This week’s pattern is one a lot of people have been waiting for! 50s Swing Dresses!
I debated doing the Meido fashion this week, but while the PS size really rocks out the loli styles, it isn’t as popular in this size. This size, the classic, feminine dresses seem to be the most in demand, and since Qi Loli was the last one, I figured I would do something different 🙂
Usually, I have a ‘to do’ list as long as my arm and never feel that I’ve gotten quite enough done, but this week I’m pretty happy with myself!
Last week, I got the new Slim, Original, and Broad Fashionista Ken dolls. This week, they all have patterns. Nice.
Ok, maybe some of the new sizes aren’t all that new. The ‘Original’ Ken is pretty much a less articulated, slightly enlarged (except for the hands/feet) version of the EAH doll. And Slim is almost the same, but with slightly more slender arms/legs, and less sculpted muscle definition (and smaller hands/feet).
First is the new Medium Boy Basics. Slim Ken isn’t a cover doll, but that’s because people always ask me about Taeyang clothes (also the same size!) so for now at least, I’ll have the most popular medium guys on the cover. (This size is also the same size as rebooted MH boys, by the way.) This is a pattern that’s been in the shop for a while, but I went through and updated the pattern, changed the cover, and rewrote the instructions.
So if the new Original Ken size can wear any Medium pattern enlarged 108%, why does he get his own pattern? Easy! Printing at different sizes is the #1 thing I get people asking for help with, and the ‘Basics’ patterns are designed to be as easy-as-possible for newbie sewers since this is the style most people make their first pattern. Original just joins the Super Hero Gals with their 125% pre-resized Basics pattern and the 17″ giant doll 150% pre-resized Basics patterns in the PS size (as well as all the Yo-SD resizes in Tiny size!).
Finally, here’s this week’s totally new, not revamped or resized pattern: Broad Basics! And now that I’ve photographed him in his new custom size clothes, I can totally try giving him a beard to complete his manbun hipster-lumberjack look. (Oh yes I am. Of course I am. How could I not?)
3 new patterns in a week! And in a week with a holiday in it!
What does the future hold for the new boy bods? No idea 🙂 With the addition of two new bods to clothe, Medium might just become popular enough to escape the boy-pattern curse! Since the new Broad guy is also a rectangular torso shape, just thicker to what I’ll now be calling “Classic” ken instead of “Modern” Ken, I might be able to manage future patterns so that Broad is a variation included in Large patterns the way I do with Curvy Barbies in most Medium Girl patterns. But again, more patterns is contingent on people buying existing patterns, which has always been a hurdle for boy dolls ^^;
…or as I refer to them in my head, Twink, Twunk, and Beefy.
I like the variety. I always will applaud variety. Is this groundbreaking variety? Nah. If anything, the ‘broad’ male to be the ‘plus size’ counterpart to the new Curvy Barbie is even less of a stretch into the edgy than Curvy was. Look at those flat abs and total lack of love handles!
The body that annoys me the most is the new “Original” body, which is not the same as any previous Ken and just messes with the terminology. Not just because of that, but because I don’t think that the exaggerated V torso ideal in men is any healthier than the Classic Original Barbie bod was for women. Men aren’t built that way. The closest I can think of is a swimmer’s physique, and even they don’t have hips narrower than their rib cages. If the point of this is to promote healthy body images, the new Original body is less realistic than Classic.
Apart from the complaint that 1 of the 3 new body types is more of a step back than a step forward, my other major problem with these guys is the articulation. It’s crap. And I don’t just mean that it’s 5 point crap: the widest stance Broad Ken can have spaces his feet only 2 inches apart. His foot moves back about 1 inch and forward 5 (not enough to sit). It is worse than the alt sized Barbies.
So will I be making clothes for them? Sure! All dolls need clothes. You can read the breakdown of sizes here, in the measurements section.
I was really surprised by how well Qi-Lolita went over in PS size last week! The QiPao pattern is nowhere near as popular as the Kimono pattern, so I assumed that the Qi-Loli pattern would be somewhat less popular than the Wa-Loli pattern. Seems like the opposite is true! At least from a first week perspective. So here it is, in M Girl size:
(Remember, you can win demo dresses from this one, too!)
This week’s pattern comes in 2 flavors!
Classic
Curvy
Why 2 sizes? Because the base dress is very fitted and is a 1-part dress in non-stretch material. If you get both patterns and look at them side by side, you’ll be like “Oh wow” by how different they are, vs a simple dress that is free at the hips where all you need to adjust is the waist.
Both patterns have all the same fun options to swap around between the dresses and are super fast to sew! No sleeves or collars, so really easy and beginner friendly, too. You can check both out now in the shop