Do Barbie clothes fit Blythe dolls?
The answer to that question depends on several factors — the type of Barbie clothing, the type of Blythe, the style of clothing, and to be honest, how perfectly-fitted you want your Blythe’s outfit to be.
Barbie and Takara Neo-Blythe on a traditional body are the same height — 11.5 inches. However, Blythe’s giant head means that there are corresponding differences in body part size. Blythe can easily wear most Barbie skirts, shorts, and leggings. She can wear most Barbie (and Barbie off-brand) boots, and looks particularly fabulous in vintage boots. Stretchy pants, shorts, or leggings can work, but full length Barbie pants are going to be too long.
Mandy Cotton Candy Blythe trying on tall-body Barbie Fashionista number 69’s clothing, shoes as well.
Where run into issues is on tops and dresses, especially the latter. Blythe has shorter legs than Barbie, but she also has a shorter torso and a smaller chest. This means that a lot of dresses and longer sleeved shirts with low-cut fronts, or off the shoulder looks will end up exposing Blythe. Some gorgeous vintage Barbie dresses just don’t work with Blythe, no matter if you’re happy with a less-than-perfect fit. You can learn to eyeball whether Barbie clothing fits Blythe, you can ask if you’re buying on Ebay, Etsy, etc., or you can hunt up a bulk bag of used Barbie clothing and have a good time playing dress-up.
Heck, I even sometimes use Ken doll shirts for tunic-style dresses for Blythe. Again, the most fun thing is when you have a lot of different clothes to try, so starting with a used lot of Barbie clothes from Ebay could be fun.
What about Skipper clothing?
Vintage Skipper clothing is actually a perfect fit for Blythe. And since mod is a great style for her, keep an eye open for ‘60s and ‘70s Skipper clothes. That can be as pricey as clothes made especially for Blythe, however — or even more so. However, like you, your Blythe will be delighted by a special vintage piece or two to add to their wardrobe.
What about Blythes on Licca bodies?
That is either a BL Blythe — the earliest Takara releases — or a factory version, or just a doll that someone has switched bodies with. Licca-Chan is a child character, and has a correspondingly small body — a little chest, noodly arms and legs without knees that do that click thing. Being slimmer than Takara, Kenner, or Ashton Drake Gallery Blythes, Licca Blythes can sometimes surprise you with the narrow clothing they can squeeze into. Oddly, their feet are a little bigger than Takara Blythe feet, so you might have to experiment with shoe sizes as well. Obviously clothing made for Licca dolls should fit your Licca Blythe just fine. 22cm sized dolls are what you need.
What clothing fits on Blythe with jointed bodies?
Even a nervous person can figure out how to change a Blythe’s head pretty easily. Different bodies can add height to Blythe, or give her a significantly larger chest. This adds variety to what kinds of clothing fit your doll. Often Blythe is on a Pure Neemo body, or Obitsu. If you’re buying clothing made for Blythe, Etsy is a good resource for pieces that will fit Licca, Takara, or jointed bodies. Many sellers will list what their pieces will fit, but it never hurts to ask if you’re unsure.
Ebay, Etsy, and Aliexpress are all great sources for Blythe-specific clothing and shoes — not to mention any other accessories you can imagine. All three sites will undoubtedly contain dirt-cheap clothing, sometimes the same stuff, from China. There are also countless, relatively affordable international shops full of handmade sweaters, dresses, and more for Blythe. Etsy is the place for that, though some of those stores can get pricey. However, if you search for Blythe clothes, you are sure to find something you and your doll will like.
What accessories work for Blythe?
A useful tip when finding fun accessories to work with your doll is to know their scale. In spite of her big old head, Blythe is the same scale as Barbie 1:6. Occasionally, something like a miniature book or a table will work in a bigger or smaller size such as 1:12 or 1:3, but if you want something sized well, stick to 1:6 scale.
On the other hand, hats for American Girl and other 18 inch play dolls are likely to work for Blythe, especially knit or stretchy caps and other soft materials. Remember Blythe’s big old head makes traditional doll scaling a little bit confusing.
