New Barbie Look and Silkstone News!
There has been a bit of a Barbie drought in this collectors house for a while but that may change in the coming weeks. This morning, The Barbie Collection added a few items for preorder that has some collectors very interested.
First up are a couple of new Barbie Look dolls.
The Barbie Look™ Barbie® Doll – Park Pretty
Designer: Bill Greening
- Body Type: Articulated
- Facial sculpt: Millie
- Fashion Sewn On: No
- Fashion: Floral dress paired with yellow peep toe shoes
- Accessories: Doll, fashion, shoes, sunglasses, bracelets, purse, phone, coffee drink, Miss Honey, dog tag
Release Date: 9/30/2016 **** Caveat…don’t be fooled by the date people, it says release but in actuality, this one won’t ship until 11/11/16** Just keeping it real.
Retail: $29.95
I love the accessories this one comes with. Honey the dog is always a plus ( did you know this dog has her own Instagram account!) and the phone and iced coffee drink is adorable. It looks like this doll also has a semi ‘made to move’ body. The knees at least look that way and one would assume its so Barbie can sit very easily on the picnic blanket while she is at the park. Nice work Bill. I like this one.
The Barbie Look™ Barbie® Doll – Pool Chic
Designer: Bill Greening
Release Date: 9/30/2016
- Body Type: Articulated
- Facial sculpt: Karl
- Fashion Sewn On: No
- Fashion: Floor-length aqua blue halter dress with gold detail
- Accessories: Doll, fashion, shoes, earrings, bracelet, purse, phone, compact with pom pom, lipstick
Release Date: 9/30/2016 **** Caveat…don’t be fooled by the date people, it says release but in actuality, this one won’t ship until 11/11/16** Just keeping it real.
Retail: $29.95
Very elegant and I love the accessories again. Bill…you have this collector’s attention. I am really liking these Barbie Look collections so far.
Classic Black Dress Barbie® Doll (Brunette)
Designer: Robert Best
- Body Type: Posable Silkstone®
- Facial sculpt: Vintage Silkstone
- Fashion Sewn On: No
- Fashion: Little black dress
- Accessories: Boots
Release Date: 9/30/2016 **** Caveat…don’t be fooled by the date people, it says release but in actuality, this one won’t ship until 01/31/17** Just keeping it real.
Retail: $40.00
OK…first off I am really happy that a brunette version of the adorable blonde classic black dress silkstone will be available to collectors now. The price point is very attractive too! However, this doll is eerily similar to a couple of the convention dolls given in Europe this past year. If I were an attendee for one of these conventions and I saw this, frankly, I would be a little pissed off. Those convention dolls are supposed to be super exclusive, a perk for going to them. Now Mattel is offering up a doll so similar it’s uncomfortable. Here is the Milan convention doll…
Odd choice Mattel.
The Power of Pink Rises Again
I can’t describe the power of this color in my life. It is a color that just makes me happy. I confess, if I see a dress or gown in this color, I am immediately drawn to it. I seem to fall for the pale pinks more so than the more vibrant hues but If it is pink, I’m interested. For those of you who follow my instagram feed ( and soon to add Instagram stories too!!), you will have seen that I added these babies to my shoe collection.
The color just makes me happy. So it will come as no surprise that I recently took receipt of some pink gowns. They are from a relatively new designer in the doll arena and I am pleased to be adding his pieces to my collection.
Model: 2016 NBDCC Convention Doll
Gown and earrings: Rimdoll on Etsy
Shoes: 2016 NBDCC Convention Doll
Oh the yummy pink sparklyness of this!! By the way, I completely blame Wholeeah for this gown ( follow her on Flickr or Instagram) because it was her phenomenal pictures of this dress on a Matt Sutton OOAK that got me running to buy it. This gown came with a little gift of earrings. Always a nice touch and it is well tailored and shipped very quickly. I have more of this designer’s work to show you!
** note** The sleeves are a little long on this model because this dress was made to fit the FR2 body. I just decided I wanted a Silkstone to model it first.
-Rebecca
Classic Cocktail Dress Arrives
My trusted dealer Barb of Windy City Dolls sent one of these lovelies out as soon as she received them. She isn’t even up on the BC website yet. It looks like she will retail for $100.00
So what am I thinking?? Hmmmm. Well, I like the gown and the little pearl embellishments are delightful. Her face is sweet and I like the silvery lilac eye shadow. The lashes seem a bit spikey to me but not a huge problem. I love the little pearl drop earrings. The hair on mine was a bit of a fixer upper. The curls on top are soft so when you remove the hairnet, you will get some flyaway hair. Not super crisp curls but not a deal breaker in my opinion.
The dress is a strapless gown with a little crop top overlay that snaps in the back. She comes with a white slip underneath too. Considering the quality of some of the other outfits we have seen from BFMC lately, this one is pretty good. I mean we get earrings, pantyhose, a slip and a fairly well constructed dress. It’s up to you as collectors to decide if that is worth the price. I have to be honest and say, I am not a fan of this new body. The flexibility ( or lack thereof) in the wrist joint is a major problem. I do, however, love the elegant pose of the hand. I just wish it bent so I could comfortably put her hand on her waist. My other issue with this doll are the very flimsy shoes. The heal is very pliable so it bends under the weight of the doll when she is on her stand.
Is Miss Classic Cocktail Dress a keeper at ITFDS? Time will tell. I am anxious to see how she redresses then I will make my final decision.
-Rebecca
Paris Fashion Week
It sounds like collectors are finally receiving their classic black dress silkstones after ordering them back in February. I thought it was time to bring this lady out and showcase her in a setting that touches on what is going on currently in the fashion world…Paris Fashion Week. Hope you enjoy!
Model: Classic Black Dress Barbie® Doll
Dress: Bellissima Couture
Hat: Scrapbooking element from Joann’s Fabric
Jewelry: necklace made by me
Shoes: Mattel
Gloves: Have absolutely noooooo idea. I don’t think they are Mattel. They may have come with a DEA fashion. They fit this new articulated body very snuggly though.
Set: Ornate wall made by me, gold chairs obtained through special order, flooring is checkerboard contact paper.
-Rebecca
Articulated Silkstone Now Available to Order
But she won’t be shipping until March 1st folks. If you want her sooner, look to the dealers, they appear to be getting them first. I like this idea of giving the dealers first dibs on shipment. It makes sense to me and it helps support those dealers that have been loyally selling Mattel’s collector products for all these years. I called my trusty dealer Barb of Windy City Dolls the moment I saw these ladies showing up on Ebay ( not happy that this is where the first ones showed up but not surprised either). She sent one over as soon as they arrived at her shop.
Classic Black Dress Barbie® Doll
Designer: Robert Best
Release Date: 2/1/2016…hmmm…this is what the site says but they also clearly state that shipping won’t start until 3/1/2016.
Retail: $40.00 at The Barbie Collection
So…what do I think? I think the face on this first Silkstone of 2016 is a winner. It is one of the best facial screenings I have seen in a while from the BFMC. Very soft, and pretty. The black dress is basic. The material is nice and of a good weight…but basic. The boots are…basic. They are plastic people and almost impossible to get off unless you use the hot water trick **see below. No jewelry, purse with this one nor undergarments..yep that’s right…Barbie is going full commando.
The bigger question I think is what do I think of the body of this doll. First and foremost, the dimensions are NOT the same as previous BFMC Silkstone bodies. The bust is most definitely smaller. Clothing does not fit exactly the same which surprises me as I believe Mr. Best said that the body was going to be the same proportions in the video announcing the articulated bodies. I am not saying the body is bad…just different dimensions and for us redressers, that will be an issue. The material feels weighty and solid which is nice and the joints appear to be solid and stay where you position them. It is basically ok…but not great. Here is why: 1) The articulation on the joints is minimal except for the legs. This girl can do the splits if she wants but she cant rotate her hand enough to fully bend it one way or the other…it only goes a little bit one way or the other. She can just barely put her hands on her hips. Compare the functionality with Integrity Toys dolls and you will find that IT bodies are loads ahead as far as flexibility. The new Silkstone body can however, do the splits whereas IT dolls cannot. Not sure how that is something I will utilize unless I get the letch to do Gymnast Barbie, or Pole Dancing Barbie or perhaps contortionist Barbie. You never know…it could happen. I am hopeful that the next iterations of this body will beef up the bust size and include some additional rotation in the joints. My other big concern with these new bodies are the rough edges and seams that show. The knee joint on the one I received had a big ugly rough edge at the seam right above the knew joint. Some may argue that you will hardly ever see that…maybe but in the dress she came in, it was VERY evident. It’s not worthy of sending back, it’s just sloppy work on the part of the factory. Am I expected now to file down the seams of Silkstone dolls that I receive?
On the very positive side however, the doll is only $40. That is an extremely low price point for a Silkstone Barbie doll. So…messy seams and all, this doll photographs beautifully. I admit, I had to pin the gown on her so it fit more securing up top. It was made to be worn by the older body. She does look good though and I guess each collector will have to decide for themselves if she is a good fit for their collection. I am keeping mine for the present and still hopeful for the year ahead for the BFMC. I think it will be a very much paired down year but time will just have to tell on that one.
Beatuiful dress was made by Hilda of Bellissima Couture.
Oh..and as an added not to my loyal readers…After filing multiple DCMA claims with various accounts on Pinterest and Instagram all of which were cutting the watermark off my photos and passing them off as their own, I will have to start putting even larger and more intrusive watermarks on my photos. Not my choice people but there you have it. Sometimes…I just don’t understand some people.
**Hot Water Boot Trick** To help get those pesky black boots off, I heated up a cup of water to almost boiling then stuck the legs and boots in for about 30-35 seconds. Using a towel because they will be hot, boots should slid right off. If not, put the legs with boots back in the water for a bit more.
2016 BFMC Articulated Silkstone Sneaked
This is not an official sneak from Mattel but it is all over the internet and social media so I am going to share it here. This was first reported by my very fine friend and fellow blogger Rogier of Dutch Barbie World. Zlatan Zukanovic posted some amazing and beautiful photos on his Instagram account a few days ago of what appear to be the first articulated Silkstone. Her face is adorable!!
Gorgeous right?!! Then…this afternoon…guess what shows up on Ebay!
Original listing is here. Not a word from Mattel, not a sneak, not a whisper. I find this very interesting and I also question the sales hype of the BFC where they tout that the club is “a passionate collecting community with unparalleled access to the world of Barbie”. Yes, the collecting community is unparalleled in this arena but I am no longer sure how much of that is due to Mattel. It seems that more and more we are finding and receiving information from sources other than Mattel. Perhaps this is just the way things go with social media being the way it is or…perhaps this is just a marketing team that doesn’t really seem to know what they are doing. Either way, it looks like reaching out and watching things like Instagram, Ebay and Facebook are the way to get information going forward. Love the photos that Zlatan did so it is not a chore to look at his lovely photos whenever he posts. Bonus!
When this beauty is available….I’m buying!! 
Articulated Silkstones!
The speculation has finally ended for many collectors and has become fact. Mattel has formally announced ,beginning with the 2016 BFMC collection, Silkstone Barbie’s will be on articulated bodies. According to the new BC holiday catalogue, there will be articulation at knees, wrists, elbows and torso.
There is no information about what material is being used for these bodies. I am hoping that the quality will still be there for these bodies. I am all for articulation…as long as it is done correctly. I am excited for this new phase in Silkstone collecting. I am also hopeful that they will make bodies available so that collectors can re-body some of the older dolls. I am also wondering if the hands will be removable like the Integrity Toys dolls. This makes it very easy to redress. We will just have to wait and see.
I don’t know about you guys but I am loving the chic modern look of this new line for 2016. The black purse alone in the picture above is making me excited to see our first sneak peeks of the 2016 lineup. I am also loving the cateye liner of Miss Silkie. Looking forward to new reveals Mr. Best!
Also interesting to note…there is a new video available to BFC members where Robert Best talks about the 2015 collection. In that video both the photographer and the set builder for BFMC make very pointed comments about the gilt chairs. Something to the effect that “you can never have enough gilt chairs”. Is this a clue?!! Will we finally, after years of begging, be able to buy these chairs?!! Or…will they be a gift when signing up for the BFC next year. If I were putting things on my Christmas list, that would be at the very, very top.
Dear Santa,
I have been good. I would really, really like a pair of Barbie gilt chairs for Christmas. Thank you
–Rebecca
Never hurts to try right 
Inside the Fashion Doll Studio 