1:6 Scale Wedding Dresses for Barbie, Part Three

Whew!  It took me a lot longer to get this review pulled together than I thought it would.  The biggest obstacle was that there was a huge delay with one of the Etsy dresses that I bought.  I placed my order way back in early April, thinking that would be more than enough time, but the dress still hasn't arrived.  I don't think it ever will, actually.  Once I realized I couldn't count on that dress, I took the time to learn a bit more about it, found a (better) replacement, and, well, found a few other "replacements" too.  Because of course I did.  Overkill is my middle name.

So, what was originally the shortest review in this series has suddenly morphed into the longest.  By a lot.  There are nearly twenty dresses for Lena to look at today!  We should probably get started.

Lena wearing a handmade dress from Etsy.

Part One and Part Two of this series feature dresses made by Mattel specifically for Barbie.  There's a great selection of Barbie brand gowns, many from the early 2000s.  However, as we've discovered, not all of them fit the modern Made to Move body.  

The idea behind today's installment was to check out some off-brand dresses, or items that are not official Barbie merchandise.  There's a wide range pf possibilities in this category, but I tried to focus on things that are readily available from Amazon, Etsy, or eBay.

I like to look at dresses in a variety of price points, even though Lena has proven herself to be a bit of a snob, preferring top-notch designer gowns over most of the affordable playline pieces.  Still, I'll start this review with some inexpensive dresses and see if any of them can catch Lena's discriminating eye.

First up is a Barwa dress that I found on Amazon for just under $10:

The price is right.

I'm including screenshots from the listing so that you can see what kind of photos I had to make my decision.  I liked this dress for its price, and also because it appears to have a nice train (which Lena values) and it comes with a veil:

The dress arrived in a happy-looking bright yellow zip-top bag with a teddy bear and the Barwa name:

The dress was folded tightly into the bag, so it came out very wrinkled.  The lace overskirt hides the wrinkles pretty well...

But the underlying stiff satiny fabric was horribly creased:

Like a used paper towel.

That shiny fabric feels really bad, too.  It's stiff, crinkly, and almost offensively synthetic.  All of the wrinkles give the skirt extra volume, though, if we want to look on the bright side.

The back has a small train, but it doesn't feel as dramatic as it looked in the promotional picture:

The bodice closes in back with velcro, but the seam is janky.  The stiff strip of plastic velcro is attached at a strange angle...or the edge of the bodice is cut at a strange angle, hard to tell which:

The set came with a veil, which is nice.  There's no way to attach the veil (it's a plain circle of tulle), but Lena has a bunch of clips, so I'm not worried.

I ironed the underskirt before I gave this dress to Lena, which got rid of the wrinkles, but I was worried that the skirt would melt under the heat!

Here's dress #17 (picking up the numbering from Part Two) all ready to go:

Dress #17: Barwa dress from Amazon ($8.59).

Bridesmaids Petra and Sela are here again to help Lena with her decision, and Molly is standing by online (from Scotland) so that the girls can call her up if there are any really good options she should see.

I'll admit that I'm a bit nervous about this one...

Here we go again!

This dress feels cheap, Emily.

Well, I mean, it was cheap, so...

It feels really loose in the bodice, too.  Like it might fall down.

What's it like in back?

There's a big train, which is good.

But when Lena turned around...

Ahhh!

The bodice slipped down to an unfortunate height.

Emily!  That dress doesn't fit at all.  And it smells bad.  Find something else!

Yeah, okay.  I had a feeling that wasn't going to go very well.

Still, there are a lot of Barwa dresses to choose from, so I wanted to give the brand another chance.  This one is slightly more expensive at $13.99:

Maybe higher price = higher quality?

The skirt looks like it's made out of tiers of lace, which could be fun.  The lace on that first dress was its only redeeming quality.

This dress also came vacuum-packed into a cheery little teddy bear bag:

My first impression of the dress was that it's very, um, tall.  It also stands up straight all by itself, thanks to some ridiculously stiff fabric:

Dress #18: Barwa lacy skirt dress from Amazon ($13.99).

Like the first dress, this one has a stiff underskirt.  The softer tiers of lace are sewn on top of that:

This set also came with a veil that has some silver lace decoration and an elastic band for easy use:

The elastic band is useful, but the silver lace doesn't match anything else about the dress.  It's just random.

There's also a metallic silver plastic tiara with a bow on top:

I think the bow is silly.  It looks out-of-place in that design.

As I was getting the dress set up for Lena, Sela barged into the studio:

Emily, look at how tall this dress is!  It'll never fit Lena.

I know, I was thinking the same thing, but...

No buts!  We can't show this to her!  She'll get discouraged.

I suggested that maybe Sela or Petra could try the dress on themselves, to see what the fit was like.  Sela wouldn't get near it, but luckily Petra was up for the job:

It's not as bad as I thought.  But I hate the veil.

All of the extra fabric pools around Petra's feet.  A bit like a train that goes all of the way around, I guess?  But to say it "pools" at her feet is generous.  The plastic fabric juts out around her feet.  It bulges out awkwardly at thigh level in some areas, too.

I don't think we should show this one to Lena.  It's really uncomfortable and a little ugly.

Okay, thanks Petra. Maybe I could get one portrait of you before you take it off, though?  For reference?

If you must.

Despite the Barwa disappointments, I decided to give Amazon another chance.  This time around I tried a brand called Apatsuki.  The Apatsuki brand has many different 1:6 dress options, including a "fishtail" wedding gown for $9.99: 

That doesn't look like a fishtail dress to me.

I never know if things like "Apatsuki" are actual brand names, or just Amazon sellers peddling wares that could be found under a variety of different names.  Still, I liked the look of this dress, with its lace underskirt and tulle overlay.

It came in a plain plastic bag with a barcode and a warning label:

Beware: dress might be stiff and cheap.

Right away, this dress impressed me much more than the previous two.  The fabric is soft, not stiff, and I like the mix of textures:

Dress #19: Apatsuki gown from Amazon ($9.99).

The underskirt is made out of tiers of white lace that have a nice drape to them:

The lace layers look a little bit old-fashioned, like a bunch of doilies, but overall it's a nice effect for the price.

And the tulle overskirt is longer in back than it is in front, creating a train that extends past the lace:

The bodice is simple and strapless, made out of lace:

It opens in back with velcro to reveal a folded-over edge of lace on top (which looks pretty) and gathered fabric at the waist (which looks bulky):

On closer inspection, the skirt actually has four layers.  There's the tulle overskirt and tiered lace layer that we've already seen, then another layer of tulle under the lace, and a plain white skirt under that!

Let's see what Lena thinks:

This one feels so much better than the first!

But...omg!  The bodice!

Sorry, sorry!  Let's clip it in the back so that it stays up:

That's better.  And I love the tulle train.

It's very dramatic, Lena.

Yes!  I feel fancy.   It bulges out in front, though.  Like I'm pregnant.

Yikes.  That's probably because of all the gathered tulle we saw earlier.

It's not perfect, but it works. 

Not bad for ten bucks, right?

Do you want to show this one to Molly, Lena?

Nah.  Let's not start any pregnancy rumors.  I don't need that right now.

Fair enough.  Emily, what's next?

Next up is another Amazon dress!  This one is by Cora Gu and cost $14.99:

This doesn't really look like a wedding dress, but I thought maybe Lena would like to try something unconventional.  And that (fishtail) shape might be interesting on her.

The dress is even darker in real life than it looks in the promotional photos!  It's more black than silver:

Maybe a mistake.

It has a pleated metallic stretch bodice and a skirt made entirely out of dark grey tulle:

Dress #20: Cora Gu gown from Amazon ($14.99).

The bodice has only one sleeve, on the left side, and closes in back with velcro:

The interior is lined with grey tulle and has a Cora Gu label.  So I guess we know that Cora Gu is the actual brand name:

There's no underskirt, just a collection of handkerchief-gathered pieces of tulle sewn side-by-side:

Oh--here comes Lena already!

This one feels sexy!

Maybe a bit too sexy?  I see a problem already:

The bodice might gape open, but the rest of the dress hugs Lena's curves very nicely:

Ian would like this one.

It's not a wedding dress, though, Lena.  It's almost black!  I veto that one.

I have to agree with Sela.  It's a nice gown, but it doesn't say "wedding" to me.

Fine, fine.  I won't pick this one.  But get one more picture of me before I take it off.

The Cora Gu gown marked the end of my Amazon shopping.  There just aren't a lot of good options in that marketplace--unless you want to spend too much on an older Barbie wedding doll.  

So, I branched out and started to explore dresses on Etsy and eBay.

There was one dress design that I saw in several different places.  Here it is on Etsy for $13.95:

And here's the same dress on eBay for $11.20:

There are several variations on this dress, too, mostly involving different bodice shapes.  The dresses are all modeled by Integrity dolls, but the descriptions suggest that they'll fit Barbies, too.

In fact, as an aside, this is a thing that I noticed as I was shopping for 1:6 wedding dresses: a lot of sellers are promoting their dresses to Integrity collectors.  Perhaps because that community spends a lot on doll clothing?  I don't know.

I thought that these dresses looked lovely in their promotional photos, and the prices were low...so I went a little overboard:

Dress(es) #21: a variety of inexpensive tulle dresses from China ($9-$12).

I ended up getting three different bodice shapes, one duplicate to confirm that different sellers are offering the same dress (they are), and one pink gown.

The first style (and my favorite) has a lace bodice with off-the-shoulder sleeves and a tulle skirt:

There's another variety with a plain, strapless lace bodice:

And there's even a sleeveless halter top version:

The tulle skirts on these dresses are nowhere near as full and opulent as they look in the promotional photos, though:

I can see right through that.

The tulle has a greasy feeling to it as well, which is hard to describe.  It doesn't feel soft and light.

Each of these dresses came with a simple piece of tulle to act as a veil:

Here's the pink version that I chose, with the off-the-shoulder sleeves and matching veil:

I gave Lena the most basic version first, which is the white strapless dress:

It's so pretty Lena!

But wait...I think I can see your legs through that skirt!

Yes, yes I can.  I can see your legs...and other things.

Sure enough:

Ugh.

This is so embarrassing.

And this waistline makes me look pregnant again!

Oh, dear.  It's another case of way too much fabric gathered around the waistline.

Can we be done with this dress, Emily?

Yes, of course.  But maybe Lena could very quickly try on some other variations?  Just so everybody can see what they look like?  Super fast?  Pretty please?

Lena stormed off, but she came back with the halter top dress:

I don't like this.

The neckline is choking me.

The waistline is bulky, again, and the collar is too thick!

When Lena walked away this time, I was worried that she wouldn't come back.

But, I guess the pink dress intrigued her, because she indulged me by trying it on.  And pink isn't usually her color.  But this is...not bad:

I hate myself for liking the pink.

It's actually quite nice!

That color is flattering on you.  Or maybe it just goes well with the walls?

We added in a petticoat from another dress, for modesty, and Lena agreed to give me one more pose:

Twist my arm.

I guess I wasted a bit of money on these dresses, but I have to say that I still like the style--especially that off-the-shoulder version.  And with an extra petticoat underneath, the thin tulle skirt is passable.  So it's not a terrible option for a budget-conscious bride.  Especially one who likes pink!

At this point, I thought maybe it was time to try another silver dress on Lena.  I pay attention to all of the comments, and DB suggested that we give silver another chance.

At $13.95, this is another inexpensive and simple dress from Etsy, but I love all of the sequins and sparkle:

It arrived in a plain plastic bag...and looked flatter than I'd pictured!

The dress has a tiny bit of shape in the bodice, but is otherwise a column with a bit of an a-line flare at the bottom:

Dress #22: sequined silver dress from Etsy ($13.95).

There's some stitching down the middle of the bust line, and a velcro closure in back:

The entire dress is lined in white:

The shape of this dress doesn't look like much on its own, but it certainly suits Lena--at least in profile:

I feel like I'm walking the red carpet.

The shape is not quite as flattering from the front:

It feels great, but it doesn't have a lot of shape.

Yeah, it gives off bath towel vibes from the front.

It could be more form-fitting, sure, but I love that color on you!

I know, right?  And the sequins are so fun.

But the back is a little uneven and scratchy.

I wish I could try a different dress in this exact same fabric.

I was so happy to hear Lena say that, because I actually have what she's looking for!

I stumbled upon this dress during an eBay hunt, and felt like it might be a good match for Lena.  The seller, punsh68, has a great selection of handmade dresses, so I actually ended up purchasing three gowns from this shop.

The sequin dress came in a plain plastic bag, and right away I was impressed by the sheer weight of it!

Not flat at all.

It's made out of the exact same micro-sequin fabric as the last dress, but it has a fitted bodice with a gorgeous ball gown skirt:

Dress #23: sequined handmade ball gown from eBay ($50).

There's a massive train on this dress, too:

That breaks all records.

I wish that the bodice had a bit more detail.  Like maybe if it was made out of a contrasting material, or had a corset or something?  But at least it has straps and won't fall down!

It opens in back with a nice zipper:

There's a pretty big flaw in this dress, though, which is disappointing.  It looks like there's a dark stain on the train:

A train stain.

But it's actually a patch of fabric where the white backing is missing:

Lacking backing.

I have no idea how that happened, but it's hard to ignore.

Otherwise, the dress is very well made, and even comes with a separate tulle petticoat:

The petticoat closes in back with a metal snap.

The train on this dress makes for a very dramatic entrance!

So much sparkle!

Is this what you were hoping for, Lena?

It's certainly better than the last one!  I love the train.

Look at this thing!

The train is cool, no doubt, but because of the way it's lined, it looks too thick for 1:6 scale.  It's like a pancake.

But silver is actually a nice color for Lena!  DB was right.

I just love the skirt, with all of these sequins.

But it's plain on top.  I wonder if a veil would help?

Oh!  Good idea.  We could try the veil from the Millennium Bride doll, since it's grey (or should be grey).  It's still a little off-color from being dirty:

This is nice.  But the veil still stinks.

I also think that the intricate crown and veil accentuate the plain-ness of the bodice.  Sigh.

What do you think, Lena?  Could this be the one?

I'm not sure.  The bodice is basic and there's a spot in back, but I really love the sequins and the train!

How about we look at a few other dresses from the same seller and see if you like any of those better?  I actually found another silvery one that might be good:

This one has a very different silhouette, but there's a dramatic tulle train.

Right away, though, it looked to me like the tulle in the train didn't match the grey in the dress very well, which might be a problem:

The train has a lot more blue in it.

I really like the embroidery in the dress, though, and those sheer sleeves:

Dress #24: handmade embroidered dress from eBay ($54).

Here's a closer look:

There's a deep v in back, with a metal snap just above the waist, where the train attaches:

Lena will love the drama of this train:

And the dress is fully lined in tulle, which is a nice touch:

Let's see what Lena thinks!

It's a little hard to walk in this one...

Oh my gosh, Lena!  We can see everything!

What do you mean?

Oh, wow.  They're right.  Lena, that dress is completely see-through.  Darn it.

So you don't think this one will work?

Um, no.  Definitely not.  Next?

That's fine.  I didn't really like the shape of that dress as much as I thought I would.  It reads a bit more mother of the bride to me than anything else.

The last dress from this seller is more youthful, or at least it seemed that way in the listing:

This is an off-white dress with a sleeveless halter top and a dramatic full skirt.  It came in a plain plastic bag like the other two:

Here it is out of the bag:

Dress #25: handmade halter top dress from eBay ($48).

The halter top bodice is made out of a matte satin, but there's a snag right in the middle, which I find distracting:

The top closes in back with a metal snap and zipper, and is lined with white mesh:

This dress also comes with a large separate petticoat:

I admire the quality and creativity of these outfits, but it's too bad about the little flaws.  Maybe Lena won't notice the snag?

Here she comes now:

Ooh!  This one is a fun mix of modern and traditional.

I'm not wild about the skirt pattern, though.  It reminds me of curtains.

Also, there's a snag on the bodice.

Darn it.  She doesn't miss a thing, does she?

And the fit of the top isn't quite right.  Like, it's a bit lopsided?

But it closes in back perfectly.

I don't know.  What do you girls think?

You don't seem very happy with it, Lena.  I think we should move on.

All right.  I get the message.

Maybe it's time to focus on Etsy dresses for a while?  I feel like the quality there is more reliable.  That said, I also feel like the place is becoming more and more overrun by cheap mass-produced stuff.  But that's a rant for a different moment.

For now, let's take a look at this cute and affordable dress that I found at Studio Doll Story:

I love the price tag on this dress, especially because it comes with a veil.  It's also from Ukraine, apparently, which is an added bonus:

The dress came very well-packaged, with the clip on the veil carefully protected in bubble wrap:

The shape of this dress is basic, with a plunging halter top and a fitted skirt with a high slit.  But the construction is perfect, and the color is really fun.  It's a lightweight woven fabric that's mostly white, but there are iridescent threads throughout, giving it a subtle shimmer:

The finishing is immaculate:

And I love that the short tulle veil is attached to a clip for easy use:

Dress #26: handmade fitted dress from Studio Doll Story on Etsy ($22.50).

I think Lena will like this dress.  And--whoa!  it makes quite an entrance with that high slit!

I can walk normally!

Go, girl!  Show some leg!

I kind of wish the slit was off to the side?  But I like it!

It's very flattering.

Is the slit too much, do you think?

The slit is rad.  But the veil is too low.  Can you put it up higher?

Is this better?

Nice!

The fit looks great.  Does it close in back?

Yes, and there's even a little train.

This is a fantastic dress, Emily.  But I'm not sure about the slit.  It's a lot.

That's fair, Lena.  The dress strikes me as a bit informal, too.  So we can move on.  But you might want to keep this one in the back of your head.  It would be a nice dress to change into for the reception, if you want to have two dresses or something like that?  I hear it's a thing people do.

Buoyed by the high quality of the last dress, I decided to try out another Etsy option.  This one has a full skirt with a big train...and no slit:

I saw the above listing in the same shop (Sunmade Seams) where I purchased the bridesmaids dresses.  I liked the shape of the dress, and its simplicity, but the snowflake pattern wasn't going to work for a summer wedding.

So, I asked the lovely shop owner if she could make the same dress in some more wedding-appropriate fabrics, and she agreed!  I paid $40 for a set of two dresses, which was a bargain:

One is white with sparkles, the other is off-white with a print.

I like that these dresses are specifically meant to fit the Made to Move body:

Because the dresses are made out of cotton, and came folded into a small bag, they were very wrinkled on arrival:

But I like the full skirt and long train, and the little rhinestone accents on the bodice are pretty:

I don't think this fabric has ever been washed, because it's still very stiff--allowing the dress to stand up on its own:

Here's a look at the (very wrinkled) train:

I popped one of the dresses into the dryer for a few minutes, which softened the fabric and got rid of most of the big creases:

Dress #27: handmade ball gown from Sunmade Seams on Etsy ($20).

Of the two fabrics, I prefer the off-white version with the fleur de lis print, so I offered that one to Lena.  And I ironed out the rest of the wrinkles before I let her see it.

The dress has a nice shape, but it might benefit from a petticoat:

This one is so light and airy!

The skirt is very flat in front, though.

But the little diamonds match my ring!

And the train is great.

We need to see that one with a petticoat, Lena.  The skirt looks deflated.

Can you grab me a petticoat, please, Emily?

Sure thing, Lena.

Hm.  Either the petticoat is too long or the dress is too short.

It helps a little with volume and shape, I guess?

But the back is still deflated.

I don't think this dress is going to work, Emily.

That's too bad.  The fit is perfect; there's no way that bodice will slip down.  But I get it.  There's something strange about the skirt.  Maybe if the fabric was something other than stiff cotton?  Oh, well.

I'm on a bit of a losing streak here, so I hope this next dress kicks things up a notch.  It's another selection from Etsy, from a shop called napatsaa:

I was drawn to the shape of this dress, and the intricate criss-cross tulle in the bodice.  I also like the off-white color for Lena, but in real life the color is much darker:

Yikes.

The color might not be what I expected, but the dress is still impressive:

Dress #28: handmade tulle gown from napatsaa on Etsy ($49.90).

It even comes with a working clutch purse.

The bodice has some fabric flowers at the top, which I hope won't bother Lena.  There are also little bead accents all around: 

It looks like the bodice has a lace layer under the tulle criss-crosses, too.

The back opens with metal snaps, and the interior is lined with tulle:

The skirt is made out of a heavy woven fabric, and all of the little tulle folds are sewn in a neat circular pattern:

The dress has a substantial weight to it, and is really well made.  I hope the color won't be off-putting to Lena!

Ooh, Lena!  It's beautiful!

(drink)

This one feels amazing.  I love how it fits!

And the flowers up here are okay--I don't mind them.

Oh, thank goodness!

There's no train, really, but the back looks nice, right?

It's dark, but original.  I like it!  I wish it had a veil, though.

Yeah, good point.  A veil would look nice.  Let's try it with a veil from one of the other dresses.  The colors won't match, but it'll give us an idea of the effect:

Oh!  This has potential.  Maybe if we could find matching tulle?

Should we show this one to Molly?  She's probably wondering what's going on.

Yes, let's give her a call!

Okay, just a sec...

Hello there!  We thought you'd forgotten about us!  Let's see a dress, Lena.

What do you think?

Och!  Glamorous and sexy!  But can ye lose the veil for a wee sec?

Haha, sure.  We added it at the last minute.  Is this better?

Yesss!  I love it, Lena!  Pick that one!

Phew!  Finally something that might work.  It shouldn't be too hard to find matching tulle and fashion a veil, if Lena opts for this dress.  And the color might be dark, but it looks great with Lena's hair.

Now we're getting somewhere!  But that means I have to try and keep the momentum going.

I actually bought this next dress as a bit of a joke, since it looks insanely poofy and extravagant in the promotional photos:

It's alive!

The dress arrived in a zip bag that says "Sleepy Bunny," which was confusing:

Is that a brand name?

I wondered if this was yet another mass-produced dress being passed off as "handmade" on Etsy?  I didn't get that sense from the shop, Yangya Handcraft, but you never know these days.

After seeing the dress up-close, it definitely feels handmade.  So my guess is that the bag must be from something else.

When I pulled the dress out of the bag, I have to admit that I was impressed:

Dress #29: handmade tulle gown from Yangya Handcraft on Etsy ($47.45).

It has a lace bodice with a low plunge in front and some bead accents at the waist:

The back has a generous, floofy train:

And a lace-up corset closure:

Corset closures are nice because they can adapt to a range of body sizes.

The style of the skirt is similar to the last dress in the sense that there are lots of tulle folds sewn onto a base skirt.  However, the fabric on this skirt is not as nice, and the stitching is not as careful:

I don't know if you can see it in this next picture, but the rows of tulle are sewn in with big zig-zagging stitches, all with the same piece of thread, glued at the end.  So if I snipped one of those zigs or zags, I suspect an entire section of tulle would fall off:

Dangerous.

The dress came with a short veil.  The veil has a hair clip and bow, but the bow is large and might look silly on Lena:

Still, I always appreciate when these veils have their own clips.

This dress feels like a long shot, but let's see how it goes.

Oh--hello!  That's an impressive train!

Gasp!  Lena!  That dress is massive!

I think we'd better move our chairs back again, Sela!

This has to be the most voluminous dress in the mix.  It's even bigger than the Reem Acra gown.

A whole family could live under this skirt.

But the veil is bad.  I don't like this bow at all.

And I'm a little nervous about the top part.  I hope it stays in place!

Can we see the back, Lena?

It's like a big meringue.

I think it looks pretty spectacular, though.  Should we show Molly?

Yes, but only without the veil.

I know her.  The first thing she'll do is ask me to take it off.

Hi again!  Do ye have another one already?  Let's see!  Let's see!

Just a sec, I think Maisie wants to pop in for this one.

This is my cloud dress!

Eeee!  Yer a cloud princess!  It's so pretty!

Can we see the back, Lena?

It's a very comfortable corset.

That's an eye-catcher, Lena, for sure.  Do you like it?

I do, actually.  Except for this part here.

Oh, yeah.  It's awkward how the lace from the bodice just hangs down, unfinished, into the skirt area.  But the tulle hides it pretty well most of the time.

It's such a fun dress!  So different!

I guess my joke dress turned into an actual contender?

It's very dramatic.  Like me.

All true.

Do you have anything that can top this drama, Emily?

Hm. Maybe I do?

Because a lot of the Etsy and eBay sellers are marketing their dresses towards the Integrity Fashion Royalty doll crowd, and many of those dresses fit Lena well, I started to wonder: would an actual Integrity brand wedding dress fit Lena?

The thing is, there aren't a lot of Integrity wedding dresses to choose from--or not ones that I could find and afford, anyway.

I did find this doll, whose silver and gold embroidered outfit might work as wedding attire:

She's Graceful Reign Vanessa Perrin from 2021, and she sells on eBay for $200-300.  That's too rich for my blood, especially at this stage of the series.

However, I managed to find a nearly complete outfit on eBay (being sold by a blog reader! Yay!) and so I snapped that up:

The dress itself is quite simple, with a princess-seamed bodice and a rounded, dropped waist.  The skirt is full, but not over-the-top:

Here's a closer look at the bodice:

It almost feels too informal, with that tank top shape.  However, the fabric adds a lot of drama.  

The base dress is a cream satin, but there's a tulle layer on top of that which is covered in metallic gold and silver embroidered flowers:

There's some white embroidery in the mix, too.

The back of the dress opens with metal hooks, revealing a fully-lined interior:

The construction of this dress is wonderful.  It's made with as much detail and care as a full-sized garment.

The cape is the real showpiece, though, and I thought maybe it would be an interesting veil substitute:

There's a shorter capelet at the top, which is gathered in back for extra volume:

The accessories for this outfit were still stored in their original box:

The elaborate headpiece is missing, but there's some other jewelry, a pair of underpants, a belt, and blue gloves with blue replacement hands:

The pale blue belt is a strip of ribbon with a neat bow in the middle:

It closes in back with a loop and button:

Unfortunately, this belt won't fit Lena.  Integrity waists are narrower than Made to Move waists.

I'm very excited about the two necklaces in this set, because they'd both make nice pieces for Lena to wear to her wedding, regardless of which dress she picks.

The first is a string of pearl beads with a white teardrop pendant:

The second is my favorite.  It's a silver choker with three inset pearl-like embellishments:

These necklaces are extremely hard to get on and off (at least for me!) but I'm delighted to have them.

There's also a bracelet that matches the choker necklace:

And two rings.  One is a huge octagon with a clear stone inside:

The other is a much smaller ring with two little silver flowers:

There's a pair of earrings, too (still on the card), but Lena won't be able to wear them:

This outfit may not be conventionally bridal, but I think Lena will enjoy what it has to offer:

Dress #30: Graceful Reign Vanessa Perrin's gown and accessories by Integrity (2021).

The cape certainly resembles a train in profile!

Ooo!  This is interesting, Lena!

It might be a little warm for a July wedding.

But I love the cape!  Look at it from the back.

Isn't this necklace pretty, too?

It's all so majestic!  Can we see the dress without the cape, please?

I don't like it as much without the cape.

And it doesn't close all of the way in back.

What do you think, Sela?

I don't know, something about your hair doesn't work for me with that dress.  Maybe it needs to be up?

Emily, can we try a quick up-do to see how it would look?

Well, quick up-dos are not my forte, but I can throw something together to give us a very rough idea.

How's this?

Whoa.  I feel more like a queen than a bride!  Which is not necessarily a bad thing...

You're not kidding!  It's very regal.  But I think we should move on.

I have another Integrity dress that is much more bridal.  This one is from a doll called Alyssa Bride, and was designed by Jason Wu:

Alyssa is from 2020, so her dress is more modern than most of the things I've looked at in this series.

I wasn't able to buy the outfit from this doll by itself, but it sells for around $200, so spending an extra $50 to get the doll as well didn't seem unreasonable.

Everything came in a clean white box with black sides and Jason Wu's name on the front:

The top of the box lifted off to reveal the doll, who was held in place with white ribbons:

All of the accessories were packaged in a small cardboard box that was mounted in front of the doll.  When I pulled the accessories out, the dress cascaded onto the table in a lovely way:

Like a waterfall!

I wasn't very interested in Alyssa's face when I was looking at the promotional photos.  I'm more of a Poppy Parker girl.  However, she's prettier in person than she looks in photos.  She's less severe:

The rows of holes on either side of her head in that last picture are interesting.  It's almost as if the box has breathing vents!

I untied all of the ribbons and took Alyssa out of her box:

The skirt of the dress is accented with rows of tulle ruffle that are playful and sophisticated at the same time.

And the neckline of the dress is another tulle ruffle, which sits up high on Alyssa's neck--almost like a 16th century ruff:

Here's a closer look at Alyssa's face:

Her eyes are a piercing blue, and I love the bold red color of her lips.  Sometimes I wish Lena could change her makeup for the wedding!

The back of the dress looks a little messy.  There's a big ribbon bow at the nape of the neck that's way out of scale, and the straps of a white lacy bra are visible:

Here's a closer look:

I took the dress off so that I could inspect it more closely.  It's very lightweight and airy, which feels nice.  Underneath the tulle, there's a silk underskirt that's soft and flowing:

The underside of the skirt is lined with incredibly fine fabric, and the construction is excellent:

Underneath the dress, Alyssa is wearing a white lace bra and panties, complete with garter straps and thigh-high stockings!

Here's the underwear from the back:

Both the bra and panties close with metal hooks.  The bra straps are tied together with clear string, presumably to keep them from falling down over Alyssa's arms:

The accessories in this set include an extra pair of hands, a ring, earrings, shoes, and a cream-colored veil:

The earrings are rhinestone-encrusted hoops, and the ring is silver with a large rhinestone diamond:

The shoes are high-heeled cream pumps with tulle accents on the straps:

The veil is a simple section of tulle, but it has an intricate metal clasp at the top:

The clasp actually works, and grips quite well!

I have no idea if the style of this dress will suit Lena, but there's no doubt that it's a gorgeous piece:

Dress #31: the gown and veil from Jason Wu's Alyssa Bride (2020).

Lena practically floated into the room!

I feel like a jellyfish!

Oh, my gosh.  Now I can't un-see that.  It's definitely a jellyfish dress!  That's a plus in my book.

It's also quite different from anything else you've tried.

I know!  I like it.

I even like the shoes, but they're a bit too big and keep falling off.

We should show this one to Molly.  It feels special.

The only area that worries me is right here.  It just barely covers the important bits.

Well, at least it isn't see-through.

I think it's stunning, Lena.  I'll give Molly a ring and see if she agrees.

Is this dress as big as the last one, then?

Not quite!  But it has a lot of tulle.

It's so ethereal, Lena!

Is it bare in the back?

Yes, and it doesn't close all of the way.  But we can fix that.

I mean, I guess we can fix that?  Sure.

And maybe I'd want to wear my hair up with this one?  To show off the back?

I like how she's making plans for this one...

Yer so pretty Lena!  Give us some model poses!

Like this?

Or how about this?

Do one that's facing front and serious for me, to finish things up.

No problem.

But we're not done yet, right?  I saw one more dress in the changing room.

That's true.  There's one last dress, and this is the one that caused me so much trouble, with the delay in shipment and everything.

I found this dress on Etsy, and thought it looked gorgeous--if a bit on the refrigerator white side:

It's advertised as being handmade and custom, which lead me to believe that the seller was actually the seamstress.  I wrote to ask if the dress could be made to fit a Made to Move body, and she said yes.

So, after some contemplation (and a sale which brought the price down into the $80 range) I took the plunge.  That was on April 7th.

After several weeks, the seller messaged me to say that because of a delay in receiving "a few essential raw materials," the dress wasn't ready.  So I waited some more, and then finally on May 7th, the parcel shipped.  But it never made it to my house.  It's still delayed somewhere and making no progress.

During all of the time I was waiting for the dress, I was also searching for alternatives--you know, as a back-up plan.  During that process, I found this:

That's the same exact dress, with the exact same photo, but from a different seller...and for half the price.

Sure enough, this is a mass-produced item that shows up in a lot of different places.  The "essential raw materials" delay that my Etsy seller talked about was no doubt just waiting for the dress itself to ship from China.  Grumble.

What's worse, all of these dresses are just rip-offs of Mattel's Duchess of Diamonds Barbie's gown:

Look familiar?

I know this review was supposed to be all about off-brand dresses, and I thought it would be, but once I realized what was going on with this dress, I had to buy the original.  No cheap knock-offs for Lena.

So, I found Duchess of Diamonds used on eBay for about $65:

Like many of the good Barbie dresses in this series, Duchess of Diamonds is from 2000.  She's part of the Royal Jewels collection, which includes three other dolls.  

For those who are curious, the other dolls are the Empress of Emeralds:

The Queen of Sapphires:

And the Countess of Rubies:

They're all nice, especially Rubies (although that dress must cause stains), but I like the Duchess of Diamonds the best.

She has the Mackie face with pale blue eyes and dark red lips.  And she's dripping in jewels!

Her necklace, earrings, and tiara are all covered with Swarovski crystals.  More so than what we saw on the Millennium Bride Barbie dress, I would wager.

The outfit comes with a long chiffon wrap that's separate from the dress:

The wrap can also be pinned to the back of the head to act as a veil, which is nice for our purposes:

I adore the wrap, but it's easier to see what's going on with the dress when it's out of the picture.

The dress has a pleated strapless bodice with an asymmetrical waistline:

The silken pleats angle upward above the waist, and downward below the waist:

The pleats on this dress are not perfect, with a few creases here and there, but I didn't dare try to iron those delicate areas.

The skirt is mostly silk, and has wide pleats at the top that flow into a rounded pooling hemline.  The right side of the dress has a long chiffon accent:

That's what a pooling hemline should look like.

Here's the dress from the back:

It opens and closes with two metal snaps, and the interior of the bodice is lined:

The outfit includes a pair of plain white shoes:

A removable Swarovski crystal necklace:

The earrings, which Lena can't use, and a metal tiara with a clear vinyl band at the back:

Underneath the dress, Barbie has a Shani body, which is great news!

Duchess of Diamonds Barbie (2000).

This body has a 1991 copyright on the back, and the clothing tends to fit Made to Move Barbies quite well.

So...here's the last dress of the day, and the last dress of the series, all ready for Lena to try:

Dress #32: gown and jewelry from Duchess of Diamonds Barbie (2000).

It looks like Molly and Kenna stuck around to see the last dress:

Lena has such a hard decision!  I'm secretly hoping she choses that Jason Wu dress.

Och, I know!  I fancy the Herrera dress myself, but Kenna is rooting for that big tulle gown.

I think the Romance dress is perfect.  But they all look so good on Lena!

Oh!  Oh!  Here she comes!

I hope she doesn't trip on all of that silk!

This one feels dreamy.

It's so long, though!  I might need to wear higher heels.

I love all of the jewelry.

But the tiara has these ugly clear bands hanging down.

We can snip those off, Lena.  Don't worry.

What do you guys think?

It's epic.  Can we see the back?

It fits really well.

It's so romantic, Lena!  I love all of that flowing silk.

I feel like a mermaid for some reason. 

I love mermaids, Lena!  Pick that one!

I feel pretty great in this.  But does it look dated?

I don't think so, but I'm pretty dated myself.

Why don't you try it with the wrap around your arms, not as a veil?

That's a good idea, Petra!

Oh, I like this a lot.

It reminds me of the David's Bridal Eternal dress from Part One, but less shiny.

You look amazing, Lena, as always.

I do.

Bottom line?  Thirty two dresses is a lot!  That's a conservative count, too, since I bundled several of them together because of their similarities.  I also left an entire dress out of the mix because it wasn't remarkable enough...and this review was getting crazy-long.  I can post that over on Patreon if you want.

I like today's selection of dresses because there are several options that are affordable and attractive.  The Apatsuki dress was by far the best choice from Amazon.  For $10, this dress is surprisingly nice.  I like the mix of lace and tulle, the fullness of the skirt, and the impressive train.  Also, none of the fabric feels like plastic.  From Etsy, I really like the $23 white Studio Doll Story dress.  It's simple, but very well-made, and it comes with a cute veil that's easy to use.  I also admire the slightly more expensive tan dress from napatsaa.  It looks amazing on Lena and feels like a real contender--even with the unconventional color.  The uniqueness of the design and the quality of the craftsmanship justify the $50 price tag.  The real surprise from Etsy was the foamy tulle confection with the massive skirt and train from Yangya Handcraft.  I literally bought that dress for comic relief, and yet it somehow managed to impress everyone.  For just under $50, it gave me the best "wow" for the price in this entire series.

The more expensive dresses in this review are all winners, although the silver and gold embroidered Graceful Reign gown doesn't work very well as a wedding dress--at least not for Lena.  The Jason Wu backless tulle jellyfish gown was one that I debated back and forth about for quite a while.  I knew that the dress would be impeccably made, but I wasn't sure it was Lena's style...and the price tag is very high.  After seeing it on her, though, I'm glad I took the plunge.  It brings another modern designer's flare to the group, and offers something completely different from the other selections.  I also admire the Alyssa doll much more than I thought I would, and am glad to have her in my collection.  I'm happy that I persisted with the Duchess of Diamonds gown, too, despite my initial ignorance about the dress' origins, and all of the hassles with my Etsy purchase.  The drama and elegance of all that silk and chiffon is so much fun to play with, and would make for some absolutely glorious wedding portraits.

I'm really sad that this series has come to an end.  I've dreamed about (and shopped for!) wedding dresses for months now, and will have a hard time getting my head out of the clouds and going back to normal.  I still find myself hunting around on the internet for new wedding gowns to admire.  There are so many options!  But I think I've given Lena a decent selection, with at least eleven dresses that are well-made and look great on her.  The next time you see Lena, it will probably be when she walks down the aisle at her actual wedding, at which point you'll get to see which of these thirty two dresses ultimately won her heart.

Which one should I pick?