Cocktail Dress Collector Barbie

Okay, so I was supposed to complete this review a couple of months ago, but I'm the queen of procrastination, so I just finished it today. lol

It was only a couple of months ago that I was having a discussion with John about vintage Barbie dolls, and how they were (and are) far superior to the modern day play line Barbie dolls. I had since been admiring those dolls in an old book I’ve had since I was seven, ‘The Collectible Barbie Doll’, by Janine Fennick. I had also been perusing dolls on barbiecollector.com; in particular the reproductions and ‘Silkstones’. There was a Gold Label Silkstone Barbie doll on that website that caught my attention, and it’s the doll I’m going to be reviewing today. The ‘Cocktail Dress’ Barbie; from the Fashion Model Collection, which is designed by Robert Best. She originally retailed for $75 USD, but has since been retired. I paid about $100 USD for my doll.

A scan of the aforementioned book, I thought the style of this dress looked very similar to my Silktone Barbie's dress.

I love how her shadow looks on the box.

First things first, the box she comes in. It’s very minimalist, very clean. The outer box is a creamy off-white, decorated by a blue border around the edge. The text which describes the contents are either in matching blue, or a golden brown. Upon opening the box, Barbie is protected by a layer of white tissue paper, which is double layered, and held in place by a golden ribbon and a simple label. The doll herself is held in place by black ribbon & a few elastics, which is what you’d expect from the more expensive fashion dolls.

The first thing I noticed about this Silkstone Barbie was how heavy she is compared to my other Barbie dolls. Granted, this is my first Silkstone Barbie. So I read up on the Silkstones online & discovered they’re made to resemble porcelain. Makes sense. Anyway, her body feels much different from other dolls. I guess you could say that it’s ‘smoother’ than your typical vinyl. She only has five points of articulation; neck, shoulders, and hips. While it would be nice to have more articulation, this is a collector’s doll; she is meant for display, not play.

L to R: Playline Fashionista Raquelle, Stardoll "Fallen Angel', Twilight Saga Esme Cullen, 2012 Holiday Barbie, Silkstone Barbie.

Same dolls, sans-clothing. The Collector Barbies have much more realistic skin tones than the playline dolls.

Moving on to her face up, she has light blue eyes glancing coyly off to the right. Her mascara is done in simple black, which is slightly winged-out to the sides. Her eyshadow is done in two shades of taupe, with a dark brown crease. This is enhanced by a layer of glitter just above her mascara, with a pearlescent shimmer that goes all the way up to her eyebrows. Her lips are a simple shade of pale pink. Her face up is further enhanced by some faint blush on her cheeks, and a beauty spot on her right cheek. When undressing her, I also discovered her fingernails & toenails are also painted pink. It’s not noticeable when she’s fully dressed, but it’s a nice touch & adds to the overall sophistication of her look. Overall, I love the simplicity of this face up. It’s classy, elegant, and mature without taking the emphasis off of her outfit.

Magnificent.

Nice manicure, Babs.

Speaking of her outfit, this was the major draw-in for me. It’s very 1960’s evening wear inspired. Very reminiscent of the Barbie dolls of the era. She wears a nude knee-length dress, overlaid with black netting & lace. The back of the dress features a built-in capelet, which is non-removable. The dress is embellished with tiny black diamantes, which sparkle when they catch the light. The bodice features two black bows in the center. Last of all, the neckline is embroidered with black detailing, which negates the need for a necklace. The dress is paired with black tights, black pointy-toed  pumps, and a pair of silky white ruched evening gloves. The complete look of this outfit is simple, yet very sophisticated. You could even remove the gloves, and she’d still look fabulous.

Front

Back.

Beautiful dress, isn't it?

Here you can clearly see the detail in the skirt

Excuse the hand, I'm showing the capelet

Those shoes are fabulous. Unfortunately, they keep falling off so I have to keep the elastic on. :(

Almost everything she came with. The black skirt is a petticoat to give the dress more volume.

Her accessories include a pair of silver & diamond star-shaped & pearl drop earrings (which are a little too big for her), and a black bow in her hair to match the bows on her dress. This reminds me, I haven’t discussed her hair yet. Oops! Her hair is done in the style of Ponytail Swirl Barbie dolls of the 1960’s. Her fringe is pulled off neatly to the side, with a high ponytail in the back. There’s a slight curl at the end of her platinum blonde hair, which curls inwards towards her neck. It's short and tidy.

A short, yet flirty hairstyle.

Right ear.

Left ear

Lastly, she comes with a stand, certificate of authenticity, and a wrist tag.

I’d say overall, I’m very pleased with this doll. She harks back to the original fashion doll of the mid 20^th century, both in looks and in style. Perhaps it’s a look best suited to a high school prom? I’d gladly buy another Silkstone Barbie, especially if she has Auburn hair. Mad props to Robert Best for such an exquisite design.

Well, that about covers it for my first review. I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time. :)

Au revoir!