Being highly evolved ...

It has become increasingly surprising to me how my blogs don't follow any rational plan.  I mean I start out with a plan ... honest ... I do.   But then something happens and I wind up writing about something else.

When I started this blog, it was going to show a direct progression of my doll collecting this year.   I was going to open each arrival in the order in which they showed up on my doorstep.  I was going to follow my resolutions and stay on track.  HA!

I managed well enough with the first eight dolls added to my collection this year.  Then someone got moved to the head of the class ...

She is Heart of Glass Aria from the Plastic Inevitable Dynamite Girl 2011 Collection.  She is made by Integrity Toys.   I knew when I saw this doll in the Spring preview show that she was going to be a doll for my collection.  She has such an exquisite expression.   I loved the edge to her outfit which is incredibly detailed.  The jeans are very stylized with grays, silvers, golds, reds, blues, etc.   They snap in the back and have pencil legs.   They are a fantastic fit.  The jacket has all sorts of little button details.  It is one of the best DG pieces ever produced in my opinion.   Under the jacket she is wearing a lace blouse with sewn in bra. 

 This girl is extremely versatile.  I put her hair up and added the skirt from Suited Luxury Adele (this is the blouse under the jacket).   I have mentioned to other collecting friends that this Aria does not look like other DG models to me.  I decided to try her on a NuFace body.

One thing I did note right away.   This year's DGs came with pierced ears.  I thought that was a wonderful surprise. 

Some members of the collecting community had orginally purchased this doll with intention of adding the outfit to their NuFace girls' wardrobes.  There is still too much difference in heighth for the DG and NuFace girls to share pants.   Here is a photo of the evolution of the DG girl with a NuFace doll thrown in for comparison sake.  They are all on similar stands and the same distance from the camera.

The first doll is Feelin' Fierce Dani (farthest to the left).    She is one of my favorites of the earlier girls and is on the original body (pre-2010).   The original DGs had legs similar to the second generation FR girls.  Collectors did not like the way the knees looked in photos.

The design team at Integrity listened and decided to come out with an improved knee.  The second doll is last year's Vintage Vinyl Sooki.  You can see the leg length is a little longer than the original doll body.  The new DG body can still share pants with Poppy, Misaki, Barbie, and the earlier DG models.   The NuFace leg is even longer and is somewhat "thicker", which prevents them sharing slacks.  They can still share skirts, dresses, and most blouses.

When I put the four dolls next to each other, I noticed an even further difference.  The forearms on the dolls are different lengths.  Even though Integrity solved the problem with the knees, DG collectors wanted MORE.  We wanted better hands.  Something more graceful.   So this year, the DG models have nicer hands.  I am only speculating here, but I think IT had to change the forearm a little for the newer hand (it must not have been as aesthetic as desired).   The newer dolls does have a longer forearm.  It still is not as long as the NuFace arm, but it is a little longer.  This brings in a further challenge in long-sleeved wardrobe options.

I believe Aria is exceptional.  She is definitely #9 now in my collection.  One of the best things about the DG girls (and guys) are their price.  IT has managed to keep their prices down.  The Plastic Inevitable dolls were retailed at $59.00.  For the quality of doll and clothing, you can't beat that price anywhere!   Unfortunately, the production numbers were very low and they sold out almost immediately in pre-orders.   One of the male dolls has been fetching as much as 5  - 8 times his original price..  Fortunately, I have a great relationship with an incredible dealer and was able to pre-order all of the dolls I wanted this year.  But Aria didn't have to wait; she moved directly into her place in my collection.

More Bang for the Buck

It was my intention to continue introducing my readers to my collection.  You met my playline dolls who reside permanently here in my last post.  I was going to move on to my next group of girls, but a friend and I were talking about some Barbie Models on Location giftsets from five or six years ago.  I was telling her how versatile the pieces were and which dolls looked good in the outfits.   That phone conversation led to this blog.

There were four giftsets in this collection and each giftset included a Model Muse Body Barbie.  I was able to find all four giftsets when they were first released- two were on clearance and one even showed up at my local Tuesday Morning.   The most popular doll was in the Models on Location: Monte Carlo.   (Since these were designed for Model Muse dolls, everything fits that body type, so I didn't include any photos of Model Muse Dolls)

Wearing the Monte Carlo pants and top is Dynamite Girl Feelin' Fierce Dani. 

The pants in these sets fit the first version (before the knee enhancement and the longer legs) perfectly.  They look fantastic on the DGs.  The length is perfect and the fit is comfortable.   I didn't include the jackets because it makes it harder to pose the girls, but the DGs are ideal for the jackets because their hands actually come out. 

 Grace is looking at her watch and saying, "It is about time you realized that you left me out of the last blog post."  Grace is #10 in the playline dolls that reside here permanently.  She was the last doll I added to my permanent collection and was the subject of the previous blog.  I forgot her; I'm sorry, Grace.  She is wearing the Monte Carlo top and skirt.

 Grace is also sporting a DG body.  You can see the skirt and top are perfect fits. 

 The Fashion Royalty women can wear very little from these collections.  The pants are too tight (and too short for the new taller body).  The jackets and sweaters do not come all the way down on their arms.  The blouses are too tight for those big breasteses.  They can wear the skirts and two of the bathing suits.  This is Eris (a Sheer Goddess Veronique on a taller body) wearing the Monte Carlo swimsuit. 

Next up, we have DG Boogie Beach Aria wearing the South Beach casual jeans and peasant blouse.   Aria is also a DG.   I had originally planned on using only DGs for all of the photos and "killing two birds with one post" by introducing that segment of my collection, but then I wanted to show other dolls wearing the clothing. 

As you can see, the jeans are a perfect length and Aria just looks so funky in this blouse!

Silkstones are a "hit" or "miss" with this collection.  The pants are usually too tight.  It's a struggled getting their hands through the jackets, but they are the correct length.  The tops are a tad snug but "do-able".  The skirts fit nicely as does this South Beach dress.

 I thought Lingerie #4 (known as Marilyn) was just radiant wearing this.  

This brings me to the fashionista body.  Again, the pants are a struggle.   The skirts, blouses, and swimsuits fit fine.  Actually, the swimsuits fit this body better than any because their hips are a little thicker. 

Barbie Basics 2.0 Teresa has not been placed "permanently" yet, but she is growing on me.   Especially in this South Beach swimsuit.

By this time, I realized I hadn't photographed anyone except DGs wearing the pants, so I pulled out my favorite Misaki, Harajuku Honey.  Those who have been posting for some time on the boards may remember her from her model training in Europe where she found her Lavender Poodle, Henri.

 The Misaki dolls look extraordinary in everything from this collection.   Their flat feet allow them to stand on their own more easily.   This is the pantsuit from the Milan Collection.  Again, I didn't include the matching jacket.

This is the upgrade Jett from the last Integrity Convention.  She is on the "refreshed" taller body with better knees.  Although she cannot wear the pants, she definitely looks great in the skirt outfit from Milan.

 Even though her legs got lengthened a little, the arms stayed the same.  Everything except the pants can be worn by the new version of the DG girls.

 Kiki holds a very special place in my collection.  She was my model in Pink Parlor's Next Top Doll contest from a few years back.  The Nuface girls are too tall for the slacks and the sweaters/jackets are too short on the arms.  The tops, skirts, dresses, and swimsuits fit fine though.

 Kiki really knows how to work that Milan swimsuit.

 Since the Monogram dolls have similar attributes to the NuFace dolls like Kiki, they can wear the same pieces as KiKi.   Again, no pants, jackets, or sweaters.

 But Blue Chip looks very nice in this dress from the Barcelona Collection.  Even the length works.

 The Poppy Parker girls get a "modern" facelift with these collections.   They are like Honey and the other Misaki dolls.   Everything fits great and looks fantastic on the Poppy Parker girls.

 I really like how I Love How You Love Me looks in this top. This was the pants outfit from Barcelona.  The length is supposed to be low calf: sort of like clam diggers.

I decided to end the blog with another DG.  This is Electro Pop Aria.  I gave her a "faux"hawk in the front.  She looks like Li'l Kim to me.  She is wearing the Barcelona swimsuit which is one of my very favorite pieces.

I call her Kym.  She is a very difficult doll to adjust to with that pink hair, but I just love her.

I didn't include all of the purses or accessories.  Most of the shoes were selected from my stash of shoes and may not be the ones actually included in the giftsets.  These giftsets can still be found and are reasonably priced.   The clothing has NO velcro.  Everything has snaps.  Although items are not lined, they are quality made.  Many cute details.  For the price it is hard to find nicer groups of clothing WITH A DOLL INCLUDED!