Common Sense Media Review
By Amanda Bindel
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dress-up app is entertaining but fuels shallow stereotype.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 5+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Minnie Fashion Tour
What's It About?
Minnie and Daisy's bow-making business (from Minnie Bow Maker) has been so successful, they're taking their designs to New York, Milan, and Paris. Kids choose from two modes: Fashion & Style, wherein kids choose outfits for Minnie and Daisy to wear on the runway and then design the lighting and music for the show; or Travel & Style, wherein kids have to dress the assigned character for a different activity in the city she's visiting, such as for a ballgame in New York or a party in Paris. Choosing the right outfit unlocks more accessories.
Is It Any Good?
MINNIE FASHION TOUR is fun, and kids who enjoy playing with fashion will enjoy it. There are 12 outfit options to choose from plus different bows and hats, shoes, and accessories, so kids have lots of options to get creative. They can change the colors and patterns, too, adding to the creative fun. There's no undo button, though, so if kids don't like a color change they've made, there's no way to get back to the colors of the original outfit. Dragging a color into place changes the entire outfit rather than only a piece of it. For example, when Daisy is wearing a denim skirt and orange top to start, choosing a red heart pattern changes the skirt and top both, with no option to change only the top.
Although the app will be fun for Minnie fans, it does seem to reinforce gender stereotypes. It would be nice if there were more to the play than simply dressing Minnie and Daisy in the right outfit (or if there were male characters to chose from, too).
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about and play dress-up at home. Let your kids put together their most fabulous outfits and accessories. And, if you're feeling adventurous, let them put together an outfit for you, too.
Use fabric scraps to cut out shapes for outfits and accessories to dress up drawings of people or characters.
Read our article Boys, Girls, and Media Messages for thoughts on how to combat gender stereotypes (such as those that emphasize the importance of how girls look and dress).
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad
- Subjects : Hobbies : fashion , pets
- Skills : Creativity : imagination , making new creations
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Release date : January 30, 2014
- Genre : Entertainment
- Publisher : Disney
- Version : 1.2
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 6.0 or later
- Last updated : November 11, 2020
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