the back of the gaiters on her white tights (not included). I may need to stock up on Samantha's tights! However, the pearlized buttons on the gaiters are very lovely.

The embroidery on the blouse is absolutely adorable. While the blouse could be said to harken back to the style of some Victorian shirts for women, it does seem to be more "inspired by history" rather than a painstaking recreation of an actual historical item. The embroidery seems a bit quaint and folksy and the teal trim at the neckline is actually an elastic strip, both which take away from any claim of strict historicity. But the overall design of the blouse is so adorable that I am able to overlook it.

Her hat is adorable as well, if a bit gigantic. But somehow Samantha makes it work!

Many outfits from AG do not look as cute from the back as from the front, but with the cute peplum flair of the blouse and the pink bow, Samantha's outfit is 360 degrees of charm.

Samantha's Bicycling outfit is sweet yet infused with a bit of jaunty independence. Faithful readers of Samantha's canon stories may just wish to imagine that Samantha spends a lot of time with her delightful Aunt Cornelia who dresses Samantha with a little more flair than her Grandmary.

While my irrational love for this outfit insists I award it an A+, I must exercise a hint of restraint and consider my entire review and award it an A-.