Glam Squad Strawberry Shortcake Pack #2 from Five Below
Following rumors that there was a new issue of Strawberry Shortcake tie-in Glam Squad clothes, I went to the newest Five Below in my region. And there they were! So it's time to pull out some 11.5" fashion dolls and have them try on their new gear.
(Apologies for the lighting. We have entered the season where the sun will next shine in maybe March, maybe April. I'm not a huge fan of artificial lighting, so my space is lit for reading and moodiness, rather than for, actually seeing things.)
Since each pack contains two outfits, I picked six dolls who seemed bored or under-served by their current attire.
Raspberry Tart
Raspberry Tart is modeled by Hula Hair Teresa and Hula Hair Barbie. Both of these gals have the articulated 1990s body, which is essentially a 1966 torso with articulated limbs. They thus have larger bosoms and smaller waists than modern dolls.
The great news here is that the raspberry sundress stays up over Barbie's bust, even without straps. The sundresses are the reliable pieces of these collections: they fit a wide range of dolls are are just plain cute.
That striped green sweater with a portrait neck is one of my favorite pieces here, just because the designer had the guts to try a mock turtleneck. That bottom neck edge is not hemmed, so it may not do well in active play.
Teresa's flowered mini-skirt is not as sleezy as the denim mini-skirt in the last round of fashion packs was.
Barbie and Teresa aren't wearing shoes because they're flat-footed. They've skipped the purse because it's kind of dull. As for the hair band and pearls... those broke when I tried to get them over Barbie's head. Oops.
Lime Chiffon
Lime Chiffon is modeled by Anne, the Bass Pro Shops girl, and Jazzie. Anne has a fairly standard contemporary articulated body. Jazzie has a slimmer, taller teen body.
Once again, the sundress is classic on anyone. This one is nicely hemmed and would fit a curvier doll, too.
Since Teen Skipper looks so good in her similar Blueberry Pie outfit that she refuses to take it off, I figured Jazzie might like the Lime Chiffon slacks outfit. The pants fit, despite her height! The tube top is a little precarious on her small chest, but the pink shrug is a good fit and is stretchy enough to accommodate her chop-chop arms.
Again, no shoes are modeled, as these girls don't have normal tip-toe feet. The Lime Chiffon purse, though, is by far the best of the purses in this lot, since it has two colors and some nice detail.
Strawberry Shortcake
Strawberry Shortcake is modeled by Amber, from Creata's "Sun Dreamers - California Girls" line (late 1980s), and Franziska, my 1990s Steffi Love with replacement wig. Again, both have torsos more similar to the 1966 Barbie body than to contemporary bodies.
The Strawberry Shortcake sundress is the win of the series. It is nicely hemmed on all edges, somewhat fitted, and just looks delightfully classy in a preppy way.
The red pants are also a win: they fit Franziska better than her original skater pants did. She can just barely squeeze into the crop top.
Still, no shoes are modeled because although this look came with sneakers, they are too small for anyone's feet.
Overall
I'm delighted with this series of fashion doll clothes -- if anything, it's better than the first series. Whether shoes fit non-Glam Squad dolls is a toss-up, but the clothes themselves are flexible.
