#american girl historical character

[angelabowermicelli]

anyways, not to brag, but I requested a physical copy of the June? American Girl Doll catalog and it had this incredible two page spread and I finally got around to framing it this weekend!! <3

[stluciabuns]

The Historical Accuracy of Kirsten's Dirndl

Despite its adorableness, I have seen many people complain about Kirsten's Swedish Dirndl outfit.

I would kill a man to have bought this for $22.

She wears this outfit for most of Meet Kirsten, being that she is an impoverished immigrant child who does not own any other clothes, and also for continuity reasons.

Frequently, I have seen it claimed that this outfit is not historically accurate and should not have been included as part of her collection. Conversely, I have also seen many German folk costumes marketed as being made for Kirsten. Both of these pain me a great deal (actually they just annoy me).

Nonetheless, I have decided to further procrastinate doing actual, meaningful work and instead set out on a new mission: figure out what the fuck is up with Kirsten's Dirndl.

In this post, I will lay out the research I have done, the evidence supporting the historical accuracy of this outfit, the challenges to its existence, and ultimately aim to answer the question of whether this outfit is one Kirsten plausibly could have worn on her journey from Sweden to America in 1854.

Let's begin.

First, the name. Pleasant Company/American Girl referred to this outfit as "Kirsten's Swedish Dirndl and Kerchief."

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a Swedish dirndl. "Dirndl" is a German term, and refers to folk costumes worn by people in German-speaking areas of Europe (the Alps, Bavaria, Austria, and so on).

Kirsten is Swedish, and before Meet Kirsten has never left Sweden before. It is very unlikely she would have acquired, and regularly worn, a German dirndl. See this gorgeous example of a dirndl c. 1840:

Outfit, c. 1840. Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Münchner Stadtmuseum.

This ensemble is beautiful, but tragically, it is not what Kirsten is wearing.

What, then, is Kirsten wearing? What kind of traditional dress does Swedish culture have?

As it turns out, the proper term for what she is wearing is a folkdräkt. This is a Swedish term meaning "folk costume." Here is an illustration depicting multiple examples of Swedish folk costumes. In proper terms, these would be called "Svenska folkdräkter."

Nordisk familjebok (1908), vol. 8, Folkdräkt. Retrieved from runeberg.org.

These outfits are not quite identical to anything we see in Kirsten's collection, but you can observe various elements that have carried over -- the vertical stripes, black woolen skirts with ornate trim, and white dresses and red sashes (hello St. Lucia)!

Let us dive deeper. What do extant Svenska folkdräkter, specially those made c. 1850, look like? Is there anything like Kirsten's outfit among surviving examples?

Johan Sodermark, "Kvinna i dräkt."

In my few hours of research, this example image is the closest thing I have found to Kirsten's dirndl.

This lovely portrait is a watercolor from 1850 painted by Johan Sodermark. It is very creatively titled "Kvinna i dräkt" -- literally, "Woman in costume." The pattern of this woman's apron is incredibly similar to that of the skirt of the Kirsten doll's outfit -- a dark red base with blue and yellow stripes woven throughout.

Here is a closeup from the American Swedish Institute.

Although it is not shown in the doll-sized version of the outfit, the illustrations in Meet Kirsten by Renée Graef show us she also wears a light-colored, striped apron, which is almost surely the one that comes with her meet outfit.

Illustrations from Meet Kirsten, drawn by Renée Graef.

Notice the fabric of the bodice in the third illustration, though: Kirsten's top is made of red plaid fabric, while Sodermark's girl has an outfit full of stripes. Kirsten, bless her heart, spends an entire book outfit-repeating a potential pattern-mixing fail: plaid and two kinds of stripes and a floral scarf. Did Pleasant Rowland just hate her? Is Kirsten on another, elevated fashion plane far beyond my comprehension? Is there a historical basis for this combination of patterns?

I have no answer to the first two questions, but thankfully can speak on the third.

Komplett Vilskedräkt, Västergötlands museum. Some pieces c. 1865.

The top is plaid and laces up, which is not necessarily the most common way of fastening (in most examples, the bodice pins up), but it is a sensible choice considering both Kirsten's age (9) and the fact that Pleasant Company was making toys for little hands.

The model for the outer shell (the lace up top) belonged to Karl Edberg from Hällestad; it is not dated, but at least one piece of this set (the bag, which is not shown) is c. 1865. Additionally, the blouse here is very similar to the one that comes with Kirsten's winter outfit -- look at that keyhole neckline!

So, Kirsten's Dirndl outfit is actually very accurate as far as the clothing itself goes...the name remains the trouble.

I have no idea why they called it a dirndl. Folkdräkt is definitely challenging to pronounce, but why wouldn't PC just translate it as "folk dress" or "Swedish outfit" and call it a day? Why the insistence on referencing a culture that isn't relevant to the doll or her dress at all?

Perhaps this is a mystery to tackle for another day...

[oddball-n-the-dolls]

How have we not gotten a historical AG doll from Chicago yet?

It’s the third biggest city in the US, and the biggest in the Midwest

It’s the birthplace of many inventions, like the first skyscraper, and its played a crucial role in American history by its location being a crucial point for trading

Also I will forever find it hilarious that we’ve now had not 1, not 2, not even 3, but 4 New York City dolls. Which might not be so bad, but the real kicker is that their eras are back-to-back-to-back (1904 x2, 1914, 1922) And only Nellie of those 4 is officially retired

I don’t actually mind having 4 NYC girls. I love them all and I think they’re all important

It’s just. So much New York. I find it hilarious, not annoying

[britishchick09]

new historical headers and circles! :D

[fleshthatfalls]

𝖇𝖑𝖆𝖎𝖓𝖊'𝖘 𝖉𝖔𝖑𝖑𝖘

ᵐʸ ᶜᵒˡˡᵉᶜᵗⁱᵒⁿ ᶜᵃⁿ ᵃˡˢᵒ ᵇᵉ ᶠᵒᵘⁿᵈ ᵘⁿᵈᵉʳ ᵗʰᵉ ᵗᵃᵍ #ᵇˡᵃⁱⁿᵉˢ ᵈᵒˡˡˢ !

ᴀᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀɴ ɢɪʀʟ

✰ claudie wells (1922)

✰ ruthie smithens (1932)

ᴍᴏɴꜱᴛᴇʀ ʜɪɢʜ ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏɴᴇ

♡ mad science lagoona blue

ʙʀᴀᴛᴢ

𖧷 rock angelz yasmin

𖧷 pretty n punk jade

[sailor-rose-princess]

Sewn a new dress for Ellie, found this cute South Park print fabric. It's the first time I learned how to sew puffed sleeves like this, and they look darling! I also found out that the South Park movie will be having special screenings in June for the 25th anniversary (and it's a sing-along version lol), so Ellie is coming with me to that (she's the one kid who's allowed to watch stuff with swears lol).

[the-halfling-prince]

✨Lindsey Bergman✨

[ag-celestina-gorillaz]

I got the little Rainbow Bright and Strawberry Shortcake dolls, so I thought it would be perfect to have Kami play with them, along with her Care Bears and Samantha. Kami is a 2000's girl, but has a lot of 80's toys here, but it makes sense because when I was a kid in the 2000's, Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears became popular again, and I liked a lot of the same cartoons that my Mom watched too.

Also, I have so many mini toys for my AGs lol.

[raychleadele]

It’s my last day of winter break before heading back to school and it’s been a busy doll time!

I acquired Kaya yesterday! She appears to be a very early edition and is in stunning shape. I found her along with her entire series of 6 books for an absolute steal on Facebook yesterday. Kaya was the last historical character to be released before I lost interest in dolls as a child, and she’s the first whose books I didn’t read so I’m thrilled to get her books along with her! I’ve thought about adding her to my collection for a while, and I think it’s a tragedy she’s the only Native American doll they’ve ever produced. I’m happy to have her and excited to get to know her!

I have been on the lookout for Josefina’s original real leather moccasins since she joined my collection over a year ago, and this week I finally found them! I had to replace the laces but I don’t mind because they’re in great shape and the price was reasonable. They just arrived this afternoon and I changed Josefina from her Navidad dress to a cozy outfit to go with her new shoes.

This afternoon I finished making a new dress for Kirsten! I bought the shirt this fabric was taken from at a Goodwill months ago and have had the pieces cut out for nearly a year. I’m so glad I finally got a chance to put it together! I think the pattern of the fabric is lovely - it’s a blue, brown, and cream plaid with the occasional blue chevron stripe. I think it will pair well with some of the aprons and shawls I already have for her, so I’m excited to style her!

I’m expecting a couple more accessories for two other dolls to arrive over the next couple days, so the doll excitement isn’t over yet!

[in-pleasant-company]

Our Generation Hallie - circa 2009 vs. American Girl Isabel - presumed release 2023

[werewolf-transgenderism]

i have never felt as old as i do in this moment seeing the pizza hut personal pizza reading prize as an american girl doll HISTORICAL CHARACTERS accessory set

[usernamesarehard1]

I had a really weird dream last night that involved the American Girl Historical characters. It was like, there were these other historical girl characters from some other brand that weren't very historically accurate so the AG girlies were like spawning from their universe to this other universe in this weird ripple thing to teach the historically incorrect characters how to be more accurate and how to be better at their jobs basically lol. They were in this weird high school and Molly was blind for some reason and Kit and Samantha kept merging into one person.

[jostoys]

Meet Nori! Her full name is Lenore Jessamyn Williams. She was born in Philadelphia in 1856, and is a friend of Addy’s. She is inquisitive, talkative, and has a wonderful imagination. She loves reading, especially fairy tales, and enjoys retelling stories to her young cousins. She also loves flowers, cats, and the color blue. She does not care for needlework of any kind, as she finds it both tedious and frustrating.

[oddball-n-the-dolls]

Ask me about my American Girl Historical OC

Please

(Preferably in my ask box so I can make separate posts about her)

[fleshthatfalls]

if u had julie as your first american girl doll, then you're a seasoned stoner, sorry i dont make the rules

[sailor-rose-princess]

My collection of dolls so far. I think now I have enough to call a collection, my childhood self would be so happy lol. And I won't be stopping there!

(from left to right, Cyborg Noodle, aka Cy, Celestina Damon, Colleen (still thinking of a last name), Kami Thomas (and mini Samantha), Ellie Fitzel, Lindsey Bergman, and Samantha Parkington)