Lottie Doll - a British rival to the Barbie Empire

I'm not sure that I subscribe to the view that playing with impossibly slender, long limbed, giraffe necked, pointy-breasted fashion dolls is going to leave a legacy of body image issues and age inappropriate sexual behaviour amongst our impressionable young girls - but I do whole heartedly agree with the notion of choice.

British company Arklu have launched a new Fashion Doll to challenge the market domination of the likes of Barbie and Bratz. In a complete rethink of what a fashion doll designed for girls in the 3-8 year age group should be like, 'Lottie' was born.

I was sent a Lottieville Festival doll to review.

Lottie has a distinctly childlike body and outfits that are fun and fashionable but not overtly sexy. With an appeal that doesn't rely on make-up, high heels and scanty clothing, Lottie offers a wholesome alternative to the long established fashion doll traits.

The Lottie Doll stands at 7" tall which makes her easily portable but possibly less impressive than her 12" rivals on the shelves of the toyshops. The packaging is designed to be re-usable as a carry case. Unfortunately, ours was discarded fairly quickly after the cardboard handle was damaged irreparably.

The festival outfit that Lottie came dressed in was gorgeous - well made with attention to detail. Disappointingly, the detachable velcro patch designed to mix and match with other outfits, lost its velcro. I did try to glue it back but without success.

I was very impressed with the quality of Lottie's long black hair which thus far has not tangled at all despite some fairly rough handling.

Lottie is poseable and reasonably stable in the standing position.

The different Lottie Doll sets are based around the seasons (the Lottieville Festival doll celebrating summer) which I think is a lovely idea and creates a very collectible product.

The tag line for the brand is "Be Bold, Be Brave, BeYou" - an admirable set of values to aspire to. If through relating to this little doll, my daughter felt empowered to be bolder, braver and herself then that could only be a good thing (although four year old Addy is a feisty little minx who probably needs no further encouragment!).

I have to be honest and say that Addy is quite fickle when it comes to toys and has never demonstrated any great interest in dolls. She did not fall instantly in love with this one. However, if she were to attach to a fashion doll in the future, I would be very happy for it to be Lottie.

RRP: £16.99