I’ve been working on my Skipper/ Courtney collection like a maniac. Starting this year, I’ve purchased Great Shape Skipper on the classic 1963 headmold, then Phone Fun Courtney (the 1993 Pizza Party mold) joined her and now I’ve got Teen Courtney from 1996 (the Teen Skipper 1995 head sculpt). I’m not so keen on the Teen Skipper face except for perhaps the gorgeous Florida Vacation with her platinum blonde hair and dark, almost black eyebrows (I love that contrast) but I like Courtney in general. I find her much prettier than Skipper, who nonetheless will always remain one of my most favorite dolls sentimentally. Needless to say, I absolutely had to get the lovely, freckled Courtney and she’s just arrived from a very nice collector.
In 1996 Mattel released a series of totally revamped dolls. It consisted of Skipper, Courtney and Nikki. Skipper and her friends looked different and the most noticeable change was that they grew up and they were now almost as tall as Barbie. They had lanky legs and in general, they were skinnier than Barbie if that’s even possible to achieve. The dolls had the Shani arms, they wore flat shoes, their face paint was very realistic looking and they had very, very long hair. The markings on their necks say 1995. There were four Courtney dolls in total produced based on the new at that time Teen head sculpt. Those were Teen Courtney 1996, Totally Yoyo Courtney 1998, Pajama Fun Courtney 1999 and Fashion Party Courtney 2000. Courtney also changed her hair color. Starting with the Teen series she was still a brunette with very prominent red highlights, but then she went full red in Pajama Party and this way she remained until she was discontinued. To me Courtney will always be a brunette but I find the red hair of Pajama Party esthetically pleasing. She’s on my wish list.
The Teen series is rooted with kanekalon that goes past the dolls’ knees and it seems to be their most prominent feature but it’s not the hair that is the theme of the series, it’s … tattoos. It appears that Skipper and Courtney are old enough to wear tattoos now. These are of course only glittery stickers and for the little owner there’s a sheet of removable tattoos. My doll also comes with some cardboard accessories like a driver’s license – another proof of adulthood, and some magazine and folders. These last items I found in her very trendy, orange, translucent bag. There was also a pair of sunglasses and a classic shell hairbrush in her box. I just love the old Mattel – counting this one, I’ve got three dark purple brushes and they are all different shades!
I get the impression that in terms of fashion, everything goes nowadays, but in the 90s there were some unforgettable trends, some of them quite tacky. Skipper and Courtney would always wear whatever was on top at a given time and Teen Courtney is a good example of that. She’s got a purple and bottle green crop top and some white baggy trousers. Unfortunately, although I purchased Courtney brand new and still in her box that had never been opened, there are yellow stains all over her trousers, which is a pity. The trousers are really well made with real stitching and functional pockets, belt loops as well as a belt with a buckle and it matches her bag! Just look at those belt loops! Nowadays details like this would be printed! She also comes with a pair of purple sneakers that are a bit loose and don’t stay on her feet very well. But that’s not all. Apparently Courtney is going to the beach right after school so she came prepared – she’s got her bikini bottoms in her bag and she’s already wearing the top that serves a dual purpose. Now that kind of a beach doll is right up my alley.
I like Courtney’s outfit with all the 90s nostalgia, I would go dressed like this myself back then, well minus the bikini tops perhaps. But what really made me convinced I absolutely had to have that doll was her face. Really, no matter what she wears, she will always look lovely. I do like her long, soft hair although it does get messy if you touch it too much. I like the color of the hair and the style and that little braid on the side but what really makes this doll stand out is the freckles and her cinnamon complexion. She has a pair of brown eyes that make her look dreamy and give her a very soft expression. There is a small flaw to her face paint but I can forgive Mattel for that. Such imperfections happened but rarely at that time, but nowadays, the company is notorious for pixelated face print, eyes and lips in the wrong place and all the other possible defects. But I don’t criticize contemporary Mattel for the sake of criticizing them. There are a few things that I like and appreciate about them and I need to finally publish a note on the Chelsea Camper that I got for my daughter for Christmas. The playset is absolutely adorable.
I rearranged my Skipper shelf and I wanted to take a group photo of all my Courtneys but sadly, the lighting was bad in the room where I normally photograph my dolls. There was a thick layer of snow on the roof windows and the whole room was unusually dark, so I just took a photo of my dolls in the cabinet. I’ll do better when the snow melts down – the hinge is an eyesore!
I have a couple of this sized Skipper doll too. I purchased a couple of Fashion Fever outfits for them that I like fairly well. I didn't like that they aged Skipper so much, but I do like having kid/teen dolls in different heights.
ReplyDeleteOur roof windows (skylights) are currently covered here, too, but the lights on the side of the house are letting more light, as what little light we have is bouncing off of the white snow.
Skylights! Right - that's the word I needed :) So the snow on my skylights turned into ice now, taking photos of dolls is currently impossible :) My new dolls will have to wait till it gets warmer.
DeleteFashion Fever might be a good idea! I was planning to purchase some Teen Skipper Fashion Avenue fashions, they're so 90s but I'm still waiting for a good deal.
Aging Skipper wasn't a good idea. I actually don't mind the doll at all (despite the forehead) but she just doesn't look like Skipper anymore. I mean, if Mattel needed a teen on the cast, why didn't they bring Jazzie again. She was a cool character!
This were the Skipper dolls that I used to be obsessed with as a child. This line and the "Cool Sitter" were kind of the first Teen Skipper dolls I started paying attention too. Oh, and "Extreme Green". The Pijama Fun was one of my favourite lines and I wanted all of the dolls. I do agree, the Courtney from that line is absolutely stunning, but it might also be that I have a soft spot for redhead dolls.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things I liked about this Teen Skipper era is that they had their very own fashions, which I absolutely loved. I still remember one in green that came with a floral skirt and a fuzzy green twin set.
Thanks for sharing this post, it was a great walk down memory lane.
I'm so glad you liked the post and that it brought back some nice memories of when you played with your Skippers. I feel like that whenever I read about the dolls from my childhood.
DeleteOh I love Extreme Skipper's outfit! Those overalls! I also like the Fashion Avenue fashions for Teen Skipper and the one you mentioned is probably #19507 from 1997. I know that one, it's got some cool shoes too. I definitely must get some so that I could redress my Courtney.
Pajama Fun Courtney is gorgeous with her red hair and pale complexion! I also like the Pajama Fun Tote set with Barbie and all those fun accessories the two dolls come with :) The AA version is amazing! Oh, so many dolls to have!
Thank you to share with us all this old souvenirs. I have one of these Skipper 🤩🤩🤩
ReplyDeleteGlad I could take you down memory lane :)
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