Barbie Extra Fancy Fashion Doll in a Teddy-Print Gown with Sheer Train (Model HHN13) with Teddy Bear Pet Review
Barbie Extra Fancy HHN13 Review
If there is one thing I enjoy about collecting fashion dolls, it is discovering dolls that have their own very distinct personality and style. The Barbie Extra Fancy Fashion Doll HHN13 definitely falls into that category! She is colourful, glamorous, playful, and wonderfully over-the-top, with an outfit that immediately makes her stand apart from a more traditionally dressed Barbie doll. Released as part of the Barbie Extra Fancy collection, this doll takes the fun, expressive style of the Barbie Extra line and turns it into a full red-carpet look. The Extra Fancy dolls were designed around voluminous gowns, statement accessories, elaborate hairstyles, and coordinating pets. As someone who loves dolls, doll fashion, sewing tiny clothes, crocheting doll clothes, and creating little dollhouse scenes, she is exactly the kind of doll that gives me plenty to look at—and plenty of inspiration!
First Impressions
My first impression of this doll is simply that there is a lot going on, but that is really the whole point of Barbie Extra! She isn’t supposed to be subtle. From her incredibly long hair to her colourful teddy-bear outfit, sparkly details, jewellery, tiny handbag, sunglasses, gloves, socks, shoes, and matching teddy bear pet, she looks like she dressed for an imaginary fashion event where being overdressed is absolutely encouraged.
Model HHN13 was released as part of the Barbie Extra Fancy collection, and she is a standard fashion-doll size of approximately 11.7 inches tall.
I especially like dolls that look interesting even when they are simply standing on a shelf, and this one certainly does. There are so many little details that your eyes naturally travel from her hairstyle to her jewellery, down through that dramatic outfit, and finally to her shoes.
Her Beautiful Extra-Long Hair
Her hair may actually be one of my favourite things about this doll.
She has extra-long, dark brown crimped hair that reaches approximately to her ankles, giving her an incredibly dramatic silhouette. The front of the hair is styled into small knots, while the remaining hair cascades down her back.
I think the length makes her especially fun for adult doll collectors who enjoy styling and photographing their dolls. Even if you eventually decide to change her original outfit, the hair alone gives her a distinctive look.
There is also something lovely about the combination of her warm complexion and deep brown hair. Her face is pretty without getting lost underneath all of the dramatic styling surrounding her. That is important with such an elaborate doll because sometimes an outfit can become the entire attraction. Here, I still find myself looking at the doll herself.
The Teddy-Print Gown
And then, of course, we have the dress!
This is definitely not an ordinary Barbie dress. Her colourful teddy-bear-print fashion features glittery green straps and is topped with an extravagant teddy-print sheer/foil-accented train or cape-like layer.
It is whimsical, playful and deliberately excessive.
The teddy bear motif is particularly cute because it keeps such a dramatic fashion from feeling overly serious. It is almost like someone took a child’s favourite teddy bear, a colourful party dress, and a red-carpet gown and combined all three ideas.
From a doll-fashion perspective, I find pieces like this fascinating because they are such wonderful inspiration. I love looking at factory-made doll clothing and thinking about how particular ideas could be interpreted through sewing or crochet. The dramatic sheer train, for example, immediately makes me think about what could be created using tulle, organza or another lightweight sheer fabric.
Shoes, Socks & Accessories
One of the best things about Barbie Extra dolls is usually the accessories, and HHN13 certainly has plenty.
Her look includes blue heels, pink socks, metallic micro sunglasses, purple gloves, a heart-shaped handbag and multiple pieces of layered jewellery.
I really enjoy the pink socks with the blue shoes. It is a quirky little styling choice that you probably wouldn’t see on a traditional evening-gown Barbie, but somehow it makes perfect sense here.
The metallic sunglasses are another fun addition. They give her a slightly futuristic fashion-editorial look, while the heart-shaped handbag brings everything back into that cute, playful Barbie world.
There are plenty of individual pieces to remove, rearrange and potentially combine with clothing and accessories from other dolls. That is something I always appreciate because I don’t necessarily want my dolls to remain permanently in their original outfits. Part of the fun of fashion dolls is creating completely different looks for them.
The Teddy Bear Pet
Her tiny teddy bear pet may be one of the sweetest parts of the entire set.
Instead of giving this glamorous doll a conventional puppy or kitten, Mattel paired her with a little teddy bear featuring heart-stamped cheeks and an adorable expression.
It coordinates perfectly with the teddy motif of her clothing and makes the entire set feel more thoughtfully themed.
I also love little doll accessories like this for dollhouse decorating and photography. A tiny pet can sit beside a doll on a miniature chair, appear in a bedroom scene, sit on a dollhouse bed or simply become another cute accessory displayed inside the dollhouse.
Articulation & Posing
Another feature I appreciate is that this Barbie has articulation rather than the very limited movement found on some basic fashion dolls.
The doll has flexible joints at the elbows and knees, allowing for more varied posing and imaginative play.
For me, articulation becomes particularly useful when photographing dolls. Being able to slightly bend an arm, adjust a leg or position the doll naturally beside miniature furniture can make a surprisingly big difference.
She isn’t a Made to Move Barbie, so I wouldn’t buy her specifically for maximum articulation. However, the additional movement is certainly welcome, particularly with such a fashion-focused doll.
A Doll Made for Restyling
Although her original teddy-print gown is probably the first thing most people notice, I actually think this doll has tremendous restyling potential.
Once all of the dramatic accessories and layers are removed, you have a beautiful fashion doll with exceptionally long textured hair. That gives you a wonderful blank canvas for handmade doll clothing.
I can imagine her wearing a tiny floral cottage-style dress, a little shirred blouse with a full skirt, a glamorous sequin evening gown, a crocheted summer top, a miniature patchwork outfit or even a simple pair of doll jeans with a handmade blouse.
For anyone who enjoys sewing or crocheting fashion-doll clothes, dolls like this can become much more than collectibles. They become tiny models!
That is one of the reasons I enjoy this hobby so much. I can make something at my sewing table and then see it transformed into an entire miniature fashion look once I put it on one of my dolls.
What I Like Most About Barbie Extra Fancy HHN13
There are several things that make this particular Barbie stand out for me. Her extremely long crimped hair is probably at the top of my list, followed closely by her beautiful face and the sheer amount of personality packed into her styling.
I also appreciate that the set doesn’t feel like it stops with the dress. The socks, shoes, sunglasses, gloves, jewellery, handbag and teddy bear pet all contribute to the overall look.
The articulation is another bonus, particularly for displaying and photographing her.
And while her original fashion may not appeal to someone who prefers classic or understated Barbie clothing, I think that is part of her charm. This doll knows exactly what she is supposed to be: Extra Fancy!
Is Barbie Extra Fancy HHN13 Worth Adding to a Collection?
I think she can be a lovely addition to a collection, particularly for someone who loves unusual Barbie dolls, long-haired dolls, colourful fashion, elaborate accessories or dolls that are fun to restyle.
She was originally part of a play-line collection rather than being positioned purely as a display collectible, and the recommended age is 3 years and older. But I can certainly see her appeal for adult collectors as well.
For me, her strongest feature isn’t necessarily any single accessory. It is the complete combination of her face, complexion, spectacularly long hair and bold fashion.
Once the original outfit comes off, I think she could also look beautiful in completely different styles of clothing—which makes her even more interesting for someone like me who enjoys creating handmade doll fashions.
My Overall Thoughts
The Barbie Extra Fancy Fashion Doll in a Teddy-Print Gown with Sheer Train (HHN13) is colourful, eccentric, glamorous and unapologetically playful. She certainly won’t be everyone’s idea of classic Barbie fashion, but she isn’t trying to be classic. She is supposed to be fun.
I love her long hair, her pretty face, her articulation and all of those tiny accessories. The teddy bear theme gives the extravagant fashion a sweet touch, while her matching little bear pet finishes the look perfectly.
Most importantly, I can already imagine all sorts of completely different outfits for her—and for me, that is always the sign of a doll that will be fun to have in my collection.
Keep visiting and browse the blog for lots more miniature fashion and doll inspiration! You can download my free doll clothes sewing patterns, try my free doll clothes crochet patterns, check out my beautiful dollhouse, and read more of my Barbie doll reviews. I am always working on something new for my little doll world, whether that means sewing a tiny blouse, crocheting another doll outfit, decorating the dollhouse or adding another lovely doll to the collection. There will always be something new to discover here, so I hope you will keep visiting and creating along with me!
