7/24/2014

Reviews: Fashion Explorer Vanessa and Poppy Fashions

Fashion Explorer Vanessa is one of the three optional 2014 W Club upgrade dolls and the only one I ordered. Apparently I can't shake the Vanessa addiction completely. She was $130 plus postage.

Let me deal with the sculpt first. She's described as having the Vanessa 3.0 sculpt. I'm still struggling to figure out what the 2.0 sculpt was. It seems that there were several other attempts at a new Vanessa sculpt between DC and now. Half this...half that...I don't get it. 


Could it have been Dress Code Vanessa?


Go back to the original Vanessa.
Make the rest of us happy. 
We don't care if you're bored.

Anyway, the new gal is a pretty doll. There have been many complaints about the screening difference between the left and right eyes. I see it when I look very closely but it doesn't bother me. Her hair, which is long in the back in a beautiful wrapped pony tail, is offset by the boring side curl and an ultra high forehead. A different hairstyle would do wonders.


She is styled awkwardly.
The fashion consists of a boxy, ill-fitting ultra suede top over a sheer mesh bodysuit. The skirt is, as you can see, is a wrap mini in light blue. This is supposed to be a fashion doll and I don't think she ranks up there as well dressed or worth $130.
This is the first time I've seen the revised FR2 body. It's a good body with firm joints. The elbow joints on this doll squeak! 

Her accessories are a huge brown handbag, super tall boots in the same brown, cheap looking sunglasses, irrelevant silver colored bracelets and pin ball studs.

W Club dolls should be the 
very best 
of what's available 
for so many reasons.

Here she shows off her assets:

************

I purchased two fashions from the recently offered three dressed IFDC Poppy Parker dolls. Since I do not collect Poppy dolls, I was hoping that some of my flatter chested dolls would be able to wear them. Success.

This lavender confection comes from a doll called Glamorous Darling. It fits my Monogram Exaggeration perfectly - including the shoes. I am so happy that Poppy has grown up to have normal fashion feet! I hate the articulated ankle on that doll.
The gown is very pretty. The person that sold it to me made the mistake of folding the tulle so it's not draping properly - yet. It will. I'm not going near it with heat. (Been there, done that. Not good.)
Anyway, the only thing wrong with this ensemble is the GLITTER. Sequins would have been sufficient.  Glitter is Mattel's gig. 
Please, no more glitter.
Above is my Mini Avantguard doll, Aphrodisiac, modeling IT Girl. The skirt is a bit loose in the hip area but it doesn't affect the appearance. I wasn't able to get the jewelry or the sunglasses with the ensemble so I added Knife Edge bracelets and IT earrings from some other doll. The earrings came with a bracelet that was way too large for Aphro so I'm thinking they were from a 16" doll. At this point, I have no idea what goes with what and I don't care either.
I removed the bow that was attached to the bodice. It wouldn't lay straight and stuck out too far.

I'm very pleased with both fashions.


21 comments:

  1. Wow- agree that Vanessa outfit is surprisingly subpar for Wclub. What the heck? The suede top in particular is just bad, and the rest super boring and non-exceptional.

    I do love those IFDC outfits though...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Best line (or lines) from this review:

    "Go back to the original Vanessa.
    Make the rest of us happy.
    We don't care if you're bored."

    COULDN'T AGREE MORE!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Better than Mattel and Tonner.................just sayin'............

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is true, Steve. "just sayin" is a pretty obnoxious expression. Either you are saying or you're not. There's no 'just' about it.

      Delete
  4. I'm really disappointed with the W Club Vanessa. She's boring. Her outfit is bland and ill-fitting and those sunglasses are dreadful.

    I also take issue with the Poppy Parker IFDC outfits. They are coated in glitter and the sequins are not even sewn on - just glued. Mine has been shedding glitter and sequins everywhere. Disappointing all around.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The sequins are glued on? I didn't notice that awfulness. The blue suit has no glitter thankfully.
      When Robert Tonner started using glitter on many outfits, I stopped buying. Mine is a no glitter household. It's banned.

      Delete
  5. So how long til her head comes off?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I actually kind of like the second vanesssa with the closed mouth,why not keeping both sculpt 1.0 and 2.0 and using both for Vanessa? like mixing it up, she doesn´t have to always have her mouth open/closed the same I could say about Adele 2.0 and 3.0, I think that would have been really fun.
    LuiZ

    ReplyDelete
    Replies

    1. I think Dress Code Vanessa is pretty. Is she considered 2.0? This doll is, as I stated, pretty as well. And they are doing what you ask apparently.

      Delete
  7. I literally laughed out loud when I read: "Go back to the original Vanessa.
    Make the rest of us happy. We don't care if you're bored." hahahahaha.

    But seriously... are quality control paint issues and glued on sequins and glitter, and one piece dresses as seen on the upgrade Poppy a sign of the high cost of doing business or the profit bottom line? I love IT dolls and look forward to each and every release, but if these issues continue I will be spending my "plastic" money elsewhere.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't attest to the fact that this is due to the high cost of business. It happens once in a while that a doll is not up to acceptable standards. Perhaps the factory worker(s) had a bad week. Who really knows? It's not a new thing and it's not unique to IT.

      Glad to hear you're enjoying the blog.

      Delete
  8. There are 4 dolls using the Vanessa 2.0 sculpt: Dress Code was the first, then Current Pursuits, Monaco Royale and one of the Funny Face dolls.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Vanessa's boots and purse look nice, but everything else is -- as you said -- just disappointing. Perhaps they are losing sight that these are supposed to be fashion dolls. The clothes and the accessories do play a part in selecting which dolls to buy.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I really dislike this eye screening on the Vanessa dolls, these dolls look drunk or ill...and they keep using it, I just don't get it...my other concern is why they can sell Partir Victoire for $99, she even came with a case, but have such a price hike on their other dolls? I have had so many quality control issues of late that I hold my breath every time I open a new doll. I used to be excited and happy when a doll arrived. I am still crossing my fingers that the new FR (FR2.2) dolls will be stunning. I am giving IT one more chance to blow me away or I doubt I will continue with adding dozens of IT dolls to my collection year after year. Sorry to be such a negative Nellie, I love my dolls from IT but the last few years have taken the collecting wind out of my sails.

    Cori

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Cori:
      I don't think expressing your opinion is being negative. It's just what it is and it's OK on this blog where all respectfully expressed opinions are welcome. Thanks for contributing to the post.
      Terri

      Delete
  11. I have been buying fashion royalty dolls for a long time and I don't know how they can knock the ball out of the park with some dolls and be so mediocre with others. The early outfits were very detailed and beautiful. This outfit was certainly subpar. I am not sure I will be keeping her. I don't care for the eye screening either and at a price point of $130, I don't know if I want to put more money into her to have her eyes fixed.

    ReplyDelete

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