Kit Kittredge (doll) (2024)

The Kit Kittredge doll was released in 2000 and updated in Fall 2014 with BeForever.

A Special Edition version was released for Kit's 100th birthday celebration in 2023. The BeForever version was retired later in 2023.

Kit Doll[]

• Face Mold: Classic Mold
• Skin: Light

• There are freckles across the cheeks.

• Hair: Blonde, bob/chin length, side part, no bangs

• BeForever dolls had the hair changed slightly with slight tapering to the bob.

• Eyes: Dark Blue

Meet Outfit[]

First Edition[]

Kit's first meet outfit displays the slightly more casual styles of the era with tops and skirts rather than the more prevalent dress-like styles that dominated previous fashion eras.

After the launch of BeForever, the set was sold (minus the barrette) as Kit's Classic Outfit for $36 until it was finally retired.

Sweater[]

Lavender knit sweater. Short-sleeved crew-neck; ribbing at neckline, cuffs, and waist. Silver snaps for closure. Later versions had white plastic snaps.

Cardigan[]

Lavender knit cardigan. Long sleeved crew-neck; ribbing at neckline, cuffs, front plackets, and waist. Five translucent functional pearl buttons down front placket.

Skirt[]

Floral print linen pleated skirt. Print of ivory background with purple lines and with green, purple, and gold-yellow floral shapes. Closes on left side; first editions closed with an inset white zipper with white slim pull, and later sets closed with Velcro.

Bloomers[]

White cotton bloomer-style underpants. Elastic gathering around legs.

Kit's underpants are similar to Samantha and Molly's styles but do not have the ruffle with elastic on edge and instead have the leg elastic fully encased.

Sandals[]

Ivory colored canvas t-strap sandals. Silver metal buckles. First editions had functional buckles with holes in strap; later editions had velcro closure.

Barrette[]

Jade green plastic barrette with two open diamond shapes. This is similar to era-appropriate Art Deco pieces.

BeForever Version[]

The BeForever Outfit for Kit was initially available alone for $36; later it was only available to purchase with the doll.

Dress[]

Teal sleeveless knee-length dress. White Peter Pan collar. Three red floral buttons. Attached red waistband with a white round floral plastic buckle. Red floral print at lower hem. Velcros up the back.

Barrette[]

Red plastic hair barrette; black plastic clasp.

Bloomers[]

White cotton bloomers with elastic around the legs and waist. They are exactly like the Classic-style bloomers.

Shoes[]

Red Mary Jane shoes. White top stitching.

Meet Accessories[]

First Edition[]

Hat[]

White crocheted cloche hat. Green band around brim with bow on left side.

Purse[]

Woven clutch purse with a loop and button fastener. Embroidered flowers (two purple, one yellow) on the front and sewn together with decorative green thread which is also around the flap of the purse.

Nickel[]

Silver faux buffalo head nickel. This came packaged in a paper envelope and has COPY on the face in all caps.

Necklace[]

Compass necklace. Gold chain necklace with gold loop clasp. Gold compass design with gold spokes sticking out of pendant. Decal in center of necklace with light green background and a black and gold compass rose.

Handkerchief[]

White square cotton handkerchief. Light and dark purple border.

BeForever Version[]

Bracelet[]

Green translucent plastic bracelet with molded design.

Hat[]

Ivory felt cloche hat with red ribbon. Red bow on left side with red netting bow inside it.

Purse[]

Woven clutch purse with a loop and button fastener. Red stitched flower in center of flap with teal flowers on either side and light green leaves. Light green topstitching around flap and sides.

100th Birthday Anniversary Edition[]

For Kit's 100th Birthday Anniversary, she was rereleased as a limited edition bundle. The bundle includes the doll in the Classic Meet Outfit with Classic meet accessories, the first edition faded background style of Meet Kit with a special introduction by Valerie Tripp, and an older-style box (modified with visibility window) for a total cost of $150.

Unlike current versions of Kit, the doll has neck strings. This doll has lighter lip and cheek paint than the BeForever Kit, and her hair is the longer pre-BeForever style. The necklace has a newer clasp style, and her sweater closes with velcro. The skirt has the American Girl oval plastic logo tag on the right front skirt hem and is of a slightly variant print. The hang tag (with the Historical Character Collection logo from her release) discusses how the doll was released for the celebration of Kit's 100th birthday in 2023, her tenth birthday celebration,^[1] and how her story message continues to resonate in the present era.

Dress Like Your Doll[]

The matching children's outfit was available; it had two releases, one in 2000 and then in 2008 for the movie. The 2008 release came with a sleeveless sweater instead of the one matching that of the doll.

• Sweater Set: $45
• Skirt: $32
• Hat: $14. The hat was not originally sold with the outfit.
• Compass Necklace: $18. 16" long chain. This was phased out around 2004.

Dress Like Your Doll: BeForever[]

A children's outfit inspired by Kit's BeForever Meet Outfit was available:

• Ruby Pom-Pom Top: $32
• Garden Blooms Skirt: $42
• Red Ribbon Hat: $22

Mini Dolls[]

Kit's mini doll was released when she debuted. The doll's body, meet, and book changed in 2014 with the start of BeForever.

Trivia[]

• Kit was the first character released after Mattel had taken over American Girl; while early dolls have Pleasant Company stamped head molds, these are a carry over and remained until the molds were adjusted or remodeled.
• Kit is the only Historical Character whose meet outfit originally contained no Velcro closures.
• Kit was the first noticeably short-haired historical doll, with her hair cut into an era-appropriate bob; she was later joined by Melody who has shorter hair to about her upper back.

• When BeForever was launched Kit was erroneously shown with Full Speed Ahead: My Journey with Kit instead of Read All About It!.^[2]; the doll came with the correct book.

• 

  A draft sketch of the prototype Kit outfit showed items similar to the classic meet outfit. The sweater set was white; the skirt was blue; the hat more resembled a straw-style cloche.^[3] Caitlin Waite, the illustration model who posed for the Kit illustrations, explained in a post on the /r/americangirl sub-Reddit that the change to a knit-style cloche was due to a last-minute decision done by American Girl when the initial batch of straw hats were found to fall apart rather easily. This resulted in a last-minute change in style and a call-back for Waite to fly back to Middleton for a re-shoot with the adjusted meet outfit design.^[4]

• Collectors often assume that Kit's Classic meet outfit skirt is made out of feedsack cotton, since the print simulates it. However, this outfit is seen in Meet Kit before her family starts to struggle financially. The reason for this mistake is twofold. First, her Birthday Dress and Headband is stated to be made out of feedsack by Aunt Millie, which was obtained after the family starts raising chickens during the events of Happy Birthday, Kit! and has a similar print. (This is also said of Kit's Scooter Outfit.) The second is not realizing that the reason feedsack print came to be popular during the era was that, while feedsack clothing existed as early as the 1920s, when companies learned that more and more people were making clothes from feedsack they began to print the cloth with fabric designs that mimicked popular prints available to promote purchasers buying their brands.

References[]