Calista Wears OG Outfit "Night at the Movies"

OG Out at the Movies

Our Generation has two price levels of clothing, one at around $12.99 and the "Deluxe" outfits at $16.99.  "Night at the Movies" is one of the regular ($12.99) outfits.  It comes with a pair of jeans, a stripped sweatshirt, shoes, a tub of popcorn and 3D glasses.  How well does this outfit fit the Journey Girls?  Well, let's take a peak!

Sweatshirts come in all sorts of different styles.  With a collar, puffed sleeve (a little) and gathered shoulders, and a gathered waist, this sweatshirt is on the fancy side.

Made out of a light tan fabric with florescent yellow horizontal strips, the sweatshirt feels authentic, even if it is a little thin.  There are two buttons on the front to open and close the shirt.  My collar had a very difficult time staying straight.  It was up in Calista's face more than it was sitting down,  Although the sweatshirt is large on Calista it somehow manages to be short on her.  Another half an inch of fabric would make this sweatshirt much better.

As it is, if Calista raises her arms she exposes her belly.  Especially with the gathered flair at the bottom I would think that this top should be longer.  I also noted a few loose threads on the stitches.

Fancy jeans are all the rage right now.  The jeans with this outfit are a medium blue with light blue triangles patterned throughout the pants.  Below the right knee there is a square lace "patch".  It would be great to see this material in another area on the jeans also, such as the back pocket area.

Somehow the jeans manage to be tight and loose at the same time.  Near Calista's thighs the jeans get tight, but then loosen up around the waist.  When Calista stands the pants have a pouch at the front because of the looseness.

They never fall down, but they never cinch her waist either.  The looseness of the jeans and the shortness of the sweatshirt make the outfit a strange fit, especially when Calista is sitting, at which time you can see her belly and her butt at the same time!

Even though Our Generation shoes are made of plastic, the styles vary drastically, compared to the three styles of Journey Girls plastic shoes.  In this set a pair of auburn brown huarache sandals.

They are semi open on the side with plastic "leather" straps covering the front of the foot.  A really cute design even if it is in plastic!  As with all Our Generation shoes, these are wide on Calista's feet, but fit lengthwise.

If that was all the set came with it would be a decent set, but the added bonus of it having a small popcorn tub and 3D glasses is pretty awesome.

The popcorn tub just fits in Calista's hand...and I mean just fits!  It did leave a little bit of a mark on the side of the box from her fingers.  The glasses fit okay, except for the weird curled ends.

Not sure why the ends of the glasses wrap so much, especially since the wrap isn't big enough to go around Our Generation ears or Journey Girls ears.

With a little finagling the glasses will stay on for Calista's viewing pleasure.

Ratings
All ratings are out of 10

Value 6 - Cuteness and great pieces to the outfit, can't make up for the fact that they don't fit well.  I love that there is more to this set then just the outfit, but compared to the kite outfit, this one is a let down.  

Fitment 6 - The only reason I give this set a six is that it is not made for the Journey Girls.  So the fact that it is big, but still stays on is acceptable.  That being said, it fits well enough to stay on.  

Versatility 9 - The components of this set have loads of potential.  The main reason I bought the set was for the jeans, which are super cute even though they are loose.  The sweatshirt is also a great piece that can be used with many other bottoms.  And the huarache sandals are adorable, making for great shoes for other outfits.  Of course the popcorn and 3D glasses can be used with any other outfit as well.

Cuteness 7 -  Even though it's loose, it is very cute.  I'd like to see a few more lace embellishments on the jeans, but that is minor and my opinion.  I love the gathered flair at the bottom of the sweatshirt and the collar.

Overall 7 - Find it on sale and this set is worth the buy.  If you are going to buy it to share with your AG dolls it is better, but not perfect.  (See AG Note below)  The outfit looks so cute in the box, it just doesn't fit well.  Maybe with other pieces it will work well.  For instance the sweatshirt with a different bottom that comes up higher might work.  Or a top that comes down further would work to hide the fact that the jeans are loose.  Still, I would pick this outfit up, just not at full price.

AG Note

Interestingly the outfit is not perfect for AG dolls.  Putting the pants on Seraphina was a challenge as the jeans were tight on her legs.  Easier than getting JG outfits on the AG dolls, but still a challenge.  

The sweatshirt fits better on Seraphina than on Calista, but is still short, showing her tummy or back.  

The shoes fit perfect and look great on Seraphina.  

The 3D glasses have the same issue on Seraphina as they did on Calista, the earpiece goes way past her ear and the wrap does nothing but get stuck in her hair.  Luckily they sit really well on her nose!  Your American Girl doll will have to eat popcorn with their left hand, because the popcorn box only fits in their right hand. 

Don't touch it though, or sneeze at it, or glance at it sideways, because it squirt out of her hand instantaneously!  Like with the Journey Girls this is a mediocre outfit; not horrible, but not awesome.  Worth a purchase if it is on sale.

A Kite For Callie

Callie Tries on "Up and Away"

Our Generation released a slew (okay 6 or so) of new outfits recently.  Included in the mix was this cute light pink dress with a wonderful kite as an accessory.

"Up and Away" includes a dress, sandals, sunglasses, and a really cool kite!  I'll be honest...I would have bought this no matter what the outfit was, as long as I got the kite.  So is it worth it?

Well since the kite was the main reason I bought this outfit, let's take a look at it first.  There have been a few accessory packs from OG that have had a kite, but all of them were fairly small.  This kite is the right size for the Journey Girls.

At ten inches wide and seven inches tall, the triangle kite is almost three times as big as the OG kite that is in the accessory pack that came out last year.

The frame is made of gray plastic pipes, with an a-frame at the top, crossed pieces in the middle and nothing on the bottom of the kite.  String is attached in a triangular pattern on the frame, then a single piece extends over four feet to the bright orange molded plastic handle.  With grooves for Callie's fingers, the handle stays in her hand easily without any straps or tape!

The kite itself is made of a light "kite like" fabric that has a pink strip down the middle (that matches the dress in this set) purple strips that parallel the frame, and aqua green triangles at the bottom of the kite.

I have two issues with the kite, minor, but annoying (and good).  The bottom of the kite is attached to the frame by a piece of fabric, making it so that it can slide up and down on the rod.  It would be nice it if didn't move on the frame. Second issue is similar, just in a different spot.  At the tip of the a-frame the fabric isn't attached.

The good part about this...people like me can run fishing line through the frame to make the kite "fly"!  It is slightly annoying that the fabric flips back, but only very slightly.

And that's it for the review!  Actually that is what I expected; and awesome kite and then some "meh" outfit and shoes.  However this is a decent dress.  Like the raincoat dress that was reviewed earlier, this dress is made out of similar cotton jersey fabric.

In certain light the entire dress is a peach color, while in other light it looks more pink (Duh...this is true with many colors since florescent lights put out more of a purple/white/green light and incandescent...or new CFL/LED bulbs give off more of an orange/yellow light.  And now I am done with our science lesson for today.)  The bodice of the dress has a darker shade of peach/pink glittery polka-dots (that don't loose their glitter...YAY!!!) sporadically placed around it.

Similar to a sleeveless t-shirt, the tops has a high neckline and no sleeves with tulle frills instead.

The almost knee length skirt is three layers; a simple white cotton base layer, with two shimmery layers of tulle above that.

The tulle has no hem or cording at the bottom to help from fraying, so be careful of snags.

Our Generation loves throwing in sunglasses in with their outfits (I'll take the glasses over the obligatory purse that JG always adds to their outfits!).  Out of the six OG outfits that I will be reviewing here in the next month or so, four of them come with sunglasses (and another one comes with 3D glasses).  Each one is different though.

This pair of sunglasses has the same design as some seen last year.  A thick purple frame comes halfway down the lenses and ends, leaving the bottom half of the lenses open.  Cute, and also useful when you are trying to see where your kite is in the sunny sky!

Although the sandals that come with this outfit are not a new design, they are a cute design.  Made of clear aqua "jelly" plastic, the sandals go around the ankle and across the top of the toes.

There is a bow on the top of the toe strap, made of the same jelly plastic.  There is even a cute little non functioning clasp on the side of the ankle strap.  The sandals slide onto Callie's feet, stretching at the ankle strap.  They are loose at the toes, since OG dolls have wider and thicker toes, but fit snugly around her ankle.  No issues with falling off!

Ratings
All ratings are out of 10

Value 8 - Although the dress isn't spectacular it is made well, the only downfall being the tulle edges.  The kite is awesome and is one of my favorite accessories.  Sandals are great as are the sunglasses.  Overall a great set for the price ($12.99).  Look for it to go on sale for an amazing deal!

Fitment 9 - This outfit fits like it was made for the Journey Girls.  The top is fitted much more than usual for an Our Generation outfit.  As mentioned the toes of the shoes are loose, but the ankle strap is perfect.  The glasses fit great, which is not always the case with OG glasses.  And the handle is amazing for the kite!

Versatility 9 - This outfit is super versatile.  The dress is cute enough that when paired with the right shoes and accessories can be dressy.  As it is right now though, it is a cute play outfit.  Sandals go with so many different outfits, especially as an accent piece.  The glasses work with lots of outfits.  And the kite is an accessory...the only things it doesn't really go with are winter outfits and dressy outfits.  Great outfit!

Cuteness 7 -  Well the dress is cute, but not amazing.  It reminds me of a few other OG dresses that I have.  The sandals make it cuter.  And Callie looks super cute while she is flying her awesome kite!

Overall 9 - If this was an accessory pack for $7 it would get a perfect 10.  Maybe I am biased (I love kites), but the kite is a great accessory, better than other kites that have been released before.  The dress is cute and functional, but looks similar to a few other outfits that OG has put out before.  That being said the entire outfit set, with the kite, dress, sandals, and sunglasses is AWESOME!  If you want a fun playful set, pick this one up!

AG Note

Maryellen fits perfectly in this outfit.  It is fitted on the top, the Velcro just closes, but still fits and her arms move with no issues.

One of the sandals was a bit of a challenge to get on (nothing like the rain boots!).  For some reason the right sandal was more difficult to get on then the left one.

I have noticed this with other Our Generation shoes.  Maybe Maryellen has one foot that is bigger.  The glasses are a perfect fit.  And of course the kite handle fits great in Maryellen's hand.

This is an amazing outfit for both your Journey Girls and your American Girls dolls.  And it has a kite!

Kelsey In The Rain Gear

New Rain Gear From Our Generation

Unlike Journey Girls that only releases once a year, Our Generation releases outfits in blocks through out the year, usually with the seasons.  One of these blocks was released in February, including this outfit called "Brighten Up a Rainy Day."  The outfit set includes a raincoat, a light blue dress, rain boots, and an umbrella.  You may be thinking, "I already have a rain outfit," or "I don't know that I really need another rain outfit."  Well let us see if this rain outfit is worth buying.

Raincoats are cute, but not a very versatile outfit.  Often times a set comes with the rain gear, but nothing else.  It's nice that this set has a dress with it...although it is kind of a necessity since the raincoat is see-through.  Made out of a plastic/vinyl material (like a real raincoat) this raincoat has salmon colored almond shapes adorning the surface of an otherwise clear outfit.  The cuffs, bottom edge and hood are finished off with a piece of salmon colored fabric.  The coat is about thigh length.  There are two plastic snaps on the front of the raincoat.

Sometimes hoods are ridiculous because they are too small to hold the dolls hair in without looking ludicrous.  This hood is a perfect size.  Putting Kelsey's hair in a bun, the hood stayed on very well.  For the photos her hair is running down the back of the coats (inside).  A really nice raincoat!

It is to be expected that the dress that comes with this raincoat would be simple, which it is, but it is also made well and is quite cute.  A baby blue, jersey knit cotton, straight, knee length dress, with thin straps, it looks almost like it could be a nightgown.

Helping the dress look less like a nightgown is off-white lace with a circular pattern on the front bodice.  Velcro on the top half of the dress makes getting it on very simple.

Definitely not fancy, the dress is cute and works well with the raincoat.  My only concern is that it may stretch, and it is already a little big on Kelsey.

In other sets in years past the umbrella has been a small item that you have to figure out how it is going to be held by your doll.  Not with this one!  The "My Life" umbrella (http://journeygirladventures.blogspot.com/2014/07/rain-rain-go-away-raincoats-review.html) has a piece of elastic that can wrap around your dolls hand.

Instead of elastic the OG umbrella has thick plastic stretch bands (similar to the ones seen to hold the Journey Girls on their box...just larger).  The plastic straps don't show up as much as the elastic and there are two to help stabilize the umbrella better.

The handle, shaft, and stretchers are all made of plastic.  There is no latch at the top of the umbrella to hold the runner in the up position, but the stretchers move into an up position which holds the umbrella open.  Salmon, a dark baby blue and white sections make up the canopy of the umbrella.  The fabric is not stretched tight since Our Generation is assuming that you will only be using the umbrella for imaginative play.  A couple of my stretchers show stress on the plastic arm at connection points.  Once I opened up the umbrella initially it has opened smoothly since then and does not to stress the joints.  The canopy is larger than any of the other umbrellas I have reviewed in the past.  This is a perfect size for Kelsey.

Our Generation boots are made of a nice rubbery plastic.  These boots are are very pale aqua blue.  As with all OG boots, they are huge!!!

But they don't have a slit which is why they have to be so big.  Kelsey's feet slip into the top of the boot, then stick at the curve of the boot at the heel, and with a solid push they go completely on.  Rain boots should be big in my opinion.

These look so cute on Kelsey.  The large size also helps stabilize her.  She tends in so many positions in these boots!

Ratings
All ratings are out of 10

Value 8 - This outfit is made extremely well.  The raincoat is the most realistic material and feel of any I have seen.  The umbrella is awesome!  And it's great that it comes with a dress for underneath the raincoat.  At $17 this is a great buy.

Fitment 7 - Everything fits, the dress is loose, but does not fall off.  The raincoat fits great.  The boots are gigantic, but that is by design.

Versatility 5 - Raincoats are not a fashion item.  They can be fashionable, but they are not an outfit that is worn outside of when it is raining.  As such, this outfit has very limited uses.  The dress is useful for other outfits, but that is really the only item that can be used for something non-rain related.

Cuteness 8 -  The entire outfit is really cute, but the actual raincoat really stands out.  The clear plastic and beautiful salmon color are fun, playful, and very pretty.  The dress, although simple, is very cute.  Good all around outfit.

Overall 8- A great raincoat.  The umbrella in this set is a great size, better than any of the other sets I have reviewed.  I love the quality of the raincoat and the fact that you get a dress with the outfit!  There are no issues with the set, other than it is a raincoat and as such can only be used as a raincoat.  This score is lower than the other raincoat sets I've reviewed mostly because I review different now, but decided not to change the scores on older posts.  At the time that I reviewed those outfits they were worth that rating.  Now comparing it to this outfit I would score them lower...probably more like 6 and 7.  Definitely pick this set up if you are in the market for a raincoat!

AG Note

Our Generation dolls are a very similar size to American Girl dolls, so it stands to reason that the outfits would fit well on American Girl dolls.  Where the dress is loose on Kelsey, it fits well on Lily (Although I much prefer the vinyl shoulders to the cloth of the AG dolls). 

The raincoat fits, but is snug when Lily lifts her arms past her tummy.  It can be remedied easily by pushing the raincoat sleeves up on Lily's arms.  The boots are a strange thing.  They fit, but boy are they a struggle to get on...and a downright pain to get off. 

The issue is that the AG dolls feet are wider than the JG dolls, which makes getting their feet around the heal of the boot really difficult.  This can be alleviated in one of two ways; make the boot bigger or make a slit in the back of the boot.  Neither are great solutions.  And if that is the only issue with the outfit...it isn't really a big one.  I also wonder if the boots will stretch a little after being used, making them easier to get on and off.  A wonderful raincoat that fits both your AG and JG dolls.  Pick it up when you see it!