Are you a purist with historicals?

[jennifermarym]

I am too picky, I can't mix anything. I won't even put Nellie in Samantha's clothes. I wouldn't say I'm rigid...purist does sound so much nicer [img]redface.gif[/img]

[moderator]

With the American Girl dolls, I never mix their clothes. It just doesn't seem right, because to me they're so connected to the books about them. That's one reason the "today" clothes for historical dolls (Addy, Nellie, and Kaya) seem so "strange" to me.

I have a Life of Faith doll and am struggling with this since I like so many of Millie's clothes more than I like Elsie's. But since they're historical, I also feel like I just "can't" mix them.

But with other non-AG dolls, I do dress them in different outfits. I have a My Twinn Friend, specifically, that's a "time traveler" doll. It's fun to have a doll that you don't feel *has* to wear certain clothing. One day she can be in a '50s poodle skirt, another day in Kate-Greenaway-inspired clothes, another day a modern girl.

For anyone who doesn't have a time traveler doll--try it, it's fun!

But for me, the American Girls (and Elsie) have to stay in their own time periods! [img]wink.gif[/img]

[Grapedy1982]

Without a doubt I am a purist! My historicals do not mix clothes, except for Felicity/Elizabeth and Samantha/Nellie. I have a hard time putting Samantha's clothes on Nellie though, they're so much "nicer" than what Nellie would have worn in Samantha's books. She really likes Samantha's blue gingham play dress though.

I do a lot of costume research as part of my job, so I have to examine every potential dress that I buy for Josefina, Felicity and Elizabeth. They HAVE to be right, and that is the big reason I don't buy handmade dresses for Lissie. I've only seen a few that pass the historical accuracy test.

Katya and Marisol will wear nearly anything though, especially Marisol. She has an alter ego of a Creole girl named Lisette and likes to wear Empire fashions.

[margersk8]

My DD is a strict purist. Except with AG#4 Syuri and Jess.She makes them historical asian girls sometimes since AG has not made a historical asian girl. She will never put historical girls in AGOT or mix and match. She will not even put Samantha in Nellie's or vise versa, same with Felicity and Elizabeth. She says it is just weird. She also will not put historical characters in each others outfits. The AGOT girls stay in today outfits as well.
Great topic

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ February 20, 2006 11:42 AM: Message edited by: rel'smom ]</font>

[horsemom]

I used to be purist, but after years and years I got bored.

Now, I just do whatever I want. [img]smile.gif[/img] The girls are imaginary characters anyway, so I also imagine they can time travel. Sometimes they time travel and dress up all in the same time period, and other times they like to travel to see each other but stay in their own clothes.

I hate to be limited to AG, so anything that is beautiful and mostly accurate can join the wardrobe. I have most of the LOF line for this reason and a lot of colonial OOAKs from ebay and the Dollies Dressmaker. Quite frankly, I love most of the OOAK colonial gowns more than the AG stuff- they're more detailed and not so chintzy on fabric- fuller, longer skirts than the new stuff and whatnot.

My LOF girls never were in their own time period. I've never read the books and they only have the personalities with which I've endowed them, so they are Elizabeth, Mary, and Sarah (not Violet, Elsie, and Laylie). Kit spends most of her time as Nellie, Samantha's friend. (I know, the horror- but I liked Kit's face more than Nellie's, and Nellie didn't look accurate to the illustrations anyway to me LOL.) Kit is the most well-traveled of the bunch since she also has her own clothing and some of Molly's items that are too cute to pass up. Josefina is the least well-traveled; she's a bit shy and typically likes to stay at the ranch.