Christmas Gown and Stomacher.
The Christmas Gown and Stomacher (also called Felicity's Holiday Gown) was introduced to Felicity's Collection in 1991 and retired in 2010 with Felicity's archival. It is associated with the book Felicity's Surprise. Retail cost was $22 and was later increased to $32.
Contents
Gown
Blue taffeta gown. Blue satin trim pleated down front and gathered at sleeves; lace on the sleeves and bodice. Snaps to the stomachers. Slits in sides of skirt.
Petticoat
Blue taffeta petticoat. Velcros at sides and is worn under the main gown.
Lace Stomacher
Lace trimmed stomacher. Snaps to bodice of gown.
Ribboned Stomacher
Pink ribboned stomacher with one pearl in the center of each one (it consists of three pink ribbons on the stomacher). Snaps to bodice of gown.
Choker
Blue choker tied into a ribbon with attached pearl drop. Clasps in back with a twist clasp.
Hair Ribbon
Blue satin hair ribbon. This was originally not included with the set; the ribbon was added in 1993.
Shoes
White slip on shoes with attached blue bows. Originally, these were not sold with the dress.
Pinner Cap
White cloth pinner cap with lace trim and blue bow tacked at back. Has two thread loops at front and back to pin onto the hair.
Instructions
Double-sided card with instructions on and history of using stomachers.
Dress Like Your Doll
Palace Blue Gown.
The matching outfit was available as a one-piece gown called the Palace Blue Gown. Cost was initially $115 and decreased to $98. It was phased out around 2000.
The gown included a net petticoat, a pinner cap, and a blue silk cord necklace with faux pearl drop.
Variations
- Two bobby pins were originally included in the set to attach the pinner cap, but were later removed.
- The stomachers and gowns originally had silver snaps in two styles: square (c. 1991 - c. 1996) and round (1996 - 2010). Gowns with square snaps will only work with stomachers with square snaps, while dresses with round ones will work with both square and round snaps. In 2010 the snaps were replaced with velcro.
- Some very early variations of the dress have satin trim with a lighter, iridescent color. Most dresses have a satin trim that matches the dress fabric.
Trivia
Special Edition mini doll.
- A special edition mini doll of Felicity wearing the Christmas Gown and Stomacher and an abridged copy of Felicity's Surprise was released in 2011 to celebrate American Girl's 25th anniversary.
- Further historical clothing research has shown that, as explained in this video of a historical recreation (timestamped) by clothing historian The Couture Courtesan, pinner caps are more accurate to the 1750s and would have been out of fashion by the 1770s; historically, Felicity would have more likely worn a lightweight or sheer round eared cap. The video also clarifies that Martha Merriman would not have had the highly cultivated skills to put the dress together herself or a paper pattern to use as a guide, as they were not available at the time.
