Doll fashion game girl

Sweet Sue Sophisticate...a child doll grows up

Life for many people in the post-- World War II years was good. With peacetime prosperity, most women had left the workplace and were expected to meet new standards of glamour. Women's magazines of the postWWII era were brimming with self-help tips to help the everyday housewife compete with the Vargas pin-ups that had entertained their soldier husbands during the war. The features and ads in magazines touted the New Look and gave advice about how to use glamour to spice up mundane lives. None of this was lost on the toy industry. Little girls were absorbing the lesson that it was in a woman's best interest to be glamorous, popular and sophisticated.

In 1955, the Alexander Doll Company introduced the first high heel, full-figured, slim-- waisted doll. Her name was Cissy. This doll gave little girls insight into the life of a debutante. The doll was a huge success, and other manufacturers also became interested in the genre of adult-- figured fashion dolls.

American Character was one of the oldest and best-known doll companies in America. During the early 1950s, the company had a strong track record. Its child doll, Sweet Sue, was the darling of middle-class doll buyers. The affordably priced doll offered a little girl the chance to play in the present. Created from the era's new plastic materials, Sweet Sue featured settable Saran hair and a dazzling wardrobe. American Character's baby doll, Tiny Tears, enabled a little girl to prepare for motherhood and pretend to assume the responsibilities of infant care. Still, something was missing from the line-up at American Character, and that was about to be corrected. At the 1957 Toy Fair, American Character debuted two new dolls. The first was Sweet Sue with Flexible Foot. Her face mold was enchanting and used the very latest in creamy vinyl with blushed skin tones. The doll had rooted, settable Saran hair and a very slight bosom. Her main feature was her "flexible foot" that was jointed and could wear flat shoes with ankle socks or a rhinestone-studded high heel. She also could go on-point like a ballerina. The doll carried a model's hatbox that contained a leotard and three pairs of shoes. She was available in six different styles, a fact which indicated that American Character was testing the fashion doll waters. Some ensembles played down the glamorous aspects of the doll while others pulled out all the stops.

American Character also took the bold step in 1957 of debuting, in the same showroom, Sweet Sue Sophisticate! This doll had the same head mold and almost the same make-up, but there were two major differences. Sweet Sue Sophisticate had a "full figure" and wore a strapless bra. In addition, her feet were permanently arched into a very high-heeled position. In addition, each doll came with lingerietype panties, nylon stockings and fine jewelry that a sophisticated young lady might wear. Also, daring new hairstyles, including a feathered short style a la Mary Martin, were introduced. The names of the outfits, such as Cocktails and High Society, implied that this was a doll who lived a glamorous life.

Children and adult collectors of the day loved Sweet Sue Sophisticate. The 1957 American Character catalog called her "The grown up glamour doll" and indeed, the doll gave Alexander's Cissy and Ideal's Revlon doll serious competition.

In 1958, due to the success of the Revlon doll and its exclusive Revlon brand name, American Character decided to acquire a famous brand name license of its own. Sweet Sue Sophisticate became the Toni doll. With slight make-up changes and an expensive license, the doll had acquired a cosmetic name with clout. The prestige of these successful brands helped miniature fashion dolls to gain public acceptance during the late 1950s and ultimately to dominate the fashion doll industry. But with the help of television advertising, Mattel's Barbie doll soon conquered the miniature fashion doll marketplace. One can't help but wonder if, had American Character advertised its dolls on high-profile shows like The Mickey Mouse Club, the outcome would have been different. As the 1960s dawned, it became painfully clear that clever marketing had made the Barbie doll the only game in town. Sadly, American Character was reduced to attempting to copy the most popular doll. Today, mint examples of Sweet Sue Sophisticate are becoming difficult to find. The current renaissance of fashion dolls would not be taking place were it not for pioneers like Alexander, Ideal and American Character.

Sweet Sue Sophisticate is a doll that always will hold a place of honor on the runway of fashion doll fame. She represents the ideal that a young woman can be glamorous and appealing while maintaining a wholesome, charming look. She makes a statement that we, as enlightened collectors, should not forget!

Tiny Tears, Sweet Sue, Sweet Sue Sophisticate and Sweet Sue with Flexible Foot were registered trademarks of the American Character Doll Corporation; Cissy is a registered trademark of the Alexander Doll Company.

Revlon is a registered trademark of Charles Revson, Inc. used under license by the Ideal Toy Corporation. Barbie is a registered trademark of Mattel, Inc.

Toni is a registered trademark of the Gillette Corporation, used under license by the American Character Doll Corporation.

The following costume names were registered trademarks of the American Character Doll Corporation: American Beauty, Bride, Cocktails, High Society, Romance and Sunday Best and Tea Time.

The Mickey Mouse Club is a registered trademark of the Walt Disney Co.