Wednesday, July 26, 2017

Mix 'Em Up Fashions Barbie

     I have a little secret and you may have already guessed it. I LOVE dolls with extra fashions and if they can mix and match, I'm in heaven! The first doll I can think of which had this feature (for me at least) was Pink and Pretty Barbie. She came with a top, skirt, pants, overskirt, fur stole, and hat/short skirt. I loved how you could change her looks with all of these different fashion pieces. 
     Then came fashion packs sold with multiple pieces which could be mixed and matched. I have a few of them and am looking to get more. Also, there were fashions which were sold separately which looked like they could mixed and matched because they were made with the same fabrics (more on this later). 
      Finally, there were dolls made specifically for mixing and matching. One of these dolls was the 2003 Mattel Toy Store Exclusive, Mix 'Em Up Fashions Barbie. I purchased this doll online and have been pleased with her ever since! The doll itself is beautiful. Her make up is soft and she has a dreamy look to her face. She comes with a strapless gold top, long gold skirt, fur stole, black top with half sleeves, reversible skirt with one side black and the other shades of gold, a white reversible sleeveless shell with gold dots, dark gold "leather" pants, denim capri pants and a black jacket with a fur collar. She also comes with a pair of black heels with a strap, gold heels with a strap and a pair of black ankle boots as well as a red crossbody bag, gold drawstring bag, black sunglasses and pearl medallion necklace. With all of these pieces, the mixing and matching possibilities are practically endless!
       This first picture is of the boxed doll. Since I've taken mine out of the package, I've used two images from the internet to show how she was packaged. The box itself was interesting as it was "latched" and opened like a book. I can't think of another doll I've seen this on. 

In the box

Everything still attached to the liner. 
The back of the box 

Her dreamy look
The gold skirt, top, stole, purse and necklace. 
The dark gold pants, reversible shirt, gold shoes and red bag
The white shell reversed, reversible skirt and gold shoes
The black shirt, reversible skirt, sunglasses, black booties, bag and necklace
The gold top, denim capris, black jacket, black heels and black sunglasses
     I am really pleased by the versatility of this doll set and am glad I bought her! The doll is lovely and the outfits are some of my favorites! More mix and match things to come in future posts!

Saturday, July 15, 2017

Tonner City Girls Unreleased Dolls and Outfits

     In my previous post, I showed you the released Tonner City Girls dolls and outfits. Now I'm going to show you what could have been if the line continued. I've found all of these images online, so none of them are mine. 
     It looks like the City Girls line was either going to be bigger than it actually was upon first release or there was another line which was planned for release. I'm very disappointed these dolls and outfits were never made as they would have really expanded on the line. 
     As you can see in the picture below, Color Block Astor, Cape Town fashion, Basic Brook-Lynn, Taxi! Billy, Golden Swirl Astor and Gray Haze fashions are with a cute blue dress, a lovely pink dress and different packaging!

I love the blue outfit on Astor!
     In this picture, which is split, I love the two dresses on Brook-Lynn! The outfit in the package is cute too. The sandals on Brook-Lynn look different than what was produced. 


I really love that pale pink dress with the gloves!

   In this one, you can see the two dresses on Brook-lynn from a different angle and the shoes on Color Block Astor look like they are two colors rather than the one color they were actually made. 

Another view of the two unproduced outfits
     This picture shows that lovely blue dress a little better though I'd love a head on shot of it.

This blue dress is the bomb!
     Here is one more outfit, which I'm very sad was never produced. I love the purple jacket and jeans on this one.

This is a beautiful look!

     This one shows more outfits which were never produced. I love the orange sweater outfit! I'm also not sure which doll this is supposed to be since it doesn't look like Astor's hair color. The doll in the green and blue outfit is Astor, or so I believe. Also the blonde doll behind the orange outfit looks different than Brook-Lynn. 

I love the teddy bear!
     Another view of the above outfits, with a clearer view of the long pink dress and the trench coat outfit. 

I really like the purple dress too!
     
        I'm not sure if the three dolls are supposed to be additions to the line or just different looks for Billy, Astor and Brook-Lynn. Here's a closer look.

I love the hair on the doll in the pink dress!

         Here is a closer look at the two dolls in the back. I am totally in love with the long pink and gold dress! 

Beautiful dolls

     Here is a closer look at three of the outfits. I really like the purple dress and the trench coat outfits. 

Looks like polka dot PJs!
     Here's another closeup of some of the outfits and you can see some of the names as well.

That shoe box is to die for!
This one shows the gorgeous pink and gold gown. 

I can't quite read the name of the outfit. "Met at the (something)"
     And finally, I don't know if these were additional dolls or the way they were going to initially be boxed, but I came across this picture as well.

I like the coordinating outfits.
     All in all, I liked the City Girl line and have contacted Tonner to see if they were going to release any more. The answer was essentially, "Maybe." I can only hope!

Friday, July 7, 2017

Tonner City Girls

     I came across these dolls completely by accident and fell in love with them! I do remember downloading the catalog introducing the dolls, but never looked into purchasing them until I ran across them by accident online. I have managed to obtain almost the full set of them minus one of the outfits, which I'm still looking for, and am sad there are no more to buy. However, it looked like there may have been more in the works which were never produced. The line consists of five 15.75" dressed dolls and three outfits. Each doll has articulation in the arms, legs, hands and waist. Also the hands are removable. 
     The dolls are Color Block Astor, Golden Swirl Astor, Taxi! Billy, Basic Brook-Lynn and Basic Houston. Astor was the only doll released as a deluxe version and Brook-Lynn was an FAO Shwartz exclusive. 
      Each girl does have a backstory, but they were only found online or in the catalog, so if you didn't have the catalog, you wouldn't know their stories. 
      The first one I bought was Color Block Astor. Astor is 23 and is a fitness model. She is a strong and determined survivor. While in the hospital, she made up her mind to beat her medical condition and start doing triathalons. She succeeded and is now a competitive triathlete and fitness model with major contracts. She devotes a lot of time to training and friends, but just as much to charity runs to help find a cure. 
Color Block Astor

        The life of a Fitness Model isn't always photoshoots and sporting events. Astor is ready for tonight's Charity Ball, wearing the Golden Swirl Gown. She's ready to dazzle and dance. 
Golden Swirl Astor - if you notice, her hand has come off, but it is in the box still
          Billy is the next doll I bought. She is 24 and is a bakery owner. Billy's Buttercream Bakery is one of the hottest bakeries in the City. There are always lines around the corner waiting for her scrumptious desserts. She's sweet, soft spoken and puts love into everything she bakes. A large portion of the proceeds from sales of her cookbook go to charities around the City.

Taxi! Billy
     Basic Houston and Basic Brook-Lynn are dressed in the same outfit, which is a robe, camisol, boy shorts and high heels. I bought Houston first. She is 22 and is a personal shopper. Few people have the style and eye for fashion that Houston does. She started her Personal Shopping business in college and since graduating, her client base has grown exponentially. She's a smart and graceful business woman who is also incredibly socially minded. 

Basic Houston
     I lucked out when I bought Brook-Lynn as she was in a bundle with an outfit I'd been looking for. Brook-Lynn is 23 and is an event planner. When you need an event planned, the "it" gal to call is Brook-Lynn. She's incredibly organized, detail oriented and has exquisite taste. She also uses her amazing creativity for pro-bono charity events that raise awareness of causes close to her heart. 

Basic Brook-Lynn
      The outfit I bought with Brook-Lynn was Networking. The City Girls (tm) know that it takes more than working hard to make it in your chosen field. Who says that you can't have fun while Networking? 
       The picture in the catalog shows Astor wearing it, while another picture of the group together shows it on Houston. 

Networking fashion
      The second fashion I bought  is Cape Town. Autumn in the City is a magical time. Warm days and chilly nights. Strolling the avenues and enjoying the evenings outside before winter pushes everyone indoors. The picture shows Billy wearing the outfit, while another shows it on Brook-Lynn. 

Cape Town fashion

    The third and final fashion is my favorite and the one I can't find. I'm hoping to be able to find it so I can complete my collection. It's called Gray Haze. The City Girls (tm) know that winters in the City are COLD! The streets become wind tunnels and are a maze of ice and slush. Luckily, they know how to dress accordingly. 
Gray Haze fashion on Brook-Lynn