Let's Swirl

Introduced in 1964, the Swirl Barbie doll presented a sleeker version of the previous ponytail style by replacing the curly bangs with a band of hair brushed to the right side of the doll's face. The shorter ponytail was curled at the ends in a single swoop and finished with a yellow ribbon, attached with a bobby pin.

The Swirl Barbie doll was an expression of elegance at a time when Mattel was also presenting Fashion Queen Barbie and Miss Barbie, dolls that introduced the concept of wig play to the Barbie doll line. By 1965, the Swirl Barbie doll became the American Girl and one wonders what factors propelled the shorter production cycle. Difficulty in creating the style? Popularity? Or the desire to keep Barbie's first sculpt reflecting the rapid pace fashion?

Dolldom appreciates Mattel's decision to celebrate the Swirl Barbie doll with a Silkstone reproduction on the 60th anniversary. Dressed in "Black Magic" ensemble (stock number 1609) and sporting platinum white hair, the reproduction doll also has a beautiful face-up palette with soft pink lips, still found today on some surviving samples, although most vintage dolls have lipstick that has aged to milky white fabulousness.

Doll restorer and styling magician Bobby Taylor, director of the ever busy Pink Bubbles Doll Spa, reflected on this unique look of the vintage platinum Swirl Barbie and decided to impart the same aura of sophistication to the reproduction of a client. Dolldom was captivated by the idea and kindly asked Mr. Taylor to execute it for this first entry of December 2024. Mr. Taylor also styled the reproduction doll's hairstyle to the standards of the vintage counterpart as the current iteration's hair was lacking precision in its realization. Dolldom thanks Mr. Taylor once again for sharing his immense talent.

For fashions, Dolldom selected utterly glamorous fashions in a palette of blue by Marirose, Tania Lawrence, Sylvia Campbell, and Julian Kalinowski to compliment the icy gorgeousness of this beautiful evocation of early Barbie doll style.

Sylvia Campbell 

Julian Kalinowski

Tania Lawrence

Marirose

Pink Bubbles Doll Spa

Marirose Designs

Julian Kalinowski

Sylvia Campbell

Tania Lawrence

Rie-chan's Song

Flight attendant Rie-chan is Licca-chan's sister and was introduced by Takara in 1972 with a storyline that is as rich as the doll's fashion style.

The websites Barbgirl and Cutiedolls mention Rie-chan reuniting with her mother Orie on a plane as the latter was on her way to a fashion design competition in Paris. Orie, suddenly not feeling well, was attended by Rie-chan whose specifically placed beauty mark quickly brought memories to Orie and the realization that the kind flight attendant was indeed her daughter. A storyline not unlike one enjoyed in a telenovela.

Early advertisements by Takara show Rie-chan's professional wardrobe options along with her younger sister following her footsteps. Others offer a colorful variety of dresses and gowns that capture the fun vibe of early 1970's fashion. But the ad that captures the joyful repercussion of the chance encounter on an airplane to Paris shows both Orie and younger daughter, Licca-chan together with Rie-chan. A happy family reunited at last.

Rie-chan's availability on the market was brief, from 1972-1974. Barbgirl conjectures that Takara reconsidered how the dramatic reunion would lead to questions as to why the daughter and mother had been separated for a considerable period. The same ambiguity that created the drama was perhaps the cause of Rie-chan's disappearance from the market. Ironically, the character's unexplained departure left dollectors in the same situation as her mother Orie had been prior to the coincidental meeting.

Dolldom wishes to play at extending Rie-chan's story and offers a photo portfolio showing the beautiful young woman, whose eyes are as full of dreams and illusions as ever, as a famous singer wearing a unique array of dresses designed for the Blythe doll (with whom Rie shares body dimensions) by the sensational Endangered Sissy.

Rie-chan is now free to sing melodies of love harmonious, of familial bonds, and of understanding one's role in the story written for us by fate.

Dolldom thanks Endangered Sissy and Pink Bubbles Doll Spa for making Rie-chan shine. 

Human

Under the careful management of George González, the JAMIEshow Muses line features a handsome cast of coded-as-male, 1:6th scale, BJD characters made of beautifully matte resin and subtly hand painted countenances. 

Dolldom appreciates the attention to detail both anatomical as well as structural that allows for a doll unlike any other in that scale in the market. The fashions offered by the company focus lavishly on the fantasy of current trends, but, luckily, the sobriety of a well-cut black suit has occurred twice since the line's inception. It is in this style, refreshing with the absence of shirts and combined with complementary garments by The Confusion83 and Integrity Toy's Fashion Royalty, that Dolldom constructs this October entry. From suits to jackets to underwear, it's a tribute to the severity of the color of the night, for it is at nighttime and amongst the shadows, that the Muses by JAMIEShow express their willingness to engage in the emotional maelstrom of the ultimate human pursuit.

The Human League's 1986 hit and sempiternal classic, "Human", beautifully contextualizes this photo portfolio.

Come on, baby, dry your eyes.
Wipe your tears.
Never like to see you cry.
Won't you please forgive me?

I wouldn't ever try to hurt you,

I just needed someone to hold me,

To fill the void while you were gone,
To fill this space of emptiness.

I'm only human,

Of flesh and blood I'm made.

Human,

Born to make mistakes. 

So many nights I longed to hold you,

So many times I looked and saw your face

Nothing could change the way I feel,

No one else could ever take your place.

I'm only human,

Of flesh and blood I'm made.

Human,
Born to make mistakes.
(I am just a man) Human
(Human) Please forgive me.

The tears I cry aren't tears of pain,
They're only to hide my guilt and shame.
I forgive you, now I ask the same of you,
While we were apart, I was human too!

(Human, human)

I'm only human,
Of flesh and blood I'm made
(I am just a man!)
Human,
Born to make mistakes.
(Human, human).

Wataru-kun!

Introduced in 1968 to the Japanese market by toymaker Takara as the boyfriend of their Licca-chan doll, Wataru Tachibana was meant to be, not unlike the Barbie doll's Ken Carson by Mattel, a steady presence supporting the star of the show, Licca Kayama, who along with girlfriend Izumi Satō composed a lively doll trinity for Japanese kids who already enjoyed the powerful esthetic influence of manga and animé.

Wataru-kun brought a romanticized concept of boyhood to the mix, existing to play the guitar (as per the Licca-chan Trio television commercial), be at the top of his 6th grade class, be good at all sports, and wear the coolest late 60s duds.

Turtleneck by Atelier Milabrocc and slacks by Fille de Rêve. 



Now, if the eyes are the window to the soul, it's not a stretch to say that that is how Wataru sealed the deal. For when the image of a character is created, one thinks that considerable thought must be given to the impact of the gaze. In the case of Takara's vintage and reproduction Wataru-kun doll, one can conjecture that the style of shōjo manga artist Miyako Maki, who was engaged by Takara to illustrate the face of what would become the Licca-chan doll, is also the defining force behind the countenance of the remarkable 12-year-old Wataru Tachibana: expressive eyes surrounded by lush eyelashes and framed by caterpillar eyebrows, an Edwardian-style haircut, and closed-mouth that gives the Mona Lisa a run for her money given the utter ambiguity of its expression.

Today, it is not uncommon to find differences in vintage iterations of Wataru-kun dolls, most notably the color of the vinyl that, not unlike Barbie doll's TNT period, can sometimes fade. Wataru-kun's hair color ranges from a dark reddish-brown to umber, always with similar but not exactly located highlights ranging from off-white to light muted yellow and lowlights in black. Eyebrow shapes also vary as well as the intensity of application of cheek blush. Lip colors range from pink to cream and the latter is commonly assumed to be fading of the paint just like it happens on Barbie dolls from 1964-1965. These variations enhance the complexity of collecting vintage Wataru-kun dolls.

So, what is Wataru-kun to wear? In addition to a richly diverse offering of separate boxed fashions (very hard to find today), Wataru-kun is amenable to wearing clothing created for 9" dolls such as Mattel's Skipper and Ricky, Hasbro's Wonderful World of Love, Azone Pure Neemo XS, and whatever indie designers create for Blythe, 4th generation Licca, or for him exclusively. Shoes are another matter, as the foot sculpt is as specific as his elegantly pointed lace-up shoe style created of pliable vinyl in black, brown, and white, yet vintage Barbie tennis shoes, Francie ankle boots, and Fashionistas' sneakers are possible options that work in scale and fit.

Wataru-kun was offered until 1972 and returned by the end of the 20th century as part of a three-doll commemorative set, an event that coincided with the height of Blythe doll's renaissance, also produced by Takara. Blythe doll expert and designer of the phenomenally joyful Endangered Sissy line, Pamela, recounts: "There's long been a cross-over between the Licca-chan and Blythe worlds. The first Neo Blythe dolls were on Licca-chan bodies and of course they were both manufactured by Takara. Awareness of Wataru-kun really hit Blythe collectors when Takara started releasing reproduction sets of the 1st generation Licca Trio. That was when I first saw him, and immediately knew I needed him in my collection. His face is so perfectly kawaii, with the big eyes and long painted lashes, and he fits in so well with the Blythe retro style aesthetic I love so much. Another bonus for Blythe collectors is that they have the same size body and can share all their clothes."

A visit to Flickr (yes, it's still alive and thriving) yields an enormous harvest of photos, mostly from the early 2010s of Wataru-kun dolls, both vintage and reproduction, wearing what fits, regardless of gender coding, and enjoying life as an independent character.

For this Dolldom exclusive, vintage and reproduction Wataru-kun dolls enjoy a revisit to the late 60s and early 70s in both vintage as well as new garments styled to pay homage to his original style as well as to expand on themes, had he been produced after 1972. Dolldom wishes to thank Endangered Sissy and Cindy's Barbie Boutique for their willingness to collaborate in the creation of fab couture for the young Tachibana.




Cindy's Barbie Boutique slacks and a vintage top from Ricky doll's skateboarding set by Mattel. Hat by Premier. Glass frames by Integrity Toys.

Mod top by Endangered Sissy. Slacks by Cindy's Barbie Boutique.

Reproduction Wataru-kun in a vintage Takara shirt and slacks by Cindy's Barbie Boutique. Fashionista Barbie tennis shoes.

Wataru wears a suit made by Cindy's Barbie Boutique and a vintage orange turtleneck from World of Love by Hasbro.

An original vintage fashion by Takara and Tammy doll's camera.

Shirt and shorts by M for Monkey.

Vintage Skipper's plaid shirt and slacks by Cindy's Barbie Boutique. Hat by Premiere.

Reproduction Wataru-kun

Vintage Takara tuxedo jacket over an Atelier Milabrocc turtleneck and slacks by Cindy's Barbie Boutique. Glasses by Dragons in Dreams.

In vintage Ricky's bathrobe and Skooter's swimsuit bottoms, a vintage Wataru-kun shelters from the sun in a Waka Murai hat borrowed from Julian Kalinowski's Lilli Lalka.

 

Vintage Wataru-kun in a yukata by Azone Pure Neemo XS.

Vintage Wataru-kun in a vintage Takara shirt and slacks onesie and a Cindy's Barbie Boutique blue jacket.

Reproduction Wataru-kun in vintage Skipper's shirt and bell bottom corduroy slacks by Ababietoy on Etsy. Frames by Takara.

Super agent Wataru-kun in turtleneck by Atelier Milabrocc, blue suit by Cindy's Barbie Boutique, and a trench by Takara for 4th generation Licca-chan. 

Awards ceremonies call for a vintage tuxedo by Takara. Glasses by Takara.

A velvet suit by Cindy's Barbie Boutique is perfect for playing bartender.

Vintage Wataru-kun in a turtleneck by World of Love. Bell bottom corduroy slacks by Fille de Rêve on Esty. Sunglasses by Takara. 1962 Corvette by Bratz doll.

Vintage Wataru-kun and Izumi-chan in vintage fashions by Takara.

Vintage Goro-chan plays with a vintage Wataru-kun in shirt and pants by M for Monkey. 

Reproduction and vintage Wataru-kun dolls in très Mod slacks by Endangered Sissy. Glasses by Mattel. 

Vintage Wataru-kun and Licca-chan dolls in vintage fashions by Takara. 

Resources for readers:

Endangered Sissy

Cindy's Barbie Boutique

Atelier Milabrocc

Fille de Rêve

Ababietoy