Doll-A-Day, Day 2: Living Skipper

Here we are with Doll-a-Day, day 2. Well, at least it's still January 2nd somewhere in the world!
  Today's doll is Barbie's little sister,Dramatic New Living Skipper.She was produced from 1970 through 1971.They're very similar to the Pose and Play Skipper that followed them. The bodies are nearly the same, but the hair and face paint are very different.

  These dolls have a very jointed body and are fun to pose.You can get so much personality out of them.

   They are jointed at the shoulders, neck, and hips, but also have jointed elbows,(covered in rubber skin, so the joint is invisible, like the knee joint.),and at the wrists. (This joint does show.)The hip joint is also somewhat swively, so the legs can spread out a bit, and not just move back and forth.

  Unfortunately, often the elbow joint has stopped holding a pose, or won't hold a pose when the doll is wearing long sleeves.The hard plastic torso also reacts with the rubber limbs and melts,freezing the arms or legs in place.The torso also has a tendency to crack.

You can see  a bit of their posability.

 I think this particular Living Skipper is the pale blonde version found only in the special Sears Very Best Velvet gift set in 1971.(I have dressed her in the Very Best Velvet fashion,minus the tights,but she wasn't wearing it when I got her.) It's hard to say though.The Very Best Velvet doll always seems to have especially short, tightly curled hair. This one seems to be a bit longer.


  She does seem to be a pale blonde though, at least, when compared to my other Living Skippers.

  You can see how much lighter her hair is, but it's so big and puffy. Her hair bands need replaced, but I kind of like her this way! There is quite a variety of blonde shades in Living Skippers anyway.You can't quite tell in the pictures, but all of these dolls have slightly different blonde colours.The face paint can be REALLY different as well.The doll second from the left is my favourite.

  When I got her she was just a head, and had part of one eye missing, so I had to repaint it. But she has a lovely pale skin tone. I need to get her a nicer body, but for now she has this grungy one.
  Living Skipper is probably the most unpopular of all vintage Skippers. I can see that in a way. Some of them have shiny faces with complexions that are a bit orangy, and the eyelashes are often WAY too long, giving their eyes a strange look. But some of them are beautiful.

  The one on the far right is my second favourite of all my Living Skippers.She has very soft looking 'skin', and dark strawberry blonde hair.
  That's the doll for today. See you tomorrow...maybe.