Fashionista Learns a Lesson
We never got an American Girl as a child (unless you count the Marilyn Monroe by Warhol poster from Hanukkah '95). Still, we have half fond and half jealous memories of Felicity, Kirsten, and Samantha, the historical dolls whose every adventure, friendship, and fashion accessory were relentlessly chronicled and sold by the Pleasant Company. Felicity in particular was huge with our friends, probably because her Colonial time period allowed her the most extravagant dresses and also, she looked a bit like Lindsay Lohan in The Parent Trap. There was just one issue - with the exception of a few frilly gowns, the clothes were anything but great for these dolls. We could hole up for hours dressing Barbie in trash bag couture and wrap-dresses invented from our mother's old scarves. But the American Girls? Oh, they needed a Little Fashion House on the Prairie. This season, things are changing. The company just introduced two new dolls named Julie and Ivy who are both from the '70s (okay, Felicity was from the 1770s, but that doesn't count). Along with Title IX and Nixon, the girls are also learning about caftans, bell bottoms, and mood rings. The cynical part of Fashionista worries this is all American Girl needs to start an overpriced denim line to go with their overpriced dolls. The rest of us thinks if girls start thinking tunics and disco dresses are cuter than Juicy Couture and the Cheetah Girls, this is a very good step.
