Surely you know that I'm uber obsessed with AG's incoming doll line for little girls. I've been gushing over them all day and borderline starting online fistfights with people intent on spoiling my fun.
Some are upset with the Bitty Twins' impending retirement, but let me ask: how many of you have bought BTs new for yourselves? Likely never, right? Cute though they may be, intentionally selling dolls only in sets is not good for business. Of the stories I've heard of parents buying from the BT line for their daughters, almost all of them get a single doll by asking in store. Keeping up awkwardly sized furniture, multiple sets of clothing, etc., is not cutting it for AG. Especially since the 5-7 year-old range, BT's intended age group, is seeing older sisters getting posable fashion dolls. Slightly older looking baby dolls aren't enough anymore.
And that's okay. Times change. The Hearts 4 Hearts Girls line from Target proved that tiny girls can be responsible enough for dolls that aren't babies or Barbies. With the dolls constantly flying off the shelves, it's a mystery as to why the line was discontinued.
But American Girl is, rightly, stepping into the opening left by H4H. By providing friends that look like them and are meant for them, they're not only capitalizing on one of the naggiest age groups, they're giving little girls respect they so crave. Baby dolls are good in their own way, but to feel as though they're being excluded from the "big girl" crowd hurts. And now they don't have to be. Now they can have dolls sized just right for them, dolls that dress like them and have similar interests.
And it's so nice to see doll lines that focus on little-girlhood. The primary American Girl lines are supposed to represent the same, but they've always been more interested in tween interests, in that desire to grow up as fast as possible. At least in their characters and products. Lea Clark, especially, that minor enemy of mine, with her plucked eyebrows and evenly tanned skin, Grace Thomas and her lipgloss, or Isabelle Palmer's love of hair dye and extensions--these are not little girl things. Whether I approve of that is a different blog post altogether, but it stands that being a little girl is not something celebrated, no matter what the slogans say.
The Wellie Wishers have pigtails and braids. Their faces are bright, enthusiastic, and unashamed in in that enthusiasm. Their adorably accurate outfits are wildly patterned in ice cream and smileys, and their individual rain boots are perfect for exploring. It's wonderful.
Some are spamming hate on American Girl's Instagram page for these dolls. "Why would you copy Hopscotch Hill School dolls when they failed last time?" they cry. (As though the little girl doll market wasn't the most booming it's been in ages!) Do not do this. If you hate the line, keep it to yourself. Negativity and rudeness is terrible no matter what, but there are children watching. They model and emulate to figure out the world and being awful about something that was meant for them, not the nasty people making a fuss, shows them a world that doesn't welcome them and teaches them to be the same to the next generation. For their sake, hold your tongues.
("Why are kids on Instagram???" Because many people allow their children to look at American Girl's page every day. Some allow their kids as young as 8 to have their own accounts to look at toys. It's not a safe practice, but it happens. Keep this in mind.)
Now that I'm off my soapbox, let's talk about fun stuff.
The Wellie girls align more-or-less to the first five original American Girl of Today dolls: #1 is black, #2 is a medium-skinned girl with bangs, #3 is a white blonde, #4 is East Asian, and #5 is a redhead, so I'll use those same numbers to keep track of the WWs.
Observations:
#2 seems to have freckles just under her eyes (a new type of freckles oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh!!!)
#3 has a beauty mark under her left eye
I can't decide if they have the same mold or not. #4 looks like her eyes are longer, #1's mouth and nose seem wider, and I would swear #3's eyes are wider set while #2 has a more square face than the others. But maybe that's just the magic of good faceups.
Their medium and dark skin are both much darker than the main AG girls. A lot of people have been clamoring for this and the WWs look great for it.
Their limbs are very similar to AGs, but their fingers look longer?
They seem to have a bit of eyelash paint on their faces, so they likely don't have sleep eyes. I may be wrong, though! AG might exceed my expectations by pulling off their standards with extra, better features.
The WWs are just generally far more beautiful than the main AGs. They have adorable faceups where AGs are lucky if their lips are painted, the WWs' eyes aren't weirdly round (much more eye-shaped), their eyebrows are actual eyebrow-sized, and they all have eyelid folds (looking at you, Classic mold). That's pretty much my only apprehension about making the WWs little sisters to my AGs.
(Aside: wouldn't it be so cool if the WWs forced American Girl to step up its faceup game? These dolls are so plain, and I don't want them "made up," but I do want them to not look like blank-eyed... doll blanks. Think of how individual each doll would look if she came with one of so many different faceups! I'll keep dreaming.)
Hopes:
Books! With beautiful illustrations like the concept video! That feature all the girls being friends and exploring! Books!!
Lots of extra outfit sets (I desperately need polka dot overalls for them)
Accessory sets with nature and adventure themes (backpack, binoculars, magnifying glass, butterfly net, fake flowers, jars of ladybugs and fireflies, flashlight, maybe a book with animal footprints and types of birds?)
TEA PARTY SETS OH HOLY COW
Dolls and stuffed animals for them would be amazing
Tiny pets for them--proper bitty kittens and puppies and bunnies and birds
That many more little Wishers join the lineup as time goes on, with new molds and colors and textures.
I've been dying for a "little sister" line of dolls for years, and I'm so happy that wish is being fulfilled in such an adorable, sweet way. Long live Wellie Wishers!
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