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Click on the icons to learn more about the unique features of American Girl dolls.

Doll Features

American Girl dolls are made of the finest quality materials—some parts are still crafted by hand, using traditional doll-making techniques. Take an up-close look and you'll understand why our doll designs can take three to five years to develop, from initial concept to the time you bring her home.

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Hair

Your American Girl doll's hair is actually a wig, firmly secured to her head. It's similar to the high-quality wigs created for real people. Made out of a blend of mod-acrylic fibers of different colors and textures, it maintains styles well and creates a rich variation of colors just like on a human head. This type of textured wig allows for more realistic hairstyles than the rooted hair you might find on other dolls. To keep your American Girl doll's hair looking its best, we recommend using a wire hairbrush, a hair pick, or simply finger styling, depending on the texture of her hair.

Eyes

Your doll's eyes are designed to open and close smoothly and quietly, just like real eyes. These are sometimes called "sleep eyes." Hand painting is one of the techniques used to give the eyes greater detail and dimension. They begin as clear lenses, then are painted the appropriate eye and lid colors. The eyelashes are created separately, curled by hand, and then secured to the inside of the lid.

Face

Creating an American Girl doll's face is truly an art form. Each of our new doll designs can take more than a year from concept to the time you can bring her home. That's because the shape for each face is sculpted by hand—a meticulous process, that even with today's technological advances, hasn't changed much since the early days of doll-making. To create a sense of realism, our dolls' faces are inherently asymmetrical, just like real girls' faces.

Skin

Your American Girl doll's skin is made of vinyl that's not too soft and not too hard. We've worked hard to perfect the formula for the texture and color so that it appears as authentic and lifelike as possible—even down to the eyelid color and sprinkle of freckles on some of our dolls.

Body

All of our dolls are huggable, thanks to a soft-clothed body that is sewn and stuffed by hand. Your 18-inch historical character, My American Girl®, or Girl of the Year® doll also may have a neck cord that secures her head to her body—a handmade detail that hearkens back to classic doll-making traditions. They also have vinyl arms and legs that attach to plastic sockets sewn into their bodies. This design allows for better movement and posing of your doll's limbs, and the sturdy construction means more hours of play.

Designed to be play-appropriate for ages 3 and up, your 15-inch Bitty Baby® and Bitty Twins® have vinyl limbs sewn directly onto their bodies to withstand the more hands-on play patterns of this age group. This construction also gives these dolls the flexibility to be placed in more lifelike poses.

American Girl Dolls

Historical character dolls

Historical character dolls

Explore important times in America's past with our historically accurate characters. Each one stars in a six-book series that brings her time in history to life with stories of friendship, courage, and hope. There's a beautifully crafted doll for each character, along with true-to-era clothing and accessories that evoke her world and adventures. These 18-inch dolls are for ages 8 and up.

Go to Historical Characters
 
Girl of the Year dolls

Girl of the Year® dolls

Every year, American Girl introduces a brand-new character with a story about finding success in the face of challenges today. Our Girl of the Year brings her inspirational story to life with a doll whose hair can be lovingly brushed and styled, plus outfits and accessories that reflect her interests and stories. Each character is available for one year only. These 18-inch dolls are for ages 8 and up.

Go to Girl of the Year
 
My American Girl dolls

My American Girl® dolls

Create a unique doll by choosing from more than 40 different hair, skin, and eye color combinations, and then adding outfits and accessories that reflect her style, personality, and the activities she loves—from glasses and earrings to sports equipment and musical instruments. Each doll inspires hours of imaginative play— plus, girls can bring their doll to life online at innerstarU.com. These 18-inch dolls are for ages 8 and up.

Go to My American Girl
 
Bitty Baby dolls

Bitty Baby® dolls

Our huggable Bitty Baby dolls are perfect for little girls who like to play mommy. With her cuddly cloth body and eyes that really open and close, girls can love and nurture this special baby as they pretend to feed her, change her diaper, or sing her to sleep. Available in seven skin-, eye-, and hair-color combinations, these 15-inch dolls are for ages 3 and up.

Go to Bitty Baby
 
Bitty Twins dolls

Bitty Twins® dolls

The on-the-go Bitty Twins toddlers feature soft cloth bodies, hair that can be brushed and styled, and expressive faces. They're double the fun with outfits and accessories that let your girl plan days of active play. You get to choose gender, skin tone, and hair color to create the perfect duo. These 15-inch dolls are for ages 3 and up.

Go to Bitty Twins
 

Do you have a question about your doll's features that we haven't covered here? Check out our Doll Care Questions section, call us at 800-845-0005, or e-mail our experts at dolldoctor@americangirl.com.