Most of the questions we get before an order are about size. Someone has a doll at home, likes a dress and is not sure it will fit. That is a fair worry: 1:6 scale fashion dolls have been made in several body shapes for years now, and a dress cut for one shape can look wrong on another.
Mattel sells Barbie® Fashionistas on four bodies, and our sizes follow them: the original body is our Regular, then Curvy, Petite and Tall. Barbie® Made to Move™ dolls come on the original or the curvy body, so check which one yours has. Here is how we tell them apart in the studio, and how to measure a doll in two minutes. Dolls are not included with our products; the names are used only to show fit.
The four bodies at a glance
- Regular, 11.5 in (29 cm): the classic fashion doll shape, a slim hourglass with narrow hips and a visible gap between the thighs.
- Curvy, 11-11.5 in (28-29 cm): a pear shape with noticeably fuller hips and thighs, a softer waist and tummy, and no gap between the thighs. Regular skirts and trousers are too tight on her hips.
- Petite, 10.5-10.75 in (27 cm): about 2 cm shorter than Regular, with a smaller bust, a shorter torso and legs, and slightly fuller thighs.
- Tall, 12-12.5 in (31 cm): about 2 cm taller than Regular, with a longer, straighter torso, longer legs and a less defined waist. Regular dresses sit higher on her.
Start with the hips
If you only check one thing, check the hips. The bust and waist have some give, especially in stretchy fabric, but if a skirt does not go over the hips, nothing else matters.
A regular doll has narrow hips and a clear gap between the thighs. A curvy doll has fuller hips and thighs and no gap between them. That is usually the quickest way to spot her, and it works for Made to Move™ dolls too: the posable body comes in both shapes.
Then look at height
Regular and curvy dolls are both around 11-11.5 inches tall. With petite and tall dolls, height is what gives them away: Petite is roughly 2 cm shorter than Regular, Tall roughly 2 cm taller. A regular dress on a tall doll sits higher than it should, because her torso is longer. On a petite doll it hangs too long. Both can be worn, but they do not look right in photos.
Measure her in two minutes
A tape measure is awkward on a body this small. We use a strip of paper about 1 cm wide. Keep it snug but not tight.
- Hips: wrap the strip around the widest part of the hips and bottom, mark where it overlaps, lay it flat and measure with a ruler.
- Waist: the same at the narrowest part of the body.
- Bust: around the fullest part of the chest, under the arms.
- Height: from the top of the head to the soles of the feet. Leave the hair out of it.
Then compare with the numbers we sew to:
| Body type | Height | Bust | Waist | Hips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regular | 11.5 in (29 cm) | 5.0 in (12.7 cm) | 3.6 in (9.1 cm) | 5.2 in (13.2 cm) |
| Curvy | 11-11.5 in (28-29 cm) | 5.25 in (13.3 cm) | 4.1 in (10.4 cm) | 6.0 in (15.3 cm) |
| Petite | 10.5-10.75 in (27 cm) | 4.5 in (11.5 cm) | 3.5 in (8.8 cm) | 4.7 in (12 cm) |
| Tall | 12-12.5 in (31 cm) | 5.0 in (12.7 cm) | 3.9 in (10 cm) | 5.1 in (13 cm) |
Treat these as a guide rather than a rule. Two dolls of the same type can differ by a few millimetres between models and production years.
Which Barbie® is which size
We measure and sew on the four Fashionistas bodies, so our sizes match them directly:
| Your doll | Our size |
|---|---|
| Barbie® Fashionistas, original body | Regular |
| Barbie® Fashionistas Curvy | Curvy |
| Barbie® Fashionistas Petite | Petite |
| Barbie® Fashionistas Tall | Tall |
| Barbie® Made to Move™ | Regular for the original Made to Move™ body, Curvy for the curvy one |
| Ken® (original body) | Our male doll sewing patterns |
What each measurement decides
- Hips decide skirts, trousers and any fitted dress. This is the number that makes a garment close or not.
- Bust and waist decide how a fitted bodice sits. Our clothes are sewn from soft stretch fabric, so a few millimetres here are forgiven.
- Height and torso length decide where the waist seam lands. That is the difference between Regular, Petite and Tall, whose hips are close to each other.
In between two sizes?
Go for the larger one. Our clothes are sewn from soft stretch fabric, so a few millimetres too big is fine. A few millimetres too small usually means a skirt that will not go over the hips.
Our sizes
Dresses, tops and sets come in all four sizes; choose the Doll type option on the product page. Underwear sets are made for the curvy body. Sewing patterns list the body types each one was fitted on: the cocktail and evening dress has separate Regular and Curvy pieces, the long sleeve dress fits Regular, Curvy and Tall from one set, and the oversized sweater fits all four bodies and 12 inch male dolls. Furniture and accessories fit every 11.5-12 inch doll.
Questions we get
Is a Made to Move™ doll the same size as a regular Barbie®?
The original Made to Move™ body wears our Regular size, the curvy Made to Move™ body wears Curvy. The joints do not change the measurements.
Will Petite or Tall clothes fit a Regular doll?
Not well. Petite is smaller all over and Tall is longer in the torso, so the waist lands in the wrong place. Each body has its own size.
Can you tell me the size from a photo?
Yes. Send a photo of your doll standing, or her measurements, to mbdinerija@gmail.com and we will tell you which size to pick. All measurements, in inches too, and a table of which Barbie® is which size are in our Size Guide.