Fashion Playtes Review & Giveaway

I had never heard of Fashion Playtes when they contacted me about doing a review, but I was blown away by the very concept of this company. The idea behind Fashion Playtes is "where girls are fashion designers."

Essentially, Fashion Playtes have standard articles of clothing available in numerous colors. A girl can pick the item she wants to design (say, a shirt), choose a color, & then tweak it however she wants from a myriad of choices. Rhinestones, rosettes, ribbons, you name it...the possibilities are endless. There is even an option for a custom label!

When I told my daughter she was going to be able to design her own clothes, she completely freaked out. Excited doesn't even begin to describe her reaction. Here is one of my two criticisms with Fashion Playtes, though. My daughter became overwhelmed. We're talking hysterical, could barely breathe, crying. When I asked her what was wrong, she sobbed "Too.Many.Choices." I had no idea she would react that way, & we had to wait a week or so before we finalized her order. Part of the problem was she had a hard time getting her dress to match the one she was trying to create for her doll. I instantly regretted telling her about the doll dress option. Had I never mentioned that, I'm sure we would have avoided the meltdown.

This really isn't Fashion Playtes' fault; in fact, I'm sure there are plenty of people who would say there aren't enough options for girls to create. But, if it were me, I'd recommend Fashion Playtes for girls older than 5. Or at least think long & hard about whether your child gets overwhelmed with options.

Once we finalized our order, however, my daughter was thrilled with her selections & couldn't wait for them to arrive. It took several weeks & I was worried she would become anxious. When they arrived though, she said "Those came super quick!" When I opened the package, she immediately stripped down so she could try her dress on. We also had to dress her doll. She strutted her stuff just like she was on a runway & kept saying over & over "I designed this all by myself." It was adorable seeing how proud she was.

The second & only other criticism I have with Fashion Playtes is simply the fact that there are no options for boys. I realize girls are much more likely to want to design their clothing, but I have to imagine that there are some boys out there that would think it was cool to create their own shirts, board shorts, etc. I am optimistic that there will be some options for boys in the future.

My complaints are minor though, & you really should try Fashion Playtes out. Luckily for one winner, you'll get a chance to do so free! Fashion Playtes has been generous enough to donate a $20 gift certificate to one BMIM reader.

To enter this giveaway, visit Fashion Playtes' website, then come back here & leave a comment (with a way to contact you) stating what you like best about their site. If you'd like a second entry, become a Facebook fan of Fashion Playtes, come back & leave another comment saying you did so. For a third entry, become a Facebook fan of BMIM, come back, & leave an additional comment. For a fourth entry, blog about this giveaway & come back, leave another comment & a link to your posting.

The winner will be chosen at random on 6/27/10 at 9 pm PST using Random.org. Good luck!

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