About American Girl Dolls
Introduced in 1886, American Girl Doll premiered 9 historical dolls telling the stories of 9 year old girls growing up in a particular time in history. Originally the dolls were made by The Pleasant Company, later to be sold to Mattel in 1998. American Girl Dolls feature stories about girls from our past as well as girls of today.
Sizing Clothes for Your American Girl Doll
The American Girl Doll is 18 inches in height. Her waist measures 11” and hips 12.25”. We purchase our doll clothes and accessories from many suppliers across the U.S. Many of the items we carry are made overseas. All our items are designed to be used with the American Girl Doll. Some 18 inch dolls are slightly slimmer or chubbier so the fit maybe a bit lose or tight. The Our Generation doll, sold at Target, also an 18” doll has a waist of 11 ¼” and hips 11 ¾”.
American girl doll clothes are made to suit the imagination of every little girl. Our goal is to bring you fun, trendy fashions to dress up your favorite doll. We have 18" doll clothes, doll clothes for a princess, fashions for the beach, the playground, a party, or to dream at the end of a busy day. The American doll of today offers buyers the option of choosing hair, eye, and skin color.
If you are so inclined to dust off your sewing machine or teach your little one to sew, here you will find a number of popular free doll clothes patterns on the internet. There are also free 18" doll clothes patterns which will be generic in form fitting most of the 18 inch dolls such as American Girl, Our Generation and Disney Dolls.
The American Girl doll is an 18" doll. The following are other dolls that are also 18" tall. However, the waist and chest measurements vary.
- Corolle
- 18" Disney Doll
- Our Generation, sold at Target
- Sophia's Heritage Dolls
Additional History & Timeline
Prerelease:
Pleasant Rowland takes a trip to Colonial Williamsburg in the mid-1980s. She is inspired by the "living history" of the setting. Later, seeking dolls as a gift, she sees that there are very few dolls marketed as companions to a girl or focusing on girlhood. The original line is modeled off of a line of dolls once produced by Gotz dollmakers.
1986
The American Girl line launches with three Historical Characters: Kristen, Larson, Samantha Parkington and Molly Mcintire. Each doll is launched with the first three books in her series and the clothing and accessories that accompany the stories. The products are only available via mail order.
1987
The birthday stories and items for Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly are released.
1988
The summer and winter stories and items for Kirsten, Samantha, and Molly are released.
1988
The "Dress Like Your Doll" line is released, allowing a young girl to wear outfits similar to the doll's historical clothing.
1989
Character-related crafts and patterns are released.
1990s
1990
A New Baby line is launched. School Desks are released for Molly, Samantha, and Kirsten.
1991
Felicity Merriman is released Fall 1991 with her first three books and accompanying clothing and accessories. Because of the low neckline of colonial outfits, the cloth bodies are changed from a white color to a matching tan color.
1992
The second half of Felicity's collection is released. American Girl Magazine is launched. Dolls sent in to the American Girl Hospital began to be returned with hospital gowns and accessories.
1993
Addy Walker is released Fall 1993 with her first three books and accompanying clothing and accessories. Paper dolls are released.
1994
The second half of Addy's collection is released. Theater, craft, and cookbooks are released for each character.
1995
American Girl of Today line is released. Our New Baby is rereleased as Bitty Baby.
1996
Ten-year anniversary.
1997
Josefina Montoya is released Fall 1997 with her first three books and accompanying clothing and accessories. Website launched; online purchase was not available, however, until the middle of 1998.
1998
The second half of Josefina's collection is released. American Girl Place opens in Chicago, IL. Ms. Rowland sells the company to Mattel for 700 million dollars. American Girl of Today line renamed American Girl Today.
1999
Short Stories and outfits released.
2000s
2000
Kit Kittredge is released Fall 2000 with her first three books and accompanying clothing and accessories. Ms. Rowland steps down and the company is now referred to as American Girl and wholly owned by Mattel. American Girl Minis are launched.
2001
The second half of Kit's collection is released. The first Girl of the Year, Lindsey Bergman is released Summer 2001. Felicity begins to be pulled from catalogues.
2002
Kaya'aton'my is released Fall 2002 with her entire collection (her collection is much smaller due to cultural limitations). She is billed as the First American Girl, as is her right as a Native person. Felicity was removed from catologs with Kaya's release. Lindsey is discontinued at the end of 2002. Girls of Many Many Lands are launched with the first five dolls.
2003
Kailey Hopkins, the second Girl of the Year, is released. Hopscotch Hill School, a line of dolls and books for 4-to-6-year-olds, is launched. American Girl Place is opened in New York City. American Girl Minis are discontinued. Bitty Twins are launched.
2004
Pleasant Company is officially renamed American Girl. Samantha: An American Girl Holiday debuts on the WB. Simultaneously, movie items are released. The first Best Friend, Nellie O'Malley, is released, originally intended as a limited edition. The new American Girl Club is released.
2005
Marison Luna, the third Girl of the Year, is released. Felicity: An American Girl Adventure debuts on the WB. Elizabeth Cole, the second Best Friend, is released. To match her appearance in the movie, she is blonde and blue-eyed and all illustrations are modified to make Elizabeth blond. Many previously retired items from Felicity's collection are rereleased, and she returns to catalogs. Girls of Many Lands is discontinued.
2006
Jess McConnell, the fourth Girl of the Year, is released. Twenty-year anniversary. Hopscotch Hill School is discontinued. American Girl Place in Los Angeles, CA is opened. Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front debuts on the Disney Channel and is simultaneously released on DVD. Emily Bennett, the third "Best Friend", is released; she is marketed as Molly's English Friend. Illustrations are changed to give her slightly longer hair. The American Girl Club is discontinued. American Girl Today renamed Just Like You.
2007
Nicki Fleming, the fifth Girl of the Year, is released. American Girl Boutique and Bistros are opened in Dallas, TX and Atlanta, GA. Julie Albright is released Fall 2007 with all her books and several items. Simultaneously, her best friend, Ivy Ling, is released.
2008
Mia St. Clair, the sixth Girl of the Year, is released. Ruthie Smithens is released as the fifth Best Friend. Kit Kittredge: An American Girl is released in theatres. Julie's summer and birthday items are released. Samantha and Nellie are announced to be "archiving" -- all their items will be retired but the books will remain available. American Girl Boutique and Bistros are opened in Natick, MA and Minneapolis, MN. Licorice is discontinued.
2009
Chrissa Maxwell, the seventh Girl of the Year, is released along with Sonali Matthews and Gwen Thompson. Chrissa Stands Strong debuts on HBO and is later released on DVD. Rebecca Rubin is released Summer 2009 along with all her books and several items of her collection. Samantha Parkington and Nellie O'Malley are officially archived; only the Mini dolls, movie, and books remain available for purchase. Kirsten Larson is the next Historical Character to be archived.
2010s
2010
Lanie Holland, the eighth Girl of the Year, is released. Kirsten Larson is officially archived, only her mini doll and books remain available for purchase. Rebecca's summer collection is released. American Girl Boutique and Bistros open in Denver, CO, and Kansas City, KS. Just Like You is renamed My American Girl with the launch of Innerstar University. Felicity Merriman and Elizabeth Cole are the next Historical Character and Best Friend Character to be archived.
2011
Kanani Akina, the ninth Girl of the Year, is released. Twenty-fifth year anniversary. Special limited edition mini dolls are released along with deluxe DVDs of the American Girl Movies for Samantha, Felicity, Molly and Kit. Felicity Merriman and Elizabeth Cole are officially archived, only the mini dolls, movie, and books remain available for purchase. American Girl Boutiques and Bistros open in Washington, DC, and Seattle, WA. Two new Historical Characters, Marie-Grace Gardner and Cecile Rey are released.
2012
McKenna Brooks, the tenth Girl of the Year, is released. Summer outfits for Cécile and Marie-Grace are released, as well some accessory sets and furniture for a limited time. American Girl Boutiques and Bistros open in St. Louis, MO, Houston, TX, and Miami, FL. McKenna Shoots for the Stars is released on DVD first and later airs on NBC. A new Historical Character, Caroline Abbott was released.
2013
Saige Copeland, the eleventh Girl of the Year, is released. American Girl Boutiques and Bistros open in Columbus, OH, and San Francisco, CA. Molly McIntire and Emily Bennett are the next Historical and Best Friends Characters to be archived. Saige Paints the Sky is released on DVD first and later airs on NBC.
2014
Isabelle Palmer, the twelfth Girl of the Year, is released. Molly McIntire and Emily Bennett are officially archived, only the mini dolls, movie, and books remain available for purchase. American Girl expands their physical presence into Canada with Specialty Boutiques opening in Toronto, ON, Vancouver, BC, and Ottowa, ON. The Best Friend Characters line is discontinued, resulting in the formal retirements of Cecile Rey, Marie-Grace Gardner, Ivy Ling, and Ruthie Smithens and their collections. Isabelle Dances into the Spotlight is released on home video and later airs on the Disney Channel.
The current Historical Characters are revamped with the launch of BeForever which also included the rerelease of Samantha Parkington. New outfits and items for current Historical Characters are released. The Central Series for current Historicals are bundled into two novel-length volumes, and My Journey Books were also released. American Girl Boutiques and Bistros open in Charlotte, NC, and Orlando, FL; American Girl also opens a temporary boutique in Honolulu, HI.
2015
The temporary Hawaii boutique is closed. Grace Thomas, the thirteenth Girl of the Year, is released. Caroline Abbott is announced to be the next Historical Character to be archived since the BeForever revamp. My American Girl is renamed to Truly Me. American Girl Boutiques and Bistros open in Nashville, TN, and Scottsdale, AZ. A new Historical Character, Maryellen Larking, is released exclusively for the BeForever lineup. Several temporary boutiques are opened in multiple locations.
2016
Lea Clark, the fourteenth Girl of the Year, is released. Thirty-year anniversary. Caroline Abbott is officially archived. New special edition mini dolls of currently available BeForever characters are released. In a break from previous Historical/BeForever Character debuts, Meloday Ellison's first volume is released without her other books or collection.