1959+ Barbie Vintage Doll Clothes Labels and Tags

Barbie dolls and fashions are listed by the date the item was on the market. However, a collector should be aware that the manufacture obviously must make their supplies prior to it being on the market, thus an outfit label or tag that has a date of  © 1968 means that it was made or copyright in that year, but probably was not on the market till at least the following year. So when trying to identify an outfit look one year after the date on the tag.  

Barbie dolls outfits often have several clothing pieces, but have only one label or tag, which is most often found in the outermost clothing piece for female attire.  In a three piece suit for Barbie:  jacket, blouse, pants or skirt the label will be found in the jacket.  In #991 Barbie’s Registered Nurse the label is in the navy cape, not the white nurse dress. Male fashions do not follow this example, the labels are more often found in the shirt rather than the jacket.

Barbie is the star of the Mattel doll line, so other 11 1/2″ female friends could share her wardrobe, this way a new doll could be purchased but a whole new wardrobe was not necessary.  Other than a dolls original swimsuit, only a handful of outfits were designed and labeled for the doll friends.  Julia had four outfits, Stacey and PJ doll each one gift set outfit.  The same is true for Francie sized 11 1/4″ doll friends; Twiggy had four outfits labeled for her and Casey just one. Skipper and friend Skooter are 9 1/4″, Skooter has only a swimsuit labeled for her, but Ricky also 9 1/4″ sized with the same body as Skipper and Skooter, of course got his own wardrobe of six outfits.  Ken is 12″ tall (11 3/4″ only in 1963) and shares his wardrobe with friend Allan and after 1970 Brad and Curtis.