Bratz Dolls Say Goodbye To the Toy Industry

After a year long hiatus, Bratz returned to the doll scene in 2015. However, MGA decided to take the Bratz in a whole new direction. Thus, the doll line suffered. It’s bad enough that children seldom want to play with toys anymore, especially with tablets around.

MGA tried too hard to appeal to the wrong demographic and took away what made the brand special.

To read more about the Bratz story: What Happened to the Bratz?

For the past year and a half, the Bratz dolls have been suffering in sales. As a result, MGA confirmed in an email to a fan that they are planning to discontinue the Bratz this year. 😦

The fashion doll industry is dying out due to low funds to support doll lines, lack of inspiration, soccer moms, and vocal online and offline radical feminists (who have been against Barbie’s and Bratz’s “sexualization” , “attitude”,  and “materialism” for years now and have been influential when it came to stopping girls from buying these dolls). Apparently, having a passion for fashion is considered “anti-empowering” for women. Further, I guess the soccer moms just couldn’t let these dolls thrive, no matter how hard MGA tried to compromise with them.

The following links show just how many website articles (written by feminists) supported “feminist” makeovers and hated the Bratz:

These Bratz dolls got an amazing feminists makeover

Tree Change

This artist is giving Bratz an awesome feminist Makeover

Over-sexed and over here: The ‘tarty’ Bratz Doll

New Bratz dolls Tell Girls “It’s Good to be Yourself”

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-411266/Over-sexed-The-tarty-Bratz-Doll.html#ixzz4gPS3FGyI

How to Explain Monster High and Other Hyper-Sexualized Dolls to Young Kids

Among many other articles. Most of the above articles are recent. The Bratz “controversy” has been going on since debut!

As a long-time super crazy Bratz fan, it is the saddest doll news I ever had to tell.

What saddens me most is not the fact that the Bratz will no longer be around, but the fact that they had so much potential. The Bratz dolls had the ability to bring the future of fashion (and a bit of history) to a fashion doll line–In a REALLY fashionable way. When I look back at Bratz Rock Angelz, for example, I remember a time when everyone wanted to be in a rock band. I reminisce on the styles of 2005 through that line. Bratz kept a record of the trends. I loved that about them. No other fashion doll line is doing that right now. None are capturing our generation’s fashions.

MGA mentioned in the email that this won’t be permanent. But I’m done believing they will bring back the awesome Bratz they once had. They got rid of the original designer, the court cases exhausted most of their funds, and social agendas in the world are influencing MGA’s direction. The only way the Bratz could get back on top is if MGA had the money to get them there and a designer who understood the original designer’s vision.

My next best bet is that another company buys out the brand and makes it awesome. The likelihood is slim, considering “rights” issues and all, but it’s a hope of mine.

My other big optional hope is that the original Bratz designer will gain the rights to the dolls once again and take the brand to a company who will really bring the vision to life.

If the Bratz make a return in a couple of years, when people are feeling nostalgic, there are a few things they truly would need to make it successful. Back in 2001, Bratz suffered at debut. A couple of things were needed to help boost the Bratz reputation. Any future designers and producers of the Bratz should take note.

1. Advertisements with Animation, a Tasteful Tune, and with Girls 10 to 14 

The best part about the first Bratz commercial was the animation mixing with the real girls. It was very interactive, fun, and funky.

Having older girls in the commercials made it sassier. The Bratz wasn’t written off as something that was just meant for little children when people saw older girls in the commercials. With older girls, it clearly seemed to appeal to the Tween market. If felt like something tweens and teens could relate to.

The Tween market has a lot of power nowadays, especially when dealing with social media and current trends in general. They register the world more than smaller kids do. If you want to bring power to a brand, tweens and teens will more than likely obsess with it before children will. It will help the brand stand out, like it used to.

The new commercial failed to do that, which was why it failed to promote the Bratz very well. The only thing good about it was the song “What’s Up?”

2. Give the Dolls a Glossy Eyed Look with Nice Make-up

Forget what feminists and soccer moms say. Make-up is and always has been ART, since Ancient Egypt. The Bratz used make-up in a very unique and artistic way in EVERY line. The glossy eyes added attitude and sass. They looked fierce and stylish.

The doe eyes make them look like deer who are lost in a forest. It’s bad enough people come after the Bratz for the head and feet. Now they hate the eyes.

Future designers should not let Tree Change Dolls intimidate them. Those dolls are not examples of art or creativity, just something slapped together to push social agendas and make moms feel comfortable with themselves. There was no inspiration behind those dolls. I’m sorry, not sorry. Bratz need to stay away from lines that mirror Tree Change.

Bratz needs to stick with what they do best and they are best a defying expectations when it comes to style.

3. Cut the Girlishness, Bring the EDGE

I’m sorry, but if Bratz is going to be back on top, it also has to appeal to the boys, like it once did. Bratz was for everyone. You won’t believe the number of MALE fans! Why? Because Bratz was not afraid to step over boundaries.

The one thing that annoys me about many doll lines today is that they only come with SKIRTS or DRESSES. Where are the pants? The jeans? The tomboys?

The cool thing about Bratz was that they always came with one skirt or dress and one pair of pants (unless it was a formal line). The mix and match potential was endless.

The line choices were inspiring, too. Bratz had a rock and roll line, a punk line, a gothic line, a spy line, a Tokyo-inspired line, and many other creative lines. They weren’t girlish or babyish or cheesy, like the new lines have been (Yes, that Selfie line was cheesy). They didn’t just borrow from the runways, but from the underground subcultures. It made Bratz seem fun and dangerous yet stylish. I had given suggestions to MGA in 2014, suggestions I knew only the Bratz could pull off. They seemed excited, giving my suggestion a thumbs up on facebook and approving by email. After 2014, MGA seemed to have forgotten my suggestions.

Or perhaps retailers just didn’t approve (I quickly learned how much power retailers have over the doll industry). In this case, Bratz need better marketing strategists.

Finally, Bratz do best in darker shades, not bright colors. It’s fine to add some variety to the color palette, sure, but mostly stay away from bright colors. Color-blocking bright colors with darker colors would be a good idea.

4. Make an Interactive Website

When I first got into Bratz, they weren’t even released yet. None of my friends knew about them when I became a fan. So how did I get them into the brand? Through the super awesome website of course!

The website formats were always so interactive, even the first format. It had music, games, interactive bedrooms that introduced the characters, and other things. As Bratz got bigger, the website got better. It didn’t take a whole lot of money to make a decent website.

With this generation’s obsession with apps, companies have put less value on websites, thinking they don’t matter, thinking that all they have to do is post an app and some news on their websites. NO. Kids who can’t afford apps will appreciate an interactive website where they can play some games. In fact, it will encourage kids to enjoy something OTHER than an app. And who doesn’t like games that are free? It makes the brand look better. It adds quality to the brand.

By reaching out to those kids, you are reaching out to ALL of the target audience, not just the ones that have cool android phones and tablets.

The last Bratz website was so sad and lonely. It had a plain white background, news, and boring apps.

5. Bring Back the Boyz Line

The thing that was always best about this doll brand was that they didn’t treat the boys as just accessories to the girls. The boys had their own lines, their OWN clothing, their OWN unique hairstyles, and their OWN accessories. Even the boys looked stylish and cool! No other brand has mastered this yet! Bratz is the only brand that has catered to the males in this way.

6. Keep the Core FOUR

Bratz started out with four, and were always more successful that way. It’s best to switch out characters for the fifth. Lines do worse when all four girls aren’t in them.

In 2007-2009, MGA made the mistake of focusing on the Closmins (Cloe and Yasmin dolls).

In 2015, MGA made the mistake of adding Raya to the core line, making it difficult to switch dolls out.

7. Maintain Quality

“Quality Over quantity” is a motto that rings true in the doll industry. I would rather high quality dolls than 10 lines a year. If that means coming out with less lines until Bratz is popular again, so be it.

When Bratz first arrived in 2001, they didn’t have a whole lot of lines. But the outfits and hair were amazing to the eye and touch.

In 2012, Bratz lost their quality. The one plus to the 2015 reboot was that most of the lines had decent quality. With enough attention to detail and fine quality materials, the Bratz can be back on the map.

8. Bring Back the Old Bratz Bodies

The original Bratz bodies looked fine. There was never a need to add any extra movement or poses to these dolls. The shorter dolls looked more appealing and the bodies had more of a curve to them. Plus, they would be able to fit all of the old outfits. They should at least bring the old bodies back at debut or for a couple of months, just to test to see whether the fans want the old look back or a newer look. Later, they can decide to try adding more articulation.

In the modern day, some people may like a little more articulation so that the dolls can be posable on social media. However, the classic look gives Bratz their staple appearance, adding value to the brand. It also allows standing to be easier. Bendable arms and legs make standing difficult without a stand.

9. Allow Buying Opportunities On the Company Website or Main Website 

I heard the biggest problem came from retailers. Apparently, they have most of the power over Bratz. They have issues with selling edgy dolls to children. I’ll bet most of these retail chains are full of soccer moms and feminists (which is why I’m against female designers for Bratz. I just don’t trust they will deliver.) I was told it was the reason so many prototypes had to be altered.

If retailers won’t accept the edgier dolls in their stores because of feminists and soccer moms, then MGA should be their own store. They should produce competition for retailers.

Sure, actually building a chain of stores would be difficult. It requires a lot of money. So instead, why not allow Bratz to be sold online, at the main website, right from the company? There should be a “shop” section. With so many people online, why not? It’s easier today with everyone connected to internet.

I suppose they want help with promotion and such from large retail chains. Still, if retailers refuse to sell certain “alternative” dolls, MGA should sell the dolls on their own website, just to give people better options. They have to make retailers want the dolls. They can better do that by taking the doll matters into their own hands.

With Bratz’s popular name, gaining someone to promote Bratz wouldn’t have been too difficult if they had just created a fierce doll line. Someone would’ve wanted to fund these dolls.

10. The Packaging

I don’t know what possessed MGA when they decided to put rainbows, ostriches, and emojis on the packaging. Who thought that would be a good idea? It might be the universal “Digital Age”, but that doesn’t mean everyone wants to see emojis everywhere. It seemed like whenever and wherever MGA tried to be up-to-date with the new Bratz, they seemed more out-of-touch.

The packaging used to be unique. Each package fit with the theme of the current doll line. Some almost looked like purses, too. For instance, the Pretty N’ Punk line’s packaging had one chain at the top, to make carrying it easier. That became a trademark for Bratz.

The Bratz may not have had a good year, but Bratz had one of the longest runs of any fashion doll line next to Barbie! Bratz have been a successful doll line for more than 10 years! That is a victory in itself.

Enjoy a slideshow full of the Bratz’s doll line creations!

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Enjoy all of the commercials that have come out over the years. My, have things changed.

Enjoy the Bratz music!

Want to test your Bratz knowledge? Try my Bratz Quiz!

Bratz Quiz: How Much Do You Know?

Well, that about wraps up this discussion. So Bratz fans, what do you think of the news? Are you heartbroken Bratz are leaving? Happy that they won’t look bad anymore? Mixed in your feelings? Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. And if you have any more suggestions on what you think would make the brand better, please share!

😦  (2001-2016)

READ NEXT: One brave feminist goes deeper into the “feminist” dislike of Bratz, stating how the Bratz “appearance” relates to black and Latino communities, and how that conflicts with “White feminism”. Check out her article: Brave Feminist

The Doll War this Holiday Season: Can the Bratz dominate this time?

Hmmm, what doll will you buy your kid this holiday? There’s many to choose from this year.

Well, I’m sure all of you have heard about the recent release of the new Bratz. Bratz came back in August of 2010, much to the anticipation of many fans and the surprise of many non-fans. In 2008, Mattel filed a lawsuit against Carter Bryant, the designer at Bratz at the time, who was claimed to have been working for Mattel at the time he gave the idea to MGA. When under contract with Mattel, all ideas for dolls while at work have to be handed over to Mattel. This shouldn’t include ideas while they are designed at home, but Larson ignored that at the time, stating that “It doesn’t matter, because he used the company’s resources to create the doll, therefore it is Mattel’s by law”. Mattel had emails as proof that Bryant was in contact with MGA while in the Mattel office. Mattel won the case then, decided by Judge Larson, and in 2009, MGA was to give Mattel all of it’s Bratz dolls and the ideas for the next year. However, later, MGA filed an appeal. In December of 2009, the case re-opened, the transfer was dismissed, and MGA was awarded the Bratz once again.One of the reasons was that Judge Larson “didn’t see the case fairly, and compared a creative idea to a bunch of artwork that could apply to any doll. He didn’t see the doll and each of it’s components.” Basically, not ALL of those ideas designed by Bryant were used. Many of the ideas were thrown away. So, the case ruled that MGA could have their doll until the next case decides (it isn’t over yet) the finality. The exceptions were MGA couldn’t use the same face molds anymore or resemble any of the drawings, neither are they allowed to re-release or sale any of the old Bratz before the lawsuit. Funny, after the case, Larson quit. Maybe the “doll war” gave him a headache….

So, in July 2010, MGA announced the Bratz return, just in time for it’s 10th Anniversary (though technically the anniversary is next year).

Yet, there were a few fans from the beginning that were prepared for the worst. On BratzWorld.tv, One of the first Bratz Fan Groups, many of the fans were saying that they expected the newest Bratz to be a complete failure. They got their evidence of this by comparing the quality and styles of the dolls in 2008 and 2009, during the court case drama. By 2008, many of the complaints were that the Bratz lost all their “edge” and “funk” and seemed to be dedicated to pleasing what we in the underground call “soccer moms”, or moms who wanted more wholesome dolls for their children. Whether this is a good thing or bad thing, well, is up to the customers. The dolls began covering more up, choosing princess and powder-pink lines, and all dolls started looking more and more alike. In my opinion, the dolls started wearing each others’ fashion passion in 2004 with lines like Pretty N Punk and Tokyo-a-go-go. I mean, isn’t that supposed to be Jade’s fashion passion? The Bratz lost all their individuality then. But 2008 was far worst. I mean, the clothes were the exact same outfit in a different color!

Bratz 2001, Individuality, Diversity, Originality

Bratz 2002 Individuality, Diversity, Originality, and quality

The Bratz had everything that fashion dolls before didn’t have. The Bratz were original. The Bratz were a doll line that had a rebellious sass. They wore styles that were inspired from the hip-hop and urban idols, or “grunge” for lack of a better word, different from Barbie, the fashion doll at the time. Barbie was pink-ish and pretty and girlie. Bratz were trendy, edgy, exotic, sassy, rebels who took fashion risks. There were plenty other dolls that were trying to take advantage of the tween market that was losing interest in playing with toys, and instead wanted to buy CDs and be like Britney Spears (we can thank Nickelodeon for Teen Nick, which was like “Disney-Channel today” and MTV). Mystikats, Lisa Frank though they were cute school supplies first, Zodiac Girlz, Diva Starz were produced, trying to appeal to a generation that was putting emphasis on being a tween. But all of those dolls failed to reach the market. But Bratz was what the tweens were looking for.

The Bratz had diversity (the blonde doll didn’t get all the pretty clothes and didn’t stand out as the “queen” all the time). Each girl had her own unique personality and style. Barbie was always known as the cute blondie who could do everything. I bet you no one knew that she had a black friend named Christie or a Hawaiian friend named Kira. Not really. You knew she had a black friend, but that friend was named “Black Barbie.” It can’t be helped as this doll came out in the 1950s. Well, it was about time for Barbie to retire in the Y2K era. Bratz was the perfect replacement for this generation, who had a hidden desire to rebel. Generation “Scorpio”, I call it.

The Bratz lastly had individuality. Each girl had their own Fashion Passion. Cloe’s fashion sense was shimmering and sparkly fabrics and animal prints. She was always into setting the latest trends. And they called her Angel, because that’s what she was. Truly gangsta to have a nickname, right? Sasha’s fashion sense was the “hip-hop thang” with a little bit of old school funk. Bunny Boo was her nickname because…she loved hip-hop. Jade’s fashion sense was way extreme, and cutting-edge fashions, similar to styles in Japan at the time.  Jade’s nickname was Kool Kat, because her fashion was wicked cool and she loved cats. Yasmin’s fashion sense was bohemian style, with exotic textures and cool threads, with earth tone colors. They called her Pretty Princess because she ruled. Reminds me of the Spice Girls, each girl had their own style and nickname, and each girl had their own individuality and they were diverse. We can blame their popularity for this generation wanting dolls to be that way. Diva Starz, another doll line by Mattel, were like deliberate Spice Girl rip-off dolls.

They had quality too. The Bratz had fine, saran hair, not the hair that gets tangles easily, or gets stuck together, or feels rough. Ya know, the one that fades when you put it in water? The fabric felt real and didn’t tear, and each piece could be taken off and mixed and matched. The hair styles were different each time, and little details were added to the clothing, make-up, and hair.

But once the Bratz were at the height of their popularity, that all changed. In 2004, the Bratz became this outrageous and rebellious group of girls that still took fashion risks, but they lost all of their individuality. No one could deny that the Bratz were still original, and diverse, but the individuality was drown out by the outrageous styles. The problem began when the demand for “select themes” became popular. For instance, Pretty N Punk, Tokyo-ago-go, Midnight Dance, Space Angels, and others. The Bratz began wearing Jade’s style. I guess since her style was the most popular at the time, MGA decided “why don’t we use cutting edge themes. We can still give the Bratz different clothes, but they’ll be cutting edge.” Now people say the Bratz are “edgy” because they lost all their individual fashion passion.

Originality, Diversity, quality, but where’s the Individuality?

The line had originality in the sense that the line dared to go where no other doll line would go. It produced lines that expressed the tween and teen inner rebel. It just wasn’t fashionable and trendy, it went beyond the imagination of the times. It was diverse in the sense that each doll had her own look and made the style their own. There were also many different looking dolls by this time, more dolls than the original four. High quality doll lines with real fabric and small details. But notice the lack of individuality. All of them are wearing the same style. Where is Sasha’s “hip-hop thang”? Where is Yasmin’s Boho? And I don’t see any shimmery fabrics and animal prints on Cloe. Completely washed away. But many Bratz fans didn’t notice because of what the Bratz stood for: rebels and taking risks. The doll had the one thing that is strong for a doll to continue in the doll market: originality.

But in 2007-2009, the Bratz lost all of that, beginning with the supposed “biggest line of the year” Bratz Forever Diamondz and trickling down to Bratz Pixiez. Basically, those lines during the time were the Bratz wearing the same outfit, but a different color or slightly different design. The lines included Birthday Party, Sun-Kissed Wave 2 (far cry from Wave1), Pixiez, Diamondz, and other lines.

Bratz 2006-2009 No diversity, no individuality, little originality

Pretty dolls, but where is the same flair?

No individuality, no diversity, and what is this, Barbie Land? lack of originality

Didn’t Barbie have a Fairytopia similar to this? Pretty dolls, but yet again…

No diversity, no individuality, no originality…no creativity…

It’s no wonder this was their lowest year….

Bratz The movie…talk about “alike”.

Can I get a lack of all three again anyone?

And even more annoying was the attack of the “Closmins”. In the Bratz world, that means that most of the lines began excluding Sasha and Jade, and just starting making lines with only Yasmin and Cloe. Somewhere along the years, Cloe and Yasmin became the biggest dolls. This was the result of Bratz losing their fashion passions. Before they lost it, each doll had something that made it special. Yasmin and Cloe were the “prettiest dolls” to consumers, but Jade and Sasha had the best fashion sense, so it left a balance. But when all of them started dressing like Jade, the prettiest dolls stood out (you know, like Beyonce did in Destiny’s Child threesome?).

Just Cloe and Yasmin? I guess Bratz is now two…

The new Bobsey Twins….just two taking over…

We’re so arrogant we’re starting to think we’re the prettiest…

Now if this isn’t enough evidence for how far the Bratz have fallen in the last couple of years, I don’t know what is. From around 2007-2009, the Bratz lost all of that individuality, to the point all of the clothes looked alike. The only thing that was individual was the fact that they wore different colors. Diversity? Definitely not there, especially when the attack of the “Closemins” happened. Jade and Sasha were completely excluded from most of the lines, as if they were not the original, important Bratz dolls a part of the main line. Originality…absolutely gone. Many of these lines look waved from other lines. The ideas are so Barbie-ish that it seems to have a lack in Bratitude. Well, at least the makeup is original, even if the fashions show a lack of spunk. But hey, after flowing all of their ideas out in 2005, what did they have left anyway?Well, Bratz Girlz Really Rock was a step in improvement, and Bratz Dance Crewz.

Individuality, Diversity, but not sure about originality or the quality….

Well, at least the Bratz have their individuality back, with their own style. And at least they have their diversity back, with each Bratz doll being represented. However, the originality is still gone here. Wasn’t everyone doing music then? Especially with High School Musical. And the quality was bad. The make-up was smudged on some dolls, the hair was easily tangled, and the fabric tore easily.

Well, now we are here, in 2010. The newest Bratz have been released. But because Bratz took a year off, do to the court mess, other dolls have been able to slide into the marketplace while Bratz were gone. Three of them being: Moxie Girlz/Teenz, Monster High, and Liv dolls. These dolls represent a whole new generation than the one that made Bratz the icon it is today. Those dolls represent the “teeny-bopper age”. They are all girls who are like “Disney Channel” idols that wear trendy and girlie fashion, and only talk about high school related issues like crushes, and what to wear to a school dance, etc. While Bratz doll lines made you travel the world, and go to that punk rock club, these dolls seem to do nothing but keep you grounded in high school. And yet, all three are a success. Monster High is Mattel’s answer to competition to Bratz.

Sadly, it’s beating the Bratz.

How? Well, let’s take a look at the new Bratz lines again:

10 New Bratz

Basic Bratz

Bratz Party dolls

Talking Bratz

Why are these dolls such an issue now? They look pretty right? They seem to be diverse, and each seems to have their own style right? WRONG. Notice that one of the 10 Bratz has a fashion that’s similar to Cloe, same leggings, same jacket and same shirt, with a different skirt and no hat. And notice that the attack of the Closmins are back! This is disappointing for a “comeback”. Taking a look at the Bratz Party line, it seems the quality hair is back, the detail in the clothing, the diversity, and the originality is back. But with closer inspection, you notice that you’ve seen Cloe’s leggings before in store…oh, on who, you ask?

Oh no, the Moxie Teenz!

Bratz Party Cloe with the same leggings as Moxie Girl?

Why do I happen to see Cloe’s leggings on a completely different doll, also designed by MGA. What are they trying to do? Take the same fabric of clothing and see how well they can mix and match it? And then look at the basic line. It is super basic. Sasha would’ve looked better with the short hair she was advertised to have (though we can blame fans for complaining about that and then realizing they liked it). And they continue to blend in  with the teeny boppers, like Liv.

Last but not least, the quality is horrifying. The Bratz quality is the main thing that is making Bratz Fanz hate the Bratz return. The hair is only saran on one doll line, Bratz Party. They have no original styles to them. The styles are basic and blending in with other doll lines. The clothes are easy to tear, and so are the bodies now, since they tried to make them poseable like Liv dolls.

Liv Dolls

And what is up with the competition Mattel produced? Mattel is definitely out to prove that MGA couldn’t have been successful without them, and they are succeeding. Monster High, though I don’t think the idea will last more than two years, as what can you do with a bunch of monsters, is actually a creative and original idea right now. The quality of the dolls is extraordinary, with high quality hair, detailed fashion, and entertaining webisodes and catchy theme song with added music video to promote them. To top it off, each doll line is diverse, has their own style and “ghoul” like features, and ALL dolls are included in every line…well, I don’t know if they have their own style. But they are diverse. And they have a little edge to them too, though they lack in the sass department….

Monster High—the new fashion dolls on the market?

All I can say is MGA really has to step it up if they want to beat out the competition. MGA should not ignore their fans this time. Yea, sure, the moms hated the old Bratz, but it doesn’t look like making the Bratz more wholesome is working either. All it seems to be doing is making Mattel dominate, because they’ve always been experts in the wholesome department. Bratz should be different. At least when the Bratz weren’t wholesome, they got more attention, both negative and positive. ANY attention at all is enough to make the dolls take notice. Haven’t you learned anything from Lady Gaga’s success? If she was just a trendy girl, she wouldn’t be as big. But her outrageous questionable fashion is what is promoting her and got her as famous as she is in the first place.

My advice for MGA has been shown through out this blog, and all I can say is “Good Luck”. We can only wait for December to see the results. Hey, if you ask me, majority of kids might head to that video game and electronic section, or ask for a cell phone. If we’re lucky, they might ask for an American Girl doll, or a Journey Girl doll.

Bratz 2010 Newz! Back and Better than EVER!

Bratz Party Sasha and Cloe

These 2010 Bratz dolls are awesome! Just when some people were in fear of the Bratz not being as edgy or outrageous and taking risks like the old Bratz, Bratz Party line was revealed! It really seems MGAE is giving a bit of all the Bratz flavor, from the urban hip-hop wear from the year 2001, to the diversity and beautiful styles of 2002-2003, to the funky, risky, and ecclectic fashions in 2004 and 2005! This is all of what I’m looking for!

Of course, one problem is still the feet. They do look a tad bit smaller, now that I analyze them a little more. I’m kind of getting the sinking feeling that they are trying to compete with the LIV dolls. Even the Moxie Teenz have disappointed me in becoming LIV. Are those dolls really that popular?

I mean, I have had the pleasure of seeing them up close. While the new Moxie Girlz are very cute, though nothing on the Bratz, LIV is only cute in the face. That’s where it ends. The clothes are cheap looking, average, unoriginal….just plain boring. Not a doll collection I’m into. They remind me too heavily of Diva Starz and Barbie and Lisa Frank.

They are too flowery. Talk about a doll collection that lacks edge, it definitely has to be LIV dolls. And Monster High…that’s a pathetic attempt to be edgy. Way to go Mattel at failing with your “Bratz” dolls. They should stick with Myscene. At least it can go past one line. Monster High doesn’t look like it can last past one outfit for each girl….I can see them having the same fate as Flavas….

Yea, but LIV dolls have weird looking bodies. And they say Bratz lacks articulation now. To me, Moxie Girlz even did a better job than LIV at attempting posable bodies. LIV have big heads and faces, long bodies and small feet…not very attractive for me. I knew when I saw them I wouldn’t be collecting them. They don’t stand out to me that much. They look like Mystikats, Zodiac Girlz, and Lisa Frank. Nothing special.

But the Bratz…they are original. Their fashions are hard to imitate because they take fashion risks. The Bratz get their ideas from the urban hip-hop and cutting edge runways, rather than looking at the mainstream pop culture and all the bubblegum looks with all the juicy colors. That’s what turned me off from Moxie Girlz originally…They were just too darn colorful. They were tacky, wacky, and cheesy. The eyes and hair and face were cute, but lacked any individual style, originality, and creativity. Their fashions were also too childish for my tastes, but I didn’t care about that because I knew it was mostly directed to little kids. Bratz have always been way ahead of other dolls in high-style fashion and trends, they’ve always been original and creative with their approach in fashion, and they just look like time and care was taken into the doll, even though it is for kids.

Some companies think that just because something is directed to kids that it doesn’t matter the quality or how it’s made and that kids will like it anyway…that is SO not true. Kids know good quality when they see it sometimes…especially when the material of the clothes keep tearing every time they play with them. And they are especially attracted to pretty and lavish, like they see on TV and internet.

Bratz have it all, for pretty much all ages. They are pretty, stylish, diverse in their fashion and trends, diverse in ethnicity, and just completely risky and creative. They are everything a fashion doll can and should be…Not to mention, with all the movies giving the Bratz personality, their personalities are not very cliche, like you would see with LIV dolls. LIV personalities remind me of Diva Starz. Bratz are more unique and sassy, making them appealing.

Well, the only downside is they’re not exactly “parent-material”…but just about any fashion doll can be a bad influence on children, especially if the dolls are representing teenagers. Kids want to be like their “older siblings”, which is natural. “Soccer moms” should really observe their older daughters and their styles. Bratz is a mirror into what your teens are wearing. So if you want to “improve” Bratz fashion, monitor what your teens are wearing, and raise them not to like pop culture.

Bratz Party Jade and Yasmin