After the initial excitement of discovering that the SiS dolls are now reality, the analysis and critique of the dolls begin.
Um… firstly the faces… they are not new! Now, I love the Mbili face mould but I was hoping for different new ones or even a revisit to old ones that are no longer used…
Mbili Face Mould
For those who remember the first “African American” doll series of Shani and her friends, you would know that these dolls each had their own face mould. The series even included a MALE doll! The little sister dolls in the SiS series are just standard Kelly dolls in brown plastic.
Shani Face Mould
In fact I still believe that the Shani dolls are one of the prettiest dolls made by Mattel and that is one face that hasn’t been seen around for a long while…
Nichelle Face Mould
Nichelle-II Face Mould
Even if they were too lazy/went over budget, any number of past African American doll head moulds could have been used. Does anyone else remember that whole fuss over a supposed new face sculpt that was supposed to be used on the Bathing Suit Then & Now 50th Anniversary doll? She ended up with the Mackie face sculpt, which is a lovely face in its own but not exactly new.
Aside from all said above, I personally think the SiS doll outfits are really cute and fun 
Those are mostly just my own thoughts, please feel welcome to share yours by posting a comment!
Doll fans and collectors also hope that these dolls will be sold outside of the USA too… and judging by the number of hits on this blog from European countries, AA dolls are very much desired outside the USA.
Tags: false hype, mattel, so in style
I am still excited about the new dolls. Yes, I realize that the molds are NOT new – frankly, I hadn’t thought that they would be. The Rebelde dolls used existing doll molds so I figured that would be the case with the S.i.S. dolls. I like the screening of the doll in the photos you included in the previous post.
The accessories look like junk. They seem like leftover pieces from other sets or outfits.
When I look for new Black or ethnic faces, I look to YNU Group for Mixis dolls or seek other new companies. That’s not to dismiss Mattel – it’s just that they are a staid, settled company. They have their molds that they will use and re-use. If I find a screening I like, I get the doll.
Still it was nice to dream that they might have created new molds ….
[Reply]
Therese Reply:
June 18th, 2009 at 8:54 am
It’s just that so much emphasis was put on the “African-ness” of the new dolls’ features that it implied something new… rather than “we’ll just use the most African looking face in our existing inventory”
And also thanks as always for your thoughts Dana, much appreciated
[Reply]
D7ana Reply:
June 20th, 2009 at 7:59 am
You’re welcome, Therese! Thanks for your rich posts.
Yes, I would have preferred new face molds AND more varied hair treatments than what the photos show. Not that the dolls photographed aren’t lovely in themselves, but there did seem to be suggestions of something new. Eh. C’est la vie ;-D
[Reply]
I think this issue must really have been a budget issue because the staff was REALLY excited about this line, and about new all AA facemolds back in early april. I mean, these dolls are not even collector, and they brought the playline people to show them off to CAP people because they liked them so much!
I must say the curly hair on one of the doll’s prototype was AMAZING. I hope the production doll has at least a little something of that
[Reply]
D7ana Reply:
June 20th, 2009 at 8:05 am
I’m hoping for curly hair like that of the 2004 Cali Girl Christie. If you aren’t familiar with that doll, I have photos of her in my post about “Mattel Variations on Asha Head Mold,” please see here:
Asha variations.
[Reply]
aminie Reply:
June 21st, 2009 at 7:16 am
It was really similar to that in the prototype! lets keep our fingers crossed!!
[Reply]
hey i was online looking for these dolls, and i wanted to get my little cousin one.
but yeah, i’m not trying to offend nobody because as a grown woman i still love dolls, but ya’ll have to realize they aren’t making these dolls for adults, these are for little girls, and i can promise you a young black little girl could careless if they reused a mould, i’m just keeping it real.
[Reply]
Therese Reply:
August 24th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Thanks for commenting. I think we would all agree that these dolls are perfectly fine for little children – we just get fussier as adults LOL
[Reply]
D7ana Reply:
August 31st, 2009 at 12:55 am
Hi Toni and Therese and all!
First, Toni, I don’t take offense at your comment. I respond to explain my quibbles about the S.i.S. doll line.
Yes, the S.i.S. dolls are fine for children and adults.
Yes, little girls – the prime target for these dolls – could care less about head molds. Adults who like dolls but who do not collect dolls would not care about head mold reuse. Each doll would be considered on its individual merits. As long as Mattel satisfies the little girl segment and the adults who would buy for those little girls, Mattel can be said to have done their job.
However, adult doll collectors have been buying Barbies for years. These loyal buyers *know* the various head molds. So when Mattel says that they will use “new” molds, we look for them to follow through and use “new” molds. When Mattel says that the So in Style dolls are the first African American themed series, we point back to the Shani dolls from 1999 who WERE Mattel’s first African American playline series.
So while the mold used is not relevant to interest in the doll – even among collectors who buy playline as well as collectible lines – the company’s failed promise to use new head molds and their attempts to promote the dolls as a “first,” these actios irk collectors. So the real problem isn’t the dolls’ mold. It’s what the company states they will do and have done regarding these dolls.
Collectors voicing disappointment will not affect the S.i.S. line. As you point out, this is a playline series, mostly targetted at children. Mattel produced the dolls as they did. The chosen mold is a done deal. People will buy or not as they will.
[Reply]
Therese Reply:
September 1st, 2009 at 12:15 am
thank you so much Dana
You’re welcome, Therese!
[Reply]
When I was little, I cared very much about Barbie head molds and was very excited by new ones.
[Reply]
twistedbabydoll Reply:
October 6th, 2009 at 6:21 am
SO DID I! LOL! I cared a lot for barbie doll head molds. When I was ten years old, Mattel released a boyfriend for Skipper named Kevin. Now he was this blonde, blue-eyed, high school jock type and I bought him with my allowance money. But as a little Black girl, I wanted my Skippers to have a Black male friend as well; therefore I wrote to Mattel at the age of ten and asked if they could make a Black Kevin doll. They replied to me and even gave me a product number just in case they made one. They never did…
Now at 24, I have two little cousins who play with Barbies and I see they have a wider variety than I had. I just collect dolls. So I am happy there has been progress but still it is up to us as African-Americans not to depend on white companies so much to do “it” for us. He have to have our input and say because no one else is going to support our Black children more than we should and can.
[Reply]
I was really disappointed in the SIS dolls. My husband got me Trichelle and Janessa for my birthday. Sigh. The names alone. We all have names like that, huh? Well, there is Grace, so I won’t get too bent out of shape.
But that’s not my issue, and it’s not even that Trichelle does not have curly hair but hair with this crazy loose wave. I mean I bought her to be sister to my Byron Lars sugar who has that curly hair you guys were talking about – Image of Byron Lars Sugar. You can do it Mattel, what is the problem? My issue is not even that Janessa looks more Hispanic than black.
My issue is with all African American dolls having light eyes. I had to check out all my black barbies and every single one of them have blue, green or amber colored eyes! Even the African one at the beginning of this post!
I thought maybe they don’t show the irises and stuff as well but then I got my Kimora doll and guess what? DARK EYES! It just makes me frustrated. Aw, whatever, I still I like the doll.
[Reply]
Therese Reply:
October 10th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Hi Dani, thanks for popping by and commenting!
I have checked my photos of my AA dolls – most of mine actually do have brown eyes! The South African one does seem to have light brown/amber eyes… maybe it’s supposed to be a sunny warm glow or something. I personally have almost black eyes myself… hmm actually yeah, if you shine a light into my eyes all I do is squint, but my eyes are still dark brown lol
Another thing is, there are African American people with natural eye colours that are not brown and I guess dolls are like cartoons in 3D version more than anything, maybe the extra colour is to make them look fancy? Hmmm…
And I really LOVE Sugar’s curled blue eyelashes! Va-voooom!
[Reply]
[...] comment by Dani (091010) on my First Thoughts on SiS Dolls (090618) got me looking a little bit more closer to the eyes of my African American [...]
wow! i saw the sis dolls and was oddly not impressed i heard about these supposedly new face molds and went looking for a better picture they didn’t look that different to me so all in all not impressed
but i really do like the mbili doll thanks for the upclose pictures 
[Reply]
Therese Reply:
October 11th, 2009 at 11:35 pm
no worries! thanks for stopping by
[Reply]
[...] still just as gorgeous). Anyways enough with my essay, here's the link I wanted to post anyway. First Thoughts on SiS Dolls Dolls of Color __________________ [...]