Where did all the clothes go?

I had intended for Pix E. Flutters to be my only Lalaloopsy Girl, but as usual, I've proven myself a complete liar.  On the evening of the fifteenth I spotted Furry Grrs-a-Lot on the shelf, and since I have her big Lalaloopsy self I bought her.

She's similar enough to Pix that I don't feel a full review is necessary.  Like Pix she has plastic hair, a rosebud mouth, and big shoes that help her stand.  Also like Pix, she favors her larger counterpart.

The main difference is that Furry was a basic doll rather than the deluxe type like Pix was.  She didn't come with her pet or an extra outfit, and it's the lack of an extra outfit that left me with an eyebrow lifted.  Usually when dolls don't come with a lot of bells and whistles, the holding company makes up for it by making extra outfits and accessories.  Mattel does this for Barbie; even the most basic Barbie doll can have a large wardrobe if one's financial situation will allow it.  Once upon a time this was true for MGA Entertainment as well.  When I was a teenager the Bratz were enjoying their heyday, and MGA kept store shelves full of cute clothes, vehicles, extra shoe packs, stuff like that.  Moxie Girls got the same treatment, as did the short-lived Moxie Teenz and B.F.C. Ink dolls.

I first noticed MGA starting to slack off a little after the Lalaloopsy Littles and the Novi Stars were released.  The full-sized Lalaloopsy dolls got a modest wardrobe...well, most of them did.  Only one outfit was released that was specifically for boys, but the girls got plenty of cute threads.  Things petered off with the Littles and the Novis, though; each line got three outfits apiece.  Then the clothes stopped coming altogether, despite the release of a second wave of Novi Stars.  Usually when a second wave comes along, a new clothing line comes with it.  But not this time.

"What are we, chopped liver?"

The few Lalaloopsy Girls clothes that I do have will fit Novi Stars, but that doesn't matter much anymore because the Novis' spaceship has been grounded...permanently.  MGA has apparently pulled the plug on them, so there's that over with.  Meanwhile, Bratz have made a comeback, the Lalaloopsy Girls have held their own, and a new set of dolls called Project MC2 is attempting to interest girls in smart stuff rather than stylish stuff.  Guess what?  NONE of the new dolls appear to be focusing on stylish stuff!  I have seen no new clothes for Lalaloopsies or Lalaloopsy Girls, nothing new for the MC2 gang, nothing for the few Moxie Girls that are still running around.  The only MGA dolls to get new clothes have been the Bratz.  There are two-outfit packs and single-outfit packs, but since they don't fit any of my old Bratz I haven't bothered with them.

With all the hubbub that surrounded the re-release of the Bratz, it feels like the other girls have been left in the lurch.  That wouldn't be so bad except that both Lalaloopsies and Lalaloopsy Girls have unique bodies.  They both have egg-shaped bodies that can't wear conventional doll clothes without a struggle.  Oh yes, the Vi and Va dresses fit the Lalaloopsy Girls...but MGA pulled the plug on those dolls too.  Still, the Lalaloopsy Girls are better off than the full-sized Lalas, since I can always jerry-rig something for them.  It's just infuriating to see MGA put all their eggs in one basket.  They have a bona fide success story with the Lalaloopsy dolls, and since the Girls have hung around I assume that they're a modest success as well.  It would be nice to see MGA pull their minds away from the Bratz and start making some duds for their other girls again.  Because frankly, I think clothes sell better than dolls do!

MGA Entertainment isn't the only toy company to skimp on clothes, however.  Remember these?

These are Monster High dolls from Mattel, of course.  They are dressed in Inner Monster ensembles...and these dresses are the last dresses I've seen Mattel make for Monster High dolls!  Nothing has been released since then...that I know of, anyway.  The Ever After High dolls didn't even get this much; I've seen absolutely ZERO new clothes for the EAH crew.  New furniture for both lines, yes.  But no clothes.  Guess which doll has been getting all the new stuff?  Who else but Barbie!  Now, I like Barbie clothes.  I like them a lot.  But I've got the resources to make my own Barbie duds if needed.  As with MGA, Mattel appears to be putting all their eggs in one basket, and that's a shame because I thought Monster High clothes were far more interesting than the constant pink-and-glitter stuff that the playline Barbie dolls get.

What do y'all think?  Have you noticed this too, or am I just making a mountain out of a molehill?  Discuss.

Best wishes,
RagingMoon1987