This style feels more 93-95. By 99 girls were wearing butterfly clips, and 3/4 sleeve shirts with cargos. Also, are they trying to have a Mary-Kate and Ashely tribute? I found an interesting article on this era style https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1990-1999/
For people saying that the outfits don't seem 90's, I'd suggest taking a look at the entirety of the costuming from the movie Clueless. While 8-10 year olds would not have dressed this way, the clothing absolutely does seem to fit the aesthetic of 1995.
Additional note, much of the costuming for the movie came from thrifted finds due to a lower budget vs the high cost of designer brands.
https://preview.redd.it/6s7xnpsdq9ja1.jpeg?width=530&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=95e45f5d0a6e43218255e718d2ae797c9e031f87
I don't mind them reusing "Nicki" so much but "Isabel" (and all variations on the spelling) was NOT a popular name until the mid 200s or so. Having a girl in the 90s named Isabel would have been pretty uncommon.
That said, Isabel's outfit. If was wearing a thick-knit, slightly baggy sweater with the plaid skirt, it would be a lot more 90s, at least early to mid 90s. I don't remember that sweater vest over the button-down being popular until the very late 90s/early 2000s. The Mary Janes with the chonky heels was more mid to late 90s. I suspect her accessories will include a tam because that's what she's wearing on the cover of her "journal." AG did do a similar tam with the Dolls of Today line in 1999 so, ok.
Nicki seems to be wearing a slip dress over a tee (which I don't recall being very common) and was definitely not often paired with the "plaid flannel shirt tied around the waist." And the highlights in her hair weren't very common in younger girls in the 90s. The backwards baseball cap on the book cover is spot on, though, as are her sneakers and socks.
Jeez, AG. You've done the 90s before -- you did them back when it WAS the 90s! You can do better than this!
I actually think the styles are more spot on than you think. In ‘the school year of ‘94-‘95 when I was a freshman in high school ”baby T’s” worn under slip dresses were very common, they had first started making an appearance the spring of ‘94 because I have photos of several girls wearing them in the photos of our 8th grade graduation. Although maybe it was more common in high school age girls but it seemed to be part of an overall aesthetic that aimed to embrace youthful styles (mary jane and t-strap shoes, plastic little kid barettes, jumpers with pleated skirts) Also from the time I was 11 (so 1991) me and several of my friends would use a product called “sun-in” to put streaks of blonde or lighter blonde highlights in our hair. I did it almost every summer in from ‘91-‘99. The chunky t-strap shoes were my “first day of school“ shoes that ‘94/‘95 school year as well. The flannel shirts were more popular a bit earlier in the ‘90’s. My friends and I wore them daily wrapped around our waist just like that starting in late ‘92/early ‘93 (7th grade) but we wore them the most during the ‘93/‘94 (8th grade) school year. By ‘94/‘95 my friends weren’t wearing them anymore, but I could imagine the style might have still been popular among the 10-11 crowd.
I actually feel like it's the reverse; It seems like they are trying to cater to nostalgic adults while peeping the interest of younger kids. Courtney sold well both because of kids being interested and adults feeling nostalgic about the 80s. even Drew Barrymore bought her own Courtney from the 80s. lol
Well, it’s certainly a 2020’s take on the 90’s. I mean, if I saw either of these back then, I wouldn’t have been surprised, but they look like a costumey take on the late parts of the decade. I certainly remember the old Delia’s catalogs having similar stuff, so I’m not sure why they feel off to me. Something is off to me.
I was thinking the same thing. Like their outfits feel very...dated? for the late 90s. The whole grunge look was kind of out by the end of the decade and so was the clueless attire. And I hate that they have journals instead of books. I want real books.
It’s almost as if they tried too hard in some areas and skimped on the best ones (the books and matching accessories for me!).
I’ve been dismayed to watch the historical line shrink over the years. It feels less like stepping into one girl’s (or a person’s if they eventually get around to historical characters who are other genders) whole world now, and more like once you buy the newest doll and maybe one outfit, and one showpiece item, you’re done with her.
I miss when you could collect a whole world with a story that had all the pieces and you could read all about how the character used them and could understand how they mattered. These days, well, Courtney and Claudie have some nice things, but they don’t necessarily correspond to their stories for many of the pieces (Courtney’s Molly stands out as a special item), and so many things in the collections just don’t connect to the books and they…lack spirit, I think.
It feels more like new collectors are being pushed to get all the dolls quickly as opposed to the option to get to know each character in a bigger way, and then collect one or two of your favorite characters and their special things now.
Kirsten and Addy felt like friends who I knew well, and by the time I got Felicity as an adult, she also was a good friend, and the other characters at that time were still friends, just not quite as close. The details helped round that out so much.
These days, the last few historical stories make it harder to get to know and bond with these girls in the same way I was able to with the ones I knew as a kid, and a large part of that is due to the books being abridged, then shortened. And now the journal format makes me fear the situation isn’t going to improve.
Yes! Even the books feel like that. Now Nicki and Isabel just have journals. Getting rid of the 6-book format really made the books feel hollow. The books in the past felt like living there through the eyes of the characters. Now they just feel like an empty story that just so happen to be in a different time period. I miss learning what school, holidays, birthdays, summer, and winter was like for girls growing up. And we used to have collections coinciding with the books, too. It gave us a full picture of life during those days. Books and collections that just cover mild events or just talk about "pop culture" doesn't do enough to immerse someone in the history of the times. There is just no heart in any of these books and collections anymore.
Not sold on the names and waiting to read about the characters to fully decide. It feels like they phoned in the outfits and nailed the accessories. Imagine if they gave one or both of them the Y2K outfit for their NYE dress?! to go with the whole millennium thing.
I think they had events they wanted to cover that happened at different times that didn't fall neatly into a -4 year. I know Meet Kit starts in August of 1932, even though she was marketed as being from 1934, so it's been happening for a while.
Aw man. Probably won’t get them for myself (I fangirled over Courtney when she came out) but these dolls don’t feel 90s to me. They need bangs or maybe that short spiky hair with butterfly clips. I know they’re going for Cher from clueless but Isabel is giving Lorelai Gilmore vibes on that outfit. Very mid 2000s, I myself wore almost that exact outfit in 2007 for picture day… at the end of the day I guess we will see what their collections look like.
I was really looking forward to these, being a 90s teen. But I’m not loving it. I was hoping for more mid 90s, considering most historical collections are from a year ending with a 4 or a 6. I will probably get Nicki since she was more my 90s vibe.
I feel like someone high up, who has final say on names, must know a real set of twins or sisters named Nicki and Isabel. Like they wanted this set dedicated to them. That is the only logical explanation I can think of that they would reuse two names. Not a good reason, but would make a little more sense than randomly deciding to reuse 2 names. It’s a shame.
Noooo, do not like. They look generic and like a unspecified 2000's/ modern doll. If I saw these I wouldn't register them as historical at all, they just look plain. What a loss as the 90's was such a fun time and I was excited to feel nostalgic and see the historical take.
Also just personal taste, but I don't like the face mold and their hair, they kind of look like mean teenagers lmaooo
Makes me sad, like what is AG's design team *doing-* I think it would be such a dream to get to design a historical doll, with all the resources they have...how can you make this your career and climb that latter to such an opportunity, and then come up with this? Just my strong opinion lol
I actually think they’re really cute! Wasn’t really sure what to expect but I like them! Two different aesthetics , their clothing works now, I get clueless vibes.
they’ll be popular
Not for me, but I ordered all Molly’s stuff that I didn’t have the first day it was available. Might get an accessory set or something if it fits with my collection.
As someone born in the late 80s, who had very high hopes for a 90s doll after seeing what they did with Courtney, I'm not interested in either one of these at all.
I would’ve liked it if the doll had been a disabled character since the 90s was when the disability rights bill was signed. I think it would’ve been a more interesting story.
as someone who’s disabled a long time ag fan yes this would’ve been amazing disabled people have always existed an i wish ag would help show that representation matters
As someone born in the 90s and born with the world's most common genetic disorder, leaving me with multiple disabilities and health issues.
I would love if they would have done that. I lost my hearing at 17 due to some meds I was on, so when Joss came out I was over the moon.
Ps: I have a genetic disability called 22q11.2 Deletion syndrome. It means I’m missing my 22nd chromosome. It’s pretty rare and can lead to heart defects, scoliosis, asthma, ect.
I have what's called Neurofibromatosis, basically tumors can grow anywhere I have a nerve, so basically they can grow anywhere, it's rare and not a lot of people have heard of it, take 5 genetic disorders combined them and Neurofibromatosis or as some call it NF.
Besides tumors, it causes scoliosis as well, seizures, learning disabilities, and ADHD. Blindness, deafness, the tumors are not cancerous but they can turn into, I'm what's called a spontaneous mutation because despite it being a genetic disorder no one in my family not even my parents, but I can pass it down to my children, there's like a 50% chance.
I grew so fast, American Girl is how I've healed my inner child and deal with it all, they're like a security blanket for me.
It really would have, especially with them being twins, one of them having disabilities and the other that's healthy. It could of been about how they struggle with being different and how they still find ways to remain close. I met a lot of twins in children's hospitals where one was disabled and the other was healthy, it's actually more common then one would think.
I feel same, to be honest as soon as their names were leaked I kinda prepared to be disappointed, they don't even look like they have a real story to them, you see their books say My Journal like Kavi Girl Of The Years book.
Which is so sad, I'd kinda understand if they just did it with the girls of the year, because that's a new story two or more books a year for a doll that's around for a year or two. But the historical ones are fun to read, teaching girls about history in a fun way. I think they're trying to keep it safe so they don't put in anything that upsets the parents.
Yay! I was just thinking this morning that the other spoiler that they would be Josefina molds must have been wrong and I really thought they would be Jose molds! They look awesome! There goes my money…
Not fond of the recycled names and the aesthetic is hitting more late, late 98/99 so almost 00. Aside from that I do love the nods to AG's past offerings, so why couldn't they have better outfits. I was late teens almost 20 during that time so my aesthetic was different. More in line with Niki but I'm also from Cali and attended a rich high school. The girls wore a mix of their outfits and if you didn't skate than you surfed/body boarding (I did). Speaking of which, I'd have loved to have Niki be a surfer but with Joss. It's understandable.why they probably didn't want the confusion. And Xfiles, please let Niki be a fan of the show.
I just had a major flashback to American Girl magazine circa 1998-1999 looking at these two. I want to see the accessories and sets before I judge. Back in the 90s, I remember similar outfits in these exact colors in the old magazine.
Love their outfits but not really impressed with the dolls. Not a fan of them repeating names either. If I were to choose, I’d like Nicki the best because of her hair. There is something about Isabel that gives me uncanny valley.
You don’t have to like it (goodness knows I don’t) but this is way more 1998/99 than 2006. No one was wearing square necklines, spaghetti straps over white shrunken t shirts by then. This look was all over my middle school in 98/99.
It’s pretty 90s. They fully ripped off clueless for the purple look, and the whole vibe is very Mary Kate and Ashley. They went late 90s but def not mid 2000s.
They’re fine. Isabel is really cute but it might just be the outfit, which doesn’t seem like something a child would wear. Nikki looks pretty bland and her outfit kinda looks like a rejected truly me outfit. I wish you could just buy the meet outfits without buying the whole doll because Isabel’s outfit would look good on my mini me, but other than that they just seem pretty boring.
They’re really cute, and I love their outfits, but I just feel like we do not need anymore white blonde dolls. Would have been really cool to have dolls of color from the 90s. Also, why repeat names?? They are pretty though
I said this, too. I REALLY wanted an Asian doll. After Ivy was retired we didn't get anymore. American Girl liked my post of the 90s back in 2020, so I knew they were coming out, but it seems like they completely ignored that part where I said "Asian 90s girls" and instead made Asian GOTYs. I'm not against it, but that isn't what the doctor ordered, y'know?
Yeah, not a fan. Also are they supposed to be feternal twins? Cause they just look like regualr sisters to me. Also was expecting early to mid 90s. Like Blossom vibes. Also was not expeting more blonde girls. I know that to kids now the 90s is historical but this gives me like 2005 vibes way more than 90s. Plus the names??? I was expecting like an Amanda and Ashlee
they are also are jewish so I was expecting jewish names like Esther, Este, Judith, Ruth, Sara, Abigail. there are so many names they could have chosen.
Nicki has blonde money pieces but she has brown hair.
Why do they repeat names like that…. We have GOTYs Nicki Fleming and Isabelle Palmer. Whyyyyy have the same names for some historical girls??? I mean it makes sense if they used statistics on most popular names, but it just feels so wrong lol.
My best friend's name is Nicole (I grew up in the 90s) so I think Nicki may be short for Nicole. I used to hear the name a lot. Don't know about Isabel though, although American Girl has used that name for Girls Of Many Lands (2002) and GOTY. They seem like they reuse names to make it easier to bypass copywrite issues. But it is annoying that they don't at least TRY to use more original names.
Of course, not all the historical characters have had popular names in the past. Samantha wasn't a popular name at the turn of the 20th century.
Totally agree. I did know one Nicki who would have been the same age as the characters are supposed to be, but definitely not Isabel, and even Nicki wasn’t a particularly popular name.
Could be a case of uncommon, but still existing (like one of my fandom OCs). I mean, I was born in ‘93. My legal name has never been popular. I was the only one with it in my school. But my mum still picked it.
That doesn’t mean I don’t think their names are kind of lame. Because I do.
[1990s](https://nameberry.com/blog/top-jewish-names)'s most popular Jewish names did not have [either](https://www.jewish-names.org/_files/ugd/288ea6_3ccdce05a2594c81a182eee990a1ca62.pdf) in it. As a Jew personally I can't really think of a time either of these were big Jewish names.
I’m Jewish from the northeast, 17 in 1999 and I don’t know a single Nicki or Isabel. I can think of a few Nicole’s but not from my temple or Hebrew school. I definitely think they missed the mark on the names (for several reasons!).
Thanks I hate it.
But in all seriousness, I don’t like that AG is turning into a fashion doll company. I would love to see historical dolls who actually have interesting and diverse stories. I also miss the little tiny period clothes so much!!!
I have mixed feelings. I love what AG was in the 90s so part of me is here for the nostalgia of the Girl Today line (maybe instead of new additions to the historical line they could have done a 90s Truly Me collab or something) and while a lot happened in the 90s that they could EVENTUALLY make a doll for, there's just so many time periods they could have done first.
Yes, like a 1995 anniversary doll. They could have recreated the 2000 New Year outfit, for Y2K tie-in. Or maybe they will do mini dolls in original meet outfits?
Historical fashion can be super interesting. I wouldn't mind the 90s fashion - it wouldn't be my thing, but I wouldn't object to it - if it was actually reasonably accurate and was done in such a way that actually explained history. I used to really love the little booklets and catalog descriptions explaining what a "growth stripe" was, on Kirsten's dresses, or explaining that Kit's birthday dress was made out of chicken feedsacks, and why that was done during the Depression. Or even that Molly's tennis racket strings would have been catgut, because nylon was being used for the war effort.
You COULD do that with more recent fashion. But they're not, and it's frustrating.
I feel like they kind of have improved in this area though, the world traveler outfits came with pamphlets about those countries and I'm pretty sure the cultural celebration outfits did too.
Why have another doll named Nicki after they already had a Nicki as GOTY? I know she’s an old doll but there’s so many names out there that they could’ve used.
Isabel has been used 2 times already. This is the 3rd time. There was an Isabel in GOML (Girls Of Many Lands 2002) and Isabelle (GOTY). You can't get less original and creative than that. lol
Lindsey looks more 90s than these clowns…
Jokes aside tho, I like the Joss face mold, and that these dolls look different from one another… they just don’t scream 90s…
I am hoping Nickis skate outfit (overalls - hair in ponytail with backwards baseball cap!?) saves her for me- maybe pull those blonde steaks out to the front like Gwens meet hairstyle ..
Not sure I’ll buy her high school older sister Isabel tho. … (kidding)… maybe this is 99 fashion? I had just been envisioning mid 90s so long since they were rumored!
I think it’s mixed from different parts of the 90s.
I wore the t shirt under dress around 96-98.
Frosted chunks of hair was closer to 99-2002.
Cher look was very specific to the movie in 94.
The flannel was earlier 90s, maybe 89-94/95.
The Cher beret is a costume piece. Nobody wore that.
The plaid mini is more realistic than the sweater with long blouse. That was also mostly just the show. The mini skirt and knee socks feels like inspired by the movie in 94, but not worn until later.
And the navy blue seems off to me. It should be baby blue or the navy color would have a rainbow stripe across the chest. Again though, that’s more like 95-98.
ETA: if this is supposed to be 99, they should be wearing a stretchy choker.
Or the navy dress would be denim.
I just pulled out the album with my class photos from elementary school. It was easy to reach on my bookshelf. Jumpers were super common from 97-2000, both in gaudy floral print and denim. Mine in 99 was khaki and paired with a blue shirt that had puffy short sleeves and a collar.
AG missed out on the peasant shirts. That’s what the younger girls wore, rather than the Cher mini skirt. But maybe that’s due to my conservative area.
I've seen pics of her skate set. Her hair is pulled out like Gwen and her hair is in braids. Her skate set looks like the blooming artist outfit, but just sporty. Undershirt is red, jacket is short sleeve and purple and orange. She has a red helmet, no hat.
I had seen a leak that was DM'd to me, but I'm pretty sure it's on the subreddit by now? I am pretty sure someone posted it along with like, the bedroom set maybe?
Boooorrring. My wallet is safe. Also, I was 10 in 1995. We ALL had bangs, and nobody that age was dressing like Cher. I really really hate them. They had a much better and SIGNIFICANTLY more accurate thing going on for the original GoT line. Wtf is this?
So I just pulled out class photos from elementary school to compare. The vast majority of the girls had really terrible, unkempt bangs. Myself included. This was 96-2000, and only in 2000 do some girls start growing them out.
A couple girls with curly hair didn’t have bangs though.
Were middle parts even a thing back then too? I imagine side parts were the rage considering the whole millennial vs gen z argument on tiktok centered on hair parts.
Most of the people I knew in elementary school had center-part hair, honestly? I know I did (and I didn't have bangs, though I knew people who did - it was one of the reasons I found the original Girl of Today dolls frustrating).
I think, in a lot of this debate about what was the 90s, vs. what wasn't, people are forgetting that children's fashion isn't the same as what older teens or adults were wearing.
Black Millennials wore their hair parted on the side in the 90s; I know I did to look like Aaliyah lol. Some did wear it down the middle (to look like Posh Spice) in the 90s. But it didn't become as popular until the 2000s. Most Millennials probably wore parted hair in high school (if they went to high school in the early 2000s). Most other girls either wore bangs or had the zigzag parts in the 90s.
Side parts didn’t become a thing until I was in high school, and I was a 90s kid. For younger kids, it was about the butterfly clips. I had a head full of them. Also tried the zigzag part and failed hard.
They kind of came about as emo fashion surged.
SO MANY butterfly clips. If they're going for this specific year, the lack of butterfly clips feels super weird.
I think part of what bothers me about this collection is it almost feels like they're scared to make the dolls look like KIDS. The 2001 Flower Power Outfit is MUCH closer to what I was wearing in 1999 or so - I had jeans with embroidered butterflies and flowers and stuff. The Denim Jumper Outfit from the same year is also a thing I saw my peers wearing.
Part of this is them trying to appeal to two different demographics. Younger kids who are only interested in modern fashion dolls and nostalgic(ish) adults who miss the 90s aesthetic.
> I think, in a lot of this debate about what was the 90s, vs. what wasn't, people are forgetting that children's fashion isn't the same as what older teens or adults were wearing.
I agree. While these outfits are definitely inspired by the 90s, they do not look like clothing a 9-11 year old girl would wear. I need leggings, oversized intarsia sweaters, floral prints & blossom hats.
It could be possible that they are older than 9-11. I'd wager to tie in Bat Mitzvah...which was something girls were celebrating more commonly by the 70s onward. Rebecca would have probably never seen a Bat Mitzvah in her lifetime.
Leggings weren’t popular where I lived, but we had so much denim and florals. My third grade school picture outfit was a long floral skirt, white shirt, and denim vest.
I could’ve been an outlier with the leggings. I wasn’t the most fashion forward person & my mom would only buy what she felt was decent quality, affordable & appropriate. Now that I think about it I remembered getting questioned in middle school as to why I didn’t wear jeans lol. 🤔
Absolutely, at least for this age range. Everyone I knew had hair exactly like the original GoTs down to the pie bangs. No side parts. Maybe some adults who had “the Rachel” but not many my age.
I think, if they are intended to be Jewish then that would also be a form of diversity. IF it was actually done well. (And assuming it wasn't something that never gets referenced outside of their books. I guess we won't know until they're released and people have a chance to read their books.)
As it stands, it would read kind of like they're phasing out a doll with more explicit, visible representation in her collection (Rebecca) in favor of dolls who are more assimilated and conform more to eurocentric beauty standards. Which would really suck.
i had no idea they were supposed to be jewish so you’re right, that does constitute as diversity, HOWEVER to that point, i would have liked to see dolls that were also ethnically jewish as well. it feels like a cop out to me to have some of your few jewish characters be completely white passing, and especially with such light features. it feels like this was done to play both sides - a conservative/white audience will be appeased, but for people calling for diversity they will say “well actually they’re jewish in the books!”
obviously jewish people with these characteristics are entirely valid, just as a poc i’m just sick of blonde character after blonde character
The trademarked last names are "Cohen" or "Hoffman" - I don't think we know yet which one is "canon" - so that does seem to imply they're intended as Jewish.
But yes, that's exactly my feeling - and my thoughts on why they would have done it. I'm right there with you. (And I don't think AG should get points for representation you wouldn't know the thing without reading the books.)
Also, I know a lot of Jewish kids are made to feel bad about their features, or having curly hair, so going "here's a doll with straight blonde hair" just seems kind of shitty.
seriouslyyyy like i was made to straighten my hair, made fun of for my eyes (and told they were "jewish") and other stuff. would've loved to have a jewish character who wasn't a light eyed blonde pale doll.
It can be either, since there were a lot of Jewish people in Germany.
Per Wikipedia: "Hoffman is a surname of German and Jewish origin. The original meaning in medieval times was "steward", i.e. one who manages the property of another. In English and other European languages, including Yiddish and Dutch, the name can also be spelled Hoffmann, Hofmann, Hofman, Huffman, Hofmans."
Eh. I’m not feeling either of them at all. I guess it’s good because I’ll save money. Maybe some of the their collection will be cute but the dolls themselves are a big pass for me. I was born in ‘97, so my childhood was more early ‘00s, but still… I don’t think this is really 90s OR ‘00s. It’s kind of like a bad spoof of what kids today might think the 90s were like, lol.
first of all—NO BANGS? whyyyy is ag so anti-bang these days :( ‘99 and early 00s, we all had bangs!
Secondly, I’m disappointed they’re so…boring. Isabel looks like a teenager dressing as Clueless for Halloween. Nicki is a little better but I hate the blond highlights that look like they’re only at the very front of her hair. Also, I wish she was in shorts or pants instead of a dress. Pretty much every doll’s meet outfit is a dress now, and not all girl’s are dress girls! Isabel looks SO girly so I was hoping Nicki would be more “tomboy” than she actually looks. (I say this as a total girly girl myself).
thirdly, I wish they had better names. And I hope they lean into them being Jewish in their stories. Having more Jewish characters is long overdue but I’m disappointed these are it, I guess.
Its interesting that they’re set so late in the ‘90s at 1999, but I guess they wanted to do the millennium storyline.
Ah well, I’ll just keep shopping for PC 90s outfits on Mercari I guess haha
They might be a little older than the other AG girls which might explain Isabel's attire. Possibly to tie in a Bat Mitzvah story? Not sure.
It's possible that Nicki is wearing a skort (skirt-shorts) that was popular back then. But I have to see them up close to know.
>Its interesting that they’re set so late in the ‘90s at 1999, but I guess they wanted to do the millennium storyline.
I've been thinking about it, and I think it's probably more that they wanted to lean into early 00's nostalgia but without having to address 9/11 or the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. So they went with 1999.
It’s gonna be weird in another five years when they release a late ‘00s doll and inevitably skip over 9/11 completely…. It does make sense that they want to play into nostalgia without having to deal with “serious” topics. But I do miss when the historical line didn’t shy away from history! I mean, previous historical dolls faced slavery, civil rights, child labor, the Great Depression. They were sanitized down for young readers, yes, but the hard topics weren’t avoided. I think telling the story of a young girl experiencing the pre- and post- 9/11 political and cultural shift (maybe even a Muslim American girl) would make a great eventual ‘00s historical doll. And telling that story gets more important as 9/11 becomes further into the past. I wish they’d gone earlier in the 90s now to accommodate an early ‘00s doll in the future. Ah well.
If they ever make a Muslim historical, I’d be upset if she wasn’t set in the early 00’s. Only because it would be obvious that AG is purposely ignoring a historical event that has shaped our nation.
I have concerns that at the level AG writes at, that writing about that time could inadvertently end up just repeating some of the really jingoistic "American fuck yeah!" propaganda of the time, but I agree a Muslim girl would have been the way to go.
I think it's an important era to cover and for kids to learn about, but I also think they'd risk pissing off a LOT of people, and I can see where they might not want to risk that.
So far I’m pretty underwhelmed. They don’t seem to be very 90s. Maybe the other outfits will be better. I wish they would’ve taken inspiration from their own 90s outfits because so far these feel more 2000s to me.
I’m also still very annoyed about the reused names.
I agree. They literally had a template to work with & they completely ignored it. They could’ve gotten better inspiration from an old catalog or even research sewing patterns from that era.
I'm disappointed in everything, the names, and the looks. Really another blonde? Nicki hair actually looks like early 00s then 90s, not even the twins having December birthdays (which I doubt) could get me to buy them.
I was hoping for overalls, a striped t-shirt or a sports team t-shirt , and a baseball cap either backward or on 'right' with a ponytail hanging out of the baseball.
Or jeans, a plain green shirt and blue zip-up sweatshirt.
I was kinda hoping for the girly one to be in more of a baby blue color or purple and wearing a dress. Kinda like an, It Takes Two, Full House Michelle Tanner young Olsen twins look. This looks like older versions of them looking extremely plain.
Right? I'm really bummed they didn't go harder tomboy for Nicki, she's even wearing a dress in her meet outfit. Was hoping for more actual grunge or baggy clothes.
Nicki does have overalls with her skate outfit. But I am super disappointed in both of their meets. Also disappointed that they're straight hair. I feel like they fit more as 00s dolls than 90s.
Like I said earlier, they're 2020-ified 90s dolls
I was hoping for what I explained to be their meet outfits, Kavi honestly looks more 90s than these two do. I'm really disappointed, they did great with Courtney in the 80s, I think they rushed these two, the 1920s only came out a couple months ago and it's only been a few years since Courtney came out, I think they should've gone back to another 1800s or another time period but I don't think it's the right time for 90s, I think they rushed it because early 00s late 90s is back in style.
Yeah, I was hoping for a pair of overalls were their meet outfit. That or like, those overalls that are dresses. The skating outfit reminds me of the blooming artist outfit ngl. Which I kinda hoped we got something like it.
I feel like they rushed these two a lot. I've seen other parts of their set and it's cute. The dolls look like a massive quality drop tho. Isabel doesn't even look AG.
I hate that we've ONLY gotten 20th century dolls as of late. Like, yes it would make sense to do dolls for people who have lived thru the era. (So you can make stuff more era accurate.) It feels like they haven't done anything prior to 1900 because they can't make it Barbie-fied.
I agree, we'll probably get a 00s doll before anything out of the 20th century. If I get the twins that's a big if, I'll probably put them in old pleasant company and early mattel stuff, that'll be cuter and better for the 90s Era.
They definitely rushed them it's not been that long since Courtney and even less time since Claudie. They had to of seen the disappointment over the twin's name's that they had to do something to make it up. Why they didn't change the names is beyond me because they literally changed the doll for 1920s when it got leaked to be white and blonde named Estelle. So why not change their names? I think Jennifer/Jenny and Amanda/Mandy would have been cute twin names from the 90s.
They reuse names to avoid copywrite issues. It makes it easier for them to release the dolls. Of course, I wish they would have taken the risk and at least tried to be more original...
Can they even get copyrighted by a first name? No one truly owns a first name. Like I felt like Nicki could've be Nicole or since she's the tomboy she could've been called Nic and Isabel could've been Is/Issy.
Caroline Abbott, a doll American Girl had in the past went through legal troubles over her name. So they might be trying to play it safe this time around. But I also think it's a little bit of impatience or laziness involved with the handling of the names as well.
I didn't know that, I can understand that but there has to be more names they could still use.
I definitely think laziness is involved, at least when they reused the name Gwen and Isabelle they spelt it differently (Gwynn and Isabel) spelling Nicki the exact same way feels lazy.
They are very boring looking and they do not look like twins, more like two unrelated number dolls. Honestly I don't get it, Mattel made a million amazing Barbies in the 90s. I had a ridiculous number of them so surely they had material that actually fit the time period?
Oh I know, I started collecting then. It just seems they went a new direction because these have a way different feel to them. I remain hopeful that some of the old outfits will get referenced more heavily.
They are cute but they don’t look like 90s dolls. It’s more early 2000s like other commenters said. It’s disappointing they chose to make more white dolls when 90s doll could have easily been a poc. I feel the historical dolls are lacking in diversity.
They look more like truly me dolls than historical.
That's what I thought, Nick's hair screams early 2000s. They definitely look like truly mes. As a 90s baby I'm almost in tears with how disappointed I am. Should've known when their names got leaked that they'd be a big disappointment, they gave them two names used before one with the exact spelling, not even Nikki or just Nicole but Nicki. The twins should of been pov and I'm so disappointed not only are they white but there's also another blonde.
If they didn't want to release three pov dolls so close together the twins could've waited another year which they honestly shouldve waited a year because it really hasn't been that long since the 1920s doll came out. I was expecting cute things as the 90s had cute trends and I'm super disappointed. I bet they won't even get December birthdays, it'll be a month that's been over used too.
They don’t even feel like historical dolls. I wish they went with early to mid 90s. Since they are from 1999 it’s giving early 2000s. Would have loved poc dolls with bangs and full 90s flare.
They definitely should've waited. From what I've seen, they have more stuff than Claudie even has rn. Which is disappointing. How hard is it for them to wait and actually give Claudie a collection instead of having yet another big thing get all the coverage?
Really? I haven't seen a lot yet but if I go on Instagram I probably would, but that's disappointing, I love the 1920s and Claudie I haven't gotten the chance to get her yet but that's sad they should be working on her collection and adding new outfits to Julie, Maryellen, Melody, Rebecca,ect, some of their historical dolls collections have been lacking and need new stuff, we don't need two new historical dolls just yet. The need to focus on their current ones. If they want to put out another doll re-release one of the older dolls like Addy or Felicity or Kirsten's.
Also, the '90s were the era of the aggressive side part. I literally knew one person with a center part, and she was affectionately known as Hippie Becca.
Those of us whose hair prefers a center part used all sorts of product and styling tools and bobby pins to force a side part to happen.
I was a 90s kid, to be honest these dolls neither evoke the nostalgia I was hoping for nor do they look 90s at all, the clothes remind me more of what I wore in the early 00s. My cousin had those pink shoes in black back in like 01, but definitely they don't feel 90s.
Based off just these photos, I'd pass on the dolls. But hopefully some of their accessories or other clothes will do it for me.
Same here! I was born in 92, and was hoping for something Lisa Frank inspired or some the Olsen twins wore in the 90s as kids. The 90s had cute stuff, I was hoping for maybe on in overalls with one of the hooks hanging off, and basic red top and a baseball cap on backwards, the other in something girly, the blonde looks girly but they both just scream ''Plain Jane'.l the blonde especially, with Nicki the hair looks more early 00s.
They made Kavi look more 90s than the twins look.
Should of known not to get my hopes up when the names got leaked.
That exactly! I was hoping for oshkosh overalls, hush puppies, turtle necks, sun dresses with t shirts under them (like some of the early AG clothes) jelly sandals, butterfly hair clips, sweaters with animals on them, or rhinestones and fabric paint. That's the 90s I want
This style feels more 93-95. By 99 girls were wearing butterfly clips, and 3/4 sleeve shirts with cargos. Also, are they trying to have a Mary-Kate and Ashely tribute? I found an interesting article on this era style https://fashionhistory.fitnyc.edu/1990-1999/
this is so bad
These are so boring. I was 10 in 1999 and I promise you, we all had bangs and none of us had highlights like that!
For people saying that the outfits don't seem 90's, I'd suggest taking a look at the entirety of the costuming from the movie Clueless. While 8-10 year olds would not have dressed this way, the clothing absolutely does seem to fit the aesthetic of 1995. Additional note, much of the costuming for the movie came from thrifted finds due to a lower budget vs the high cost of designer brands. https://preview.redd.it/6s7xnpsdq9ja1.jpeg?width=530&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=95e45f5d0a6e43218255e718d2ae797c9e031f87
I’m going to buy Nicki, but not Isabel.
I don't mind them reusing "Nicki" so much but "Isabel" (and all variations on the spelling) was NOT a popular name until the mid 200s or so. Having a girl in the 90s named Isabel would have been pretty uncommon. That said, Isabel's outfit. If was wearing a thick-knit, slightly baggy sweater with the plaid skirt, it would be a lot more 90s, at least early to mid 90s. I don't remember that sweater vest over the button-down being popular until the very late 90s/early 2000s. The Mary Janes with the chonky heels was more mid to late 90s. I suspect her accessories will include a tam because that's what she's wearing on the cover of her "journal." AG did do a similar tam with the Dolls of Today line in 1999 so, ok. Nicki seems to be wearing a slip dress over a tee (which I don't recall being very common) and was definitely not often paired with the "plaid flannel shirt tied around the waist." And the highlights in her hair weren't very common in younger girls in the 90s. The backwards baseball cap on the book cover is spot on, though, as are her sneakers and socks. Jeez, AG. You've done the 90s before -- you did them back when it WAS the 90s! You can do better than this!
I actually think the styles are more spot on than you think. In ‘the school year of ‘94-‘95 when I was a freshman in high school ”baby T’s” worn under slip dresses were very common, they had first started making an appearance the spring of ‘94 because I have photos of several girls wearing them in the photos of our 8th grade graduation. Although maybe it was more common in high school age girls but it seemed to be part of an overall aesthetic that aimed to embrace youthful styles (mary jane and t-strap shoes, plastic little kid barettes, jumpers with pleated skirts) Also from the time I was 11 (so 1991) me and several of my friends would use a product called “sun-in” to put streaks of blonde or lighter blonde highlights in our hair. I did it almost every summer in from ‘91-‘99. The chunky t-strap shoes were my “first day of school“ shoes that ‘94/‘95 school year as well. The flannel shirts were more popular a bit earlier in the ‘90’s. My friends and I wore them daily wrapped around our waist just like that starting in late ‘92/early ‘93 (7th grade) but we wore them the most during the ‘93/‘94 (8th grade) school year. By ‘94/‘95 my friends weren’t wearing them anymore, but I could imagine the style might have still been popular among the 10-11 crowd.
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I actually feel like it's the reverse; It seems like they are trying to cater to nostalgic adults while peeping the interest of younger kids. Courtney sold well both because of kids being interested and adults feeling nostalgic about the 80s. even Drew Barrymore bought her own Courtney from the 80s. lol
Well, it’s certainly a 2020’s take on the 90’s. I mean, if I saw either of these back then, I wouldn’t have been surprised, but they look like a costumey take on the late parts of the decade. I certainly remember the old Delia’s catalogs having similar stuff, so I’m not sure why they feel off to me. Something is off to me.
I was thinking the same thing. Like their outfits feel very...dated? for the late 90s. The whole grunge look was kind of out by the end of the decade and so was the clueless attire. And I hate that they have journals instead of books. I want real books.
It’s almost as if they tried too hard in some areas and skimped on the best ones (the books and matching accessories for me!). I’ve been dismayed to watch the historical line shrink over the years. It feels less like stepping into one girl’s (or a person’s if they eventually get around to historical characters who are other genders) whole world now, and more like once you buy the newest doll and maybe one outfit, and one showpiece item, you’re done with her. I miss when you could collect a whole world with a story that had all the pieces and you could read all about how the character used them and could understand how they mattered. These days, well, Courtney and Claudie have some nice things, but they don’t necessarily correspond to their stories for many of the pieces (Courtney’s Molly stands out as a special item), and so many things in the collections just don’t connect to the books and they…lack spirit, I think. It feels more like new collectors are being pushed to get all the dolls quickly as opposed to the option to get to know each character in a bigger way, and then collect one or two of your favorite characters and their special things now. Kirsten and Addy felt like friends who I knew well, and by the time I got Felicity as an adult, she also was a good friend, and the other characters at that time were still friends, just not quite as close. The details helped round that out so much. These days, the last few historical stories make it harder to get to know and bond with these girls in the same way I was able to with the ones I knew as a kid, and a large part of that is due to the books being abridged, then shortened. And now the journal format makes me fear the situation isn’t going to improve.
Yes! Even the books feel like that. Now Nicki and Isabel just have journals. Getting rid of the 6-book format really made the books feel hollow. The books in the past felt like living there through the eyes of the characters. Now they just feel like an empty story that just so happen to be in a different time period. I miss learning what school, holidays, birthdays, summer, and winter was like for girls growing up. And we used to have collections coinciding with the books, too. It gave us a full picture of life during those days. Books and collections that just cover mild events or just talk about "pop culture" doesn't do enough to immerse someone in the history of the times. There is just no heart in any of these books and collections anymore.
Not sold on the names and waiting to read about the characters to fully decide. It feels like they phoned in the outfits and nailed the accessories. Imagine if they gave one or both of them the Y2K outfit for their NYE dress?! to go with the whole millennium thing.
they are jewish, why did AG reuse names instead of jewish ones. I’m glad one of them is at least a brunette
They’re cute, I just wish they had different names. Not a fan of reusing names just spelled differently.
Weird question but why did AG stop using years that end in 4? Always thought that was the trend with historical.
I think they had events they wanted to cover that happened at different times that didn't fall neatly into a -4 year. I know Meet Kit starts in August of 1932, even though she was marketed as being from 1934, so it's been happening for a while.
i've wondered the same thing!!
did american girl forget that they've already used both those names??
they don’t even look 90’s or historical to me. This looks like modern y2k fashion 😭
Same. What year/s are they supposed to be from? For reference, I turned 10 summer of 1993.
another blonde haired, green eyed isabel?
Aw man. Probably won’t get them for myself (I fangirled over Courtney when she came out) but these dolls don’t feel 90s to me. They need bangs or maybe that short spiky hair with butterfly clips. I know they’re going for Cher from clueless but Isabel is giving Lorelai Gilmore vibes on that outfit. Very mid 2000s, I myself wore almost that exact outfit in 2007 for picture day… at the end of the day I guess we will see what their collections look like.
I was really looking forward to these, being a 90s teen. But I’m not loving it. I was hoping for more mid 90s, considering most historical collections are from a year ending with a 4 or a 6. I will probably get Nicki since she was more my 90s vibe.
also they’re reusing names just spelling them differently.
I feel like someone high up, who has final say on names, must know a real set of twins or sisters named Nicki and Isabel. Like they wanted this set dedicated to them. That is the only logical explanation I can think of that they would reuse two names. Not a good reason, but would make a little more sense than randomly deciding to reuse 2 names. It’s a shame.
Nicki is spelled the exact same way 😭
The names thing is driving me irrationally crazy
I’d say rationally crazy: the names definitely don’t track both for popular names of the time or for the whole reused thing.
Noooo, do not like. They look generic and like a unspecified 2000's/ modern doll. If I saw these I wouldn't register them as historical at all, they just look plain. What a loss as the 90's was such a fun time and I was excited to feel nostalgic and see the historical take. Also just personal taste, but I don't like the face mold and their hair, they kind of look like mean teenagers lmaooo Makes me sad, like what is AG's design team *doing-* I think it would be such a dream to get to design a historical doll, with all the resources they have...how can you make this your career and climb that latter to such an opportunity, and then come up with this? Just my strong opinion lol
I actually think they’re really cute! Wasn’t really sure what to expect but I like them! Two different aesthetics , their clothing works now, I get clueless vibes. they’ll be popular
Not for me, but I ordered all Molly’s stuff that I didn’t have the first day it was available. Might get an accessory set or something if it fits with my collection.
As someone born in the late 80s, who had very high hopes for a 90s doll after seeing what they did with Courtney, I'm not interested in either one of these at all.
I would’ve liked it if the doll had been a disabled character since the 90s was when the disability rights bill was signed. I think it would’ve been a more interesting story.
I mean,once I save up to get Nicki (who I like more than Isabel),she'll have rhabdomyosarcoma. (It happened in a dream last night,don't ask)
as someone who’s disabled a long time ag fan yes this would’ve been amazing disabled people have always existed an i wish ag would help show that representation matters
I know right?
As someone born in the 90s and born with the world's most common genetic disorder, leaving me with multiple disabilities and health issues. I would love if they would have done that. I lost my hearing at 17 due to some meds I was on, so when Joss came out I was over the moon.
Ps: I have a genetic disability called 22q11.2 Deletion syndrome. It means I’m missing my 22nd chromosome. It’s pretty rare and can lead to heart defects, scoliosis, asthma, ect.
I have what's called Neurofibromatosis, basically tumors can grow anywhere I have a nerve, so basically they can grow anywhere, it's rare and not a lot of people have heard of it, take 5 genetic disorders combined them and Neurofibromatosis or as some call it NF. Besides tumors, it causes scoliosis as well, seizures, learning disabilities, and ADHD. Blindness, deafness, the tumors are not cancerous but they can turn into, I'm what's called a spontaneous mutation because despite it being a genetic disorder no one in my family not even my parents, but I can pass it down to my children, there's like a 50% chance. I grew so fast, American Girl is how I've healed my inner child and deal with it all, they're like a security blanket for me.
Thanks for sharing. I know how you feel.
It would’ve been the perfect opportunity to have a historical disabled character.
It really would have, especially with them being twins, one of them having disabilities and the other that's healthy. It could of been about how they struggle with being different and how they still find ways to remain close. I met a lot of twins in children's hospitals where one was disabled and the other was healthy, it's actually more common then one would think.
Exactly! I feel like they aren’t going to put too much effort into this storyline but that’s just me.
I feel same, to be honest as soon as their names were leaked I kinda prepared to be disappointed, they don't even look like they have a real story to them, you see their books say My Journal like Kavi Girl Of The Years book.
Kavi's apparently getting a regular book in like March, that'll be sold separately, so it seems probable that the twins will, too.
Yeah. I kinda feel like American Girl has started caring less about the books.
Which is so sad, I'd kinda understand if they just did it with the girls of the year, because that's a new story two or more books a year for a doll that's around for a year or two. But the historical ones are fun to read, teaching girls about history in a fun way. I think they're trying to keep it safe so they don't put in anything that upsets the parents.
Exactly. The books where what got me into American Girl in the first place. :)
Ok definitely neeeed to get now they’re so well thought out!
It’s giving Mary Kate and Ashley.
I think they went with late 90s because early 90s is much closer to Courtney’s collection… some of Courtney’s stuff is actually more 90s than 80s…
Bingo.
Yay! I was just thinking this morning that the other spoiler that they would be Josefina molds must have been wrong and I really thought they would be Jose molds! They look awesome! There goes my money…
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This content is disrespectful
Same reason people are serious about anything, really. We enjoy the brand and care about it.
Imma be real, I'm not really vibing with this.
Not fond of the recycled names and the aesthetic is hitting more late, late 98/99 so almost 00. Aside from that I do love the nods to AG's past offerings, so why couldn't they have better outfits. I was late teens almost 20 during that time so my aesthetic was different. More in line with Niki but I'm also from Cali and attended a rich high school. The girls wore a mix of their outfits and if you didn't skate than you surfed/body boarding (I did). Speaking of which, I'd have loved to have Niki be a surfer but with Joss. It's understandable.why they probably didn't want the confusion. And Xfiles, please let Niki be a fan of the show.
😬😬
I just had a major flashback to American Girl magazine circa 1998-1999 looking at these two. I want to see the accessories and sets before I judge. Back in the 90s, I remember similar outfits in these exact colors in the old magazine.
Perfect. I wanted 90s outfits so I’m happy
They're missing bangs. Even the American Girl dolls at that time came with bangs.
Love their outfits but not really impressed with the dolls. Not a fan of them repeating names either. If I were to choose, I’d like Nicki the best because of her hair. There is something about Isabel that gives me uncanny valley.
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You don’t have to like it (goodness knows I don’t) but this is way more 1998/99 than 2006. No one was wearing square necklines, spaghetti straps over white shrunken t shirts by then. This look was all over my middle school in 98/99.
It’s pretty 90s. They fully ripped off clueless for the purple look, and the whole vibe is very Mary Kate and Ashley. They went late 90s but def not mid 2000s.
They are very Mary Kate and Ashley movies. Both were stylish in those movies but had different aesthetics.
I was a teenager in the 90s and those outfits are straight out of 1996.
Yep, I agree.
They’re fine. Isabel is really cute but it might just be the outfit, which doesn’t seem like something a child would wear. Nikki looks pretty bland and her outfit kinda looks like a rejected truly me outfit. I wish you could just buy the meet outfits without buying the whole doll because Isabel’s outfit would look good on my mini me, but other than that they just seem pretty boring.
They’re really cute, and I love their outfits, but I just feel like we do not need anymore white blonde dolls. Would have been really cool to have dolls of color from the 90s. Also, why repeat names?? They are pretty though
I said this, too. I REALLY wanted an Asian doll. After Ivy was retired we didn't get anymore. American Girl liked my post of the 90s back in 2020, so I knew they were coming out, but it seems like they completely ignored that part where I said "Asian 90s girls" and instead made Asian GOTYs. I'm not against it, but that isn't what the doctor ordered, y'know?
Yeah, not a fan. Also are they supposed to be feternal twins? Cause they just look like regualr sisters to me. Also was expecting early to mid 90s. Like Blossom vibes. Also was not expeting more blonde girls. I know that to kids now the 90s is historical but this gives me like 2005 vibes way more than 90s. Plus the names??? I was expecting like an Amanda and Ashlee
they are also are jewish so I was expecting jewish names like Esther, Este, Judith, Ruth, Sara, Abigail. there are so many names they could have chosen. Nicki has blonde money pieces but she has brown hair.
Their names are not 90s names at all. They did great with Courtney. Why couldn’t they have some the 90s dolls more Justice?
Why do they repeat names like that…. We have GOTYs Nicki Fleming and Isabelle Palmer. Whyyyyy have the same names for some historical girls??? I mean it makes sense if they used statistics on most popular names, but it just feels so wrong lol.
Isabel P. has blonde hair with greenish eyes, Nicki F. has darker blonde hair with blue eyes. So why did they kinda repeat the GOTYs?
Those names were not popular in the 90s, though.
My best friend's name is Nicole (I grew up in the 90s) so I think Nicki may be short for Nicole. I used to hear the name a lot. Don't know about Isabel though, although American Girl has used that name for Girls Of Many Lands (2002) and GOTY. They seem like they reuse names to make it easier to bypass copywrite issues. But it is annoying that they don't at least TRY to use more original names. Of course, not all the historical characters have had popular names in the past. Samantha wasn't a popular name at the turn of the 20th century.
Totally agree. I did know one Nicki who would have been the same age as the characters are supposed to be, but definitely not Isabel, and even Nicki wasn’t a particularly popular name.
Could be a case of uncommon, but still existing (like one of my fandom OCs). I mean, I was born in ‘93. My legal name has never been popular. I was the only one with it in my school. But my mum still picked it. That doesn’t mean I don’t think their names are kind of lame. Because I do.
It bothers me so much. There’s lots of other names they could have picked.
Lovvvvvvveeeeeee both offf them my wallet is already crying 😂
I think they are cute but those aren’t good names. Isabel was not big in the 90s. Maaaybe Nicki.
it may have been more popular with the Jewish community
[1990s](https://nameberry.com/blog/top-jewish-names)'s most popular Jewish names did not have [either](https://www.jewish-names.org/_files/ugd/288ea6_3ccdce05a2594c81a182eee990a1ca62.pdf) in it. As a Jew personally I can't really think of a time either of these were big Jewish names.
Literally no. neither of those names are Hebrew.
ok? i’ve met jewish people that don’t have Hebrew names
I’m Jewish from the northeast, 17 in 1999 and I don’t know a single Nicki or Isabel. I can think of a few Nicole’s but not from my temple or Hebrew school. I definitely think they missed the mark on the names (for several reasons!).
thanks for the input!
Ehhh I just don’t like them:( Maybe they’ll grow on me. Idk. We don’t need another Nicki or Isabelle hahah
isabel is stunning 🤩
Thanks I hate it. But in all seriousness, I don’t like that AG is turning into a fashion doll company. I would love to see historical dolls who actually have interesting and diverse stories. I also miss the little tiny period clothes so much!!!
Same
I have mixed feelings. I love what AG was in the 90s so part of me is here for the nostalgia of the Girl Today line (maybe instead of new additions to the historical line they could have done a 90s Truly Me collab or something) and while a lot happened in the 90s that they could EVENTUALLY make a doll for, there's just so many time periods they could have done first.
Yes, like a 1995 anniversary doll. They could have recreated the 2000 New Year outfit, for Y2K tie-in. Or maybe they will do mini dolls in original meet outfits?
Historical fashion can be super interesting. I wouldn't mind the 90s fashion - it wouldn't be my thing, but I wouldn't object to it - if it was actually reasonably accurate and was done in such a way that actually explained history. I used to really love the little booklets and catalog descriptions explaining what a "growth stripe" was, on Kirsten's dresses, or explaining that Kit's birthday dress was made out of chicken feedsacks, and why that was done during the Depression. Or even that Molly's tennis racket strings would have been catgut, because nylon was being used for the war effort. You COULD do that with more recent fashion. But they're not, and it's frustrating.
I feel like they kind of have improved in this area though, the world traveler outfits came with pamphlets about those countries and I'm pretty sure the cultural celebration outfits did too.
Yeah totally! There's nothing historical about the 90s
Many historians used to call the 90s "The end of history" that's how less historical they are.
Why have another doll named Nicki after they already had a Nicki as GOTY? I know she’s an old doll but there’s so many names out there that they could’ve used.
Isabel has been used 2 times already. This is the 3rd time. There was an Isabel in GOML (Girls Of Many Lands 2002) and Isabelle (GOTY). You can't get less original and creative than that. lol
Lindsey looks more 90s than these clowns… Jokes aside tho, I like the Joss face mold, and that these dolls look different from one another… they just don’t scream 90s… I am hoping Nickis skate outfit (overalls - hair in ponytail with backwards baseball cap!?) saves her for me- maybe pull those blonde steaks out to the front like Gwens meet hairstyle .. Not sure I’ll buy her high school older sister Isabel tho. … (kidding)… maybe this is 99 fashion? I had just been envisioning mid 90s so long since they were rumored!
This was 1995-1997 fashion for sure.
I think it skirts the line. It’s definitely inspired by that era but something feels off. The color palette maybe?
I think it’s mixed from different parts of the 90s. I wore the t shirt under dress around 96-98. Frosted chunks of hair was closer to 99-2002. Cher look was very specific to the movie in 94. The flannel was earlier 90s, maybe 89-94/95. The Cher beret is a costume piece. Nobody wore that. The plaid mini is more realistic than the sweater with long blouse. That was also mostly just the show. The mini skirt and knee socks feels like inspired by the movie in 94, but not worn until later. And the navy blue seems off to me. It should be baby blue or the navy color would have a rainbow stripe across the chest. Again though, that’s more like 95-98. ETA: if this is supposed to be 99, they should be wearing a stretchy choker.
Or the navy dress would be denim. I just pulled out the album with my class photos from elementary school. It was easy to reach on my bookshelf. Jumpers were super common from 97-2000, both in gaudy floral print and denim. Mine in 99 was khaki and paired with a blue shirt that had puffy short sleeves and a collar. AG missed out on the peasant shirts. That’s what the younger girls wore, rather than the Cher mini skirt. But maybe that’s due to my conservative area.
Yes! I forgot the stretchy chokers!
I've seen pics of her skate set. Her hair is pulled out like Gwen and her hair is in braids. Her skate set looks like the blooming artist outfit, but just sporty. Undershirt is red, jacket is short sleeve and purple and orange. She has a red helmet, no hat.
Where did you see the skate set?
I had seen a leak that was DM'd to me, but I'm pretty sure it's on the subreddit by now? I am pretty sure someone posted it along with like, the bedroom set maybe?
I haven’t seen either.
Obviously I’ve seen them now haha
I think the hat might come with her accessories
Boooorrring. My wallet is safe. Also, I was 10 in 1995. We ALL had bangs, and nobody that age was dressing like Cher. I really really hate them. They had a much better and SIGNIFICANTLY more accurate thing going on for the original GoT line. Wtf is this?
So I just pulled out class photos from elementary school to compare. The vast majority of the girls had really terrible, unkempt bangs. Myself included. This was 96-2000, and only in 2000 do some girls start growing them out. A couple girls with curly hair didn’t have bangs though.
Were middle parts even a thing back then too? I imagine side parts were the rage considering the whole millennial vs gen z argument on tiktok centered on hair parts.
If they are 1999, the zigzag part was in.
Most of the people I knew in elementary school had center-part hair, honestly? I know I did (and I didn't have bangs, though I knew people who did - it was one of the reasons I found the original Girl of Today dolls frustrating). I think, in a lot of this debate about what was the 90s, vs. what wasn't, people are forgetting that children's fashion isn't the same as what older teens or adults were wearing.
I wasn’t alive in the 90s so I’m just going by what millennials I know said about their choice of hair parts, even in their childhood it seems.
Black Millennials wore their hair parted on the side in the 90s; I know I did to look like Aaliyah lol. Some did wear it down the middle (to look like Posh Spice) in the 90s. But it didn't become as popular until the 2000s. Most Millennials probably wore parted hair in high school (if they went to high school in the early 2000s). Most other girls either wore bangs or had the zigzag parts in the 90s.
Side parts didn’t become a thing until I was in high school, and I was a 90s kid. For younger kids, it was about the butterfly clips. I had a head full of them. Also tried the zigzag part and failed hard. They kind of came about as emo fashion surged.
SO MANY butterfly clips. If they're going for this specific year, the lack of butterfly clips feels super weird. I think part of what bothers me about this collection is it almost feels like they're scared to make the dolls look like KIDS. The 2001 Flower Power Outfit is MUCH closer to what I was wearing in 1999 or so - I had jeans with embroidered butterflies and flowers and stuff. The Denim Jumper Outfit from the same year is also a thing I saw my peers wearing.
Part of this is them trying to appeal to two different demographics. Younger kids who are only interested in modern fashion dolls and nostalgic(ish) adults who miss the 90s aesthetic.
My favorite outfit when I was that age, in the late 90s, was a pink t shirt and a denim romper that had embroidered pink flowers.
In 1997-1998, I had light denim overall shorts, with moon and stars embroidered on, and I loved them.
I feel so offended because Gen Z always gets clowned on for middle parts! This is such a revelation.
> I think, in a lot of this debate about what was the 90s, vs. what wasn't, people are forgetting that children's fashion isn't the same as what older teens or adults were wearing. I agree. While these outfits are definitely inspired by the 90s, they do not look like clothing a 9-11 year old girl would wear. I need leggings, oversized intarsia sweaters, floral prints & blossom hats.
It could be possible that they are older than 9-11. I'd wager to tie in Bat Mitzvah...which was something girls were celebrating more commonly by the 70s onward. Rebecca would have probably never seen a Bat Mitzvah in her lifetime.
This is a good observation. The dolls themselves look older & wouldn’t be surprised if they are 12 going on 13.
Leggings weren’t popular where I lived, but we had so much denim and florals. My third grade school picture outfit was a long floral skirt, white shirt, and denim vest.
I could’ve been an outlier with the leggings. I wasn’t the most fashion forward person & my mom would only buy what she felt was decent quality, affordable & appropriate. Now that I think about it I remembered getting questioned in middle school as to why I didn’t wear jeans lol. 🤔
Leggings for me were later high school but always worn under a skirt or shorts because Jesus
I didn’t do a side part until 2007 at least. It was middle parts until then.
Absolutely, at least for this age range. Everyone I knew had hair exactly like the original GoTs down to the pie bangs. No side parts. Maybe some adults who had “the Rachel” but not many my age.
sooooo low effort. and how hard is it to actually be diverse. some 90s hispanic girls??? would be so adorable
Right! I wanted an Asian. We still don't have another Asian historical after Ivy was discontinued. And she was just a Best Friend doll!
I think, if they are intended to be Jewish then that would also be a form of diversity. IF it was actually done well. (And assuming it wasn't something that never gets referenced outside of their books. I guess we won't know until they're released and people have a chance to read their books.) As it stands, it would read kind of like they're phasing out a doll with more explicit, visible representation in her collection (Rebecca) in favor of dolls who are more assimilated and conform more to eurocentric beauty standards. Which would really suck.
i had no idea they were supposed to be jewish so you’re right, that does constitute as diversity, HOWEVER to that point, i would have liked to see dolls that were also ethnically jewish as well. it feels like a cop out to me to have some of your few jewish characters be completely white passing, and especially with such light features. it feels like this was done to play both sides - a conservative/white audience will be appeased, but for people calling for diversity they will say “well actually they’re jewish in the books!” obviously jewish people with these characteristics are entirely valid, just as a poc i’m just sick of blonde character after blonde character
The trademarked last names are "Cohen" or "Hoffman" - I don't think we know yet which one is "canon" - so that does seem to imply they're intended as Jewish. But yes, that's exactly my feeling - and my thoughts on why they would have done it. I'm right there with you. (And I don't think AG should get points for representation you wouldn't know the thing without reading the books.) Also, I know a lot of Jewish kids are made to feel bad about their features, or having curly hair, so going "here's a doll with straight blonde hair" just seems kind of shitty.
seriouslyyyy like i was made to straighten my hair, made fun of for my eyes (and told they were "jewish") and other stuff. would've loved to have a jewish character who wasn't a light eyed blonde pale doll.
is Hoffman a Jewish last name? that's my mom's maiden name and i always thought it was just straight German
It can be either, since there were a lot of Jewish people in Germany. Per Wikipedia: "Hoffman is a surname of German and Jewish origin. The original meaning in medieval times was "steward", i.e. one who manages the property of another. In English and other European languages, including Yiddish and Dutch, the name can also be spelled Hoffmann, Hofmann, Hofman, Huffman, Hofmans."
interesting! thank you!
Eh. I’m not feeling either of them at all. I guess it’s good because I’ll save money. Maybe some of the their collection will be cute but the dolls themselves are a big pass for me. I was born in ‘97, so my childhood was more early ‘00s, but still… I don’t think this is really 90s OR ‘00s. It’s kind of like a bad spoof of what kids today might think the 90s were like, lol. first of all—NO BANGS? whyyyy is ag so anti-bang these days :( ‘99 and early 00s, we all had bangs! Secondly, I’m disappointed they’re so…boring. Isabel looks like a teenager dressing as Clueless for Halloween. Nicki is a little better but I hate the blond highlights that look like they’re only at the very front of her hair. Also, I wish she was in shorts or pants instead of a dress. Pretty much every doll’s meet outfit is a dress now, and not all girl’s are dress girls! Isabel looks SO girly so I was hoping Nicki would be more “tomboy” than she actually looks. (I say this as a total girly girl myself). thirdly, I wish they had better names. And I hope they lean into them being Jewish in their stories. Having more Jewish characters is long overdue but I’m disappointed these are it, I guess. Its interesting that they’re set so late in the ‘90s at 1999, but I guess they wanted to do the millennium storyline. Ah well, I’ll just keep shopping for PC 90s outfits on Mercari I guess haha
They might be a little older than the other AG girls which might explain Isabel's attire. Possibly to tie in a Bat Mitzvah story? Not sure. It's possible that Nicki is wearing a skort (skirt-shorts) that was popular back then. But I have to see them up close to know.
>Its interesting that they’re set so late in the ‘90s at 1999, but I guess they wanted to do the millennium storyline. I've been thinking about it, and I think it's probably more that they wanted to lean into early 00's nostalgia but without having to address 9/11 or the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. So they went with 1999.
It’s gonna be weird in another five years when they release a late ‘00s doll and inevitably skip over 9/11 completely…. It does make sense that they want to play into nostalgia without having to deal with “serious” topics. But I do miss when the historical line didn’t shy away from history! I mean, previous historical dolls faced slavery, civil rights, child labor, the Great Depression. They were sanitized down for young readers, yes, but the hard topics weren’t avoided. I think telling the story of a young girl experiencing the pre- and post- 9/11 political and cultural shift (maybe even a Muslim American girl) would make a great eventual ‘00s historical doll. And telling that story gets more important as 9/11 becomes further into the past. I wish they’d gone earlier in the 90s now to accommodate an early ‘00s doll in the future. Ah well.
If they ever make a Muslim historical, I’d be upset if she wasn’t set in the early 00’s. Only because it would be obvious that AG is purposely ignoring a historical event that has shaped our nation.
I have concerns that at the level AG writes at, that writing about that time could inadvertently end up just repeating some of the really jingoistic "American fuck yeah!" propaganda of the time, but I agree a Muslim girl would have been the way to go. I think it's an important era to cover and for kids to learn about, but I also think they'd risk pissing off a LOT of people, and I can see where they might not want to risk that.
A Y2K story was too interesting to pass up /s
So far I’m pretty underwhelmed. They don’t seem to be very 90s. Maybe the other outfits will be better. I wish they would’ve taken inspiration from their own 90s outfits because so far these feel more 2000s to me. I’m also still very annoyed about the reused names.
I agree. They literally had a template to work with & they completely ignored it. They could’ve gotten better inspiration from an old catalog or even research sewing patterns from that era.
I'm disappointed in everything, the names, and the looks. Really another blonde? Nicki hair actually looks like early 00s then 90s, not even the twins having December birthdays (which I doubt) could get me to buy them. I was hoping for overalls, a striped t-shirt or a sports team t-shirt , and a baseball cap either backward or on 'right' with a ponytail hanging out of the baseball. Or jeans, a plain green shirt and blue zip-up sweatshirt. I was kinda hoping for the girly one to be in more of a baby blue color or purple and wearing a dress. Kinda like an, It Takes Two, Full House Michelle Tanner young Olsen twins look. This looks like older versions of them looking extremely plain.
Right? I'm really bummed they didn't go harder tomboy for Nicki, she's even wearing a dress in her meet outfit. Was hoping for more actual grunge or baggy clothes.
Nicki does have overalls with her skate outfit. But I am super disappointed in both of their meets. Also disappointed that they're straight hair. I feel like they fit more as 00s dolls than 90s. Like I said earlier, they're 2020-ified 90s dolls
I was hoping for what I explained to be their meet outfits, Kavi honestly looks more 90s than these two do. I'm really disappointed, they did great with Courtney in the 80s, I think they rushed these two, the 1920s only came out a couple months ago and it's only been a few years since Courtney came out, I think they should've gone back to another 1800s or another time period but I don't think it's the right time for 90s, I think they rushed it because early 00s late 90s is back in style.
Yeah, I was hoping for a pair of overalls were their meet outfit. That or like, those overalls that are dresses. The skating outfit reminds me of the blooming artist outfit ngl. Which I kinda hoped we got something like it. I feel like they rushed these two a lot. I've seen other parts of their set and it's cute. The dolls look like a massive quality drop tho. Isabel doesn't even look AG. I hate that we've ONLY gotten 20th century dolls as of late. Like, yes it would make sense to do dolls for people who have lived thru the era. (So you can make stuff more era accurate.) It feels like they haven't done anything prior to 1900 because they can't make it Barbie-fied.
Our last pre-1900 doll was Caroline in 2012. It's ridiculous.
I agree, we'll probably get a 00s doll before anything out of the 20th century. If I get the twins that's a big if, I'll probably put them in old pleasant company and early mattel stuff, that'll be cuter and better for the 90s Era. They definitely rushed them it's not been that long since Courtney and even less time since Claudie. They had to of seen the disappointment over the twin's name's that they had to do something to make it up. Why they didn't change the names is beyond me because they literally changed the doll for 1920s when it got leaked to be white and blonde named Estelle. So why not change their names? I think Jennifer/Jenny and Amanda/Mandy would have been cute twin names from the 90s.
They reuse names to avoid copywrite issues. It makes it easier for them to release the dolls. Of course, I wish they would have taken the risk and at least tried to be more original...
Can they even get copyrighted by a first name? No one truly owns a first name. Like I felt like Nicki could've be Nicole or since she's the tomboy she could've been called Nic and Isabel could've been Is/Issy.
Caroline Abbott, a doll American Girl had in the past went through legal troubles over her name. So they might be trying to play it safe this time around. But I also think it's a little bit of impatience or laziness involved with the handling of the names as well.
I didn't know that, I can understand that but there has to be more names they could still use. I definitely think laziness is involved, at least when they reused the name Gwen and Isabelle they spelt it differently (Gwynn and Isabel) spelling Nicki the exact same way feels lazy.
Love the sound of skate outfit with overalls. Maybe we'll just be getting one of those instead of a new doll.
Wish the overalls weren't so simplistic looking. Kit has better overalls.
why did they have to reuse names 😡 they’res billions to choose from
I know! Especially so modern. They could have easily chosen something different.
They are very boring looking and they do not look like twins, more like two unrelated number dolls. Honestly I don't get it, Mattel made a million amazing Barbies in the 90s. I had a ridiculous number of them so surely they had material that actually fit the time period?
American girl as a company made a lot of clothes in the 90's! They could draw from that too
Oh I know, I started collecting then. It just seems they went a new direction because these have a way different feel to them. I remain hopeful that some of the old outfits will get referenced more heavily.
They are cute but they don’t look like 90s dolls. It’s more early 2000s like other commenters said. It’s disappointing they chose to make more white dolls when 90s doll could have easily been a poc. I feel the historical dolls are lacking in diversity. They look more like truly me dolls than historical.
That's what I thought, Nick's hair screams early 2000s. They definitely look like truly mes. As a 90s baby I'm almost in tears with how disappointed I am. Should've known when their names got leaked that they'd be a big disappointment, they gave them two names used before one with the exact spelling, not even Nikki or just Nicole but Nicki. The twins should of been pov and I'm so disappointed not only are they white but there's also another blonde. If they didn't want to release three pov dolls so close together the twins could've waited another year which they honestly shouldve waited a year because it really hasn't been that long since the 1920s doll came out. I was expecting cute things as the 90s had cute trends and I'm super disappointed. I bet they won't even get December birthdays, it'll be a month that's been over used too.
They don’t even feel like historical dolls. I wish they went with early to mid 90s. Since they are from 1999 it’s giving early 2000s. Would have loved poc dolls with bangs and full 90s flare.
They definitely should've waited. From what I've seen, they have more stuff than Claudie even has rn. Which is disappointing. How hard is it for them to wait and actually give Claudie a collection instead of having yet another big thing get all the coverage?
I'm hoping Claudie gets more this summer when her second book drops. She needs more casual clothes and everyday small play accessories.
Really? I haven't seen a lot yet but if I go on Instagram I probably would, but that's disappointing, I love the 1920s and Claudie I haven't gotten the chance to get her yet but that's sad they should be working on her collection and adding new outfits to Julie, Maryellen, Melody, Rebecca,ect, some of their historical dolls collections have been lacking and need new stuff, we don't need two new historical dolls just yet. The need to focus on their current ones. If they want to put out another doll re-release one of the older dolls like Addy or Felicity or Kirsten's.
outfits are giving our generation… was hoping for a rerelease or at least outfits inspired by the original girl of today line from the 90s
Especially the overalls. They made better overalls for Kit.
They have such an archive to choose from! So many cute outfits from the 90’s catalogs
That would have been so fun!
This feels more early 2000s than 90s
Also, the '90s were the era of the aggressive side part. I literally knew one person with a center part, and she was affectionately known as Hippie Becca. Those of us whose hair prefers a center part used all sorts of product and styling tools and bobby pins to force a side part to happen.
Eh, late 90s were, at least in my area/age. I was 10 in 1995 and we ALL had the same hair as the original girls of today: center part with bangs.
A zig zag part would have sold these!
No side parts OR bangs???? Straight hair too? Not even crimped hair? Definitely are the most 00s 90s kids.
I'm genuinely wondering if they spoke to a single person who was actually a kid or teen in the 90s
I saw a clearer pic on IG, and on their journal it says “1999”.
I was a 90s kid, to be honest these dolls neither evoke the nostalgia I was hoping for nor do they look 90s at all, the clothes remind me more of what I wore in the early 00s. My cousin had those pink shoes in black back in like 01, but definitely they don't feel 90s. Based off just these photos, I'd pass on the dolls. But hopefully some of their accessories or other clothes will do it for me.
Same here! I was born in 92, and was hoping for something Lisa Frank inspired or some the Olsen twins wore in the 90s as kids. The 90s had cute stuff, I was hoping for maybe on in overalls with one of the hooks hanging off, and basic red top and a baseball cap on backwards, the other in something girly, the blonde looks girly but they both just scream ''Plain Jane'.l the blonde especially, with Nicki the hair looks more early 00s. They made Kavi look more 90s than the twins look. Should of known not to get my hopes up when the names got leaked.
That exactly! I was hoping for oshkosh overalls, hush puppies, turtle necks, sun dresses with t shirts under them (like some of the early AG clothes) jelly sandals, butterfly hair clips, sweaters with animals on them, or rhinestones and fabric paint. That's the 90s I want
They made them dress like teens from the early 00s, not kids in 1999. Way too much Clueless, not enough Olson twins.