I like the idea of the AGT, that a girl can express herself through her dolls and be whoever she wants to be, however, I would like them a LOT better if they were not made by an American Girl. I feel that Pleasant Company should have stuck to historical dolls and educational products relating to them.
Thanks to some of you on this board I have learned that I can live vicariously through my dolls and do childhood fun things like trick or treating! Susanna is my "Today" type girl for now but she is not into trendy anything. She didn't even like Harry Potter as much as I thought she would [img]eek.gif[/img] I also want to get an AGT of my childhood late 80's and 90's.
I do 4 jazz dances in my recital, and trust me, my teacher has a talent for choosing absolutely horrendous costumes. But you have to just go with the flow and not let it bother you. People come to see you dance, not what you're wearing. I think Marisol's outfit is very fun and safe compared to some of the things I've had to endure.
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You must have my DD's former dance teacher! Can you believe that woman put 3 year olds on stage in purple and silver sequin costumes with feathers in their hair and fringe skirts?Originally posted by Dancingfewl423:
I do 4 jazz dances in my recital, and trust me, my teacher has a talent for choosing absolutely horrendous costumes... I think Marisol's outfit is very fun and safe compared to some of the things I've had to endure.
[img]eek.gif[/img] They all looked like mini saloon girls!
Laughing now, horrified then.
My computer sits right next to a picture of my daughter in her most recent jazz recital costume. It consists of fushia metalic long pants that are incredibly shiny and feel like rubber. The top is black velour trimmed with a ten inch black fringe that covers the tummy. It is like the fringe on Marisol's tap outfit. The black top is covered in fuscia glitter. It had cut outs so the shoulders peek through. It is totally over the top.
Maybe our dance studio teachers all went to the same school for costume design. I know all the costumes come from NY for our recitals. They are all probably from the same place - sort of like the horrible bride's maid dresses.
I have no complaints about the AGoT dolls. Two of my three AGs are AGoTs. I like a number of the outfits they have produced for the AGoT dolls, e.g., the snowball outfit, the Jitterbug outfit and several others. Yes, there are a number of the outfits AG has produced that I will not be buying and some of those make me wonder, "What were they thinking?" However, I am certain they will learn. The market is a powerful instructor and those who don't learn will go out of business.
I am very happy that there is a lot of variety in the AGoT dolls. I was really hoping that AG would have gone a little further down the path blazed by MyTwinn and allowed customers to pick from a variety of sculpts, choosing the eye color and then selecting the wig to go with the doll. Adding such finishing touches as freckles would be a nice option. Certainly, it would push up the price of the "customized" dolls, but I do believe they would have a ready market. Look what happens here when someone discovers, "Marisol looks like me!!!!"
Taffy
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">There are several big dance costume shops, e.g. Costume Gallery, Wolf-Fording, etc., and they all seem to specialize in outrageous outfits.Originally posted by judiaci:
Maybe our dance studio teachers all went to the same school for costume design. I know all the costumes come from NY for our recitals. They are all probably from the same place - sort of like the horrible bride's maid dresses.
On the subject of bridesmaid dresses, I thought that the reason that the dresses were all so horrid is that it was the bride's opportunity to seek revenge on the bridesmaids for some past slight! Why else would the bride mandate tea-length maroon velvet dresses with 3/4-length sleeves, hose and closed toe shoes for an August outdoor wedding in Houston? The poor dears were simply swooning away from the heat...
The other reason I have heard is so that the bridesmaids do not "out shine" the bride. You wouldn't want the groom finding one of the bridesmaids more attractive than the bride, would you? That would explain why the only one at a wedding who is allowed to dress fancier than the bride is the flowergirl. She is not competing with the bride...
Taffy
I know my reason for not really wanting AGOTs'is totally unique. It's a sentimental thing. When DD first started collecting AG, there were only four dolls. The first three and Felicity. I come from a family of history nuts, and DD is no exception. She was six when she got her first AG, and was already hopelessly in love with history.
We also participated in the surveys for the first AGOT. When they first came out, we offered to get DD one for Christmas. She didn't want one. So, we never got one.
I think because I took several years off from collecting AG, when I came back I really just wanted to recapture some of that magic DD and I shared. That did not include AGOT.
When the new dolls without bangs came out, I almost caved and bought one. Then I went to a craft show, and a lady was selling her homemade AG clothing. She had the dark haired AGOT with no bangs, and freckles. She let me hold her. I was really surprised at the quality of her hair. It wasn't soft, and it was quite thin. I was not impressed. So, I gave up on the idea of purchasing her.
But I knew that I really wanted an LE doll. Part of me was hoping I would not like Marisol, but I love her...and can't wait until she gets here. I know my UPS man quite well, and he teases me about the fact that he is again delivering dolls to my door.
I do have to say, though...that I don't really think this topic is worth such a debate as this. We all like to collect AG in different ways. We all raise our children differently, and we all have different ideas of what is proper, and what isn't. That comes from living in this great big diverse world we live in. I certainly would not get my feathers ruffled if someone said they can't understand why I love to collect the historical dolls.
I think Kim is admirable for wanting to keep the things in her daughter's life in line with her convictions. There is nothing wrong with that. I realize we all have the right to state our opinions...I would never suggest that we didn't. But sometimes it's okay to be quiet, and just listen. Trust me...this is something I have to work on every day. [img]wink.gif[/img]
Editing because I can't spell. [img]smile.gif[/img]
<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ December 28, 2004 11:32 PM: Message edited by: Ponydreamer ]</font>
<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">You must have my DD's former dance teacher! Can you believe that woman put 3 year olds on stage in purple and silver sequin costumes with feathers in their hair and fringe skirts?Originally posted by OSusannah:
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Dancingfewl423:
I do 4 jazz dances in my recital, and trust me, my teacher has a talent for choosing absolutely horrendous costumes... I think Marisol's outfit is very fun and safe compared to some of the things I've had to endure.
[img]eek.gif[/img] They all looked like mini saloon girls!
Laughing now, horrified then.</font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">My mother let it slip to the owner of my daughter's dance school that I used to be a costume designer. I got sucked into helping with the recital costumes. As someone who had spent years working for companies where costumes were an important element of the art of dance, assisting in the communication of choreographers interpretation of the piece - coordinating costumes for a recital is a horror, a personal nightmare that rips all art from the soul. Bottomline - you sit in an office with the school owner, teachers, and a couple of gung ho moms, and search through dance supply catalogs trying to find the 30 least dreadful outfits priced under $50. By the last five you don't even care what song they are dancing to because you are making decisions based on what sizes are available. The Jazz costumes are the worst. I don't know what the people who put these outfits together are thinking, but someone needs to tell them that these costumes are worn by little kids are dancing in recitals not Bob Fosse revivals.
Laurie thank you for clearing that up. I have seen some of the clothing for jazz and yes, my daughter doesn't like it, but I do understand if the instructor chooses that outfit, you have no choice. My daughter's ballet instructor makes them wear heavy makeup when they are on stage and it bothers me, but I know it is required. I think what the problem is maybe is that the jazz outfit for Marisol isn't just a jazz class outfit down here. There are some young girls, not many, and teenagers (a few) that do dress like this or worse outside of the dance classroom. It does bother me to see young girls dress like that. If it is for class I understand and I never said I didn't, but for children to wear clothing like that to school or around town I disagree with. Down here, it seems to be a part of the "hip hop" look. Not all trendy clothing to me is distasteful. In fact I really like the Sparkly Sport Outfit AG came out with in the Fall and plan to get it for my daughter. However, I do not like trendy clothes on girls that show a lot of skin.
Thank you Jenny [img]smile.gif[/img] Yes, I agree this topic is not worth arguing over. I am still upset and hurt that I have been "griped" at for having my own opinion. I appreciate your voicing your opinion
Kim
Remember if you don't like Marisol's wardrobe you can redress her other things. I plan to redesign my Marisol. She will Molly's clothes but she still likes to dance and lives in the suburbs.
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