As I mentioned, I just bought another Simba Super Model - a Sarah this time, the only one of the four dolls I didn't have before. I was hoping she would be a close enough match to rebody Only Hearts Club Briana Joy on, but it turns out she's too pale after all. The hues don't match very well either - Briana looks almost green in comparison. Plus her head looks way too small.
Hmmm.
(More comparisons and photos of naked dolls below)
Briana and Sarah, pre-Frankendollying. You can already tell it's not going to work.
I was really hoping this would work out since I've been meaning to rebody my OHC dolls forever (or since I got them, at least). They have soft stuffed cloth bodies with some kind of wire skeleton, making some posing possible, except their arms wind up looking like bananas. (Also, the fabric used is my Least Favorite Fabric Ever. Seriously. I don't even know what it's called, I just know I've hated it since I was a kid. It's what they used for the seats on the school bus, maybe that's why?)
Their hands and feet are vinyl (I think?), except the first wave which only have cloth feet. The soccer player Briana I bought turned out to be the old version, and so I decided she would be the first to receive a new body.
Unfortunately there aren't that many options for articulated bodies in the 8"-9" (or 21cm) range, particularly not for AA dolls. Volks Mini have the right proportions, but only come in pale pink and paler pink (and also are possibly discontinued? It's a bit unclear, but their international online shop hasn't had them in stock in forever).
I've seen people use Juku Couture bodies (like here), but they're a bit hard to come by and it doesn't look like Kana would match Briana either, plus their necks look really skinny. Here's Briana rebodied on a Bratz body, which unfortunately doesn't solve the articulation problem. ETA: Somehow I never realized there are articulated Bratz! They don't seem to be any taller than the unartiulated ones, so if I find one with a matching skin tone that could be an option. (Of course they seem to be discontinued now...)
Using a full-size Barbie body (like this Taylor Angelique on a Model Muse) would provide more options, but with a head that small and obviously designed to resemble a child, it just doesn't look right. I wanted to keep the doll as close to kid size as possible, and the Super Model body seemed like an acceptable compromise at 25cm.
Well, at least the neck has the right dimensions, and the articulation works fine: she can look up and down and tilt her head without problem. Getting the head off the original body wasn't too hard either (thanks to Roxanne's guide on what to expect). Still, I have to admit it - it just doesn't look very good. Sigh.
Here's a couple of comparison pics I took:
L-R: Briana's original body, Briana on Super Model, MH Clawdeen (whose neck is too thin and uncompatible)
I think she'll stay on this body for now until I find something better. Her original soccer outfit still fits, just a bit tight (although the socks with built-in shin guards looked a bit silly protecting only the lower half of her shins).
At least Sarah came with a new outfit (modeled below by DeeDee from Barbie and the Rockers, rebodied on Simba Super Model Bel's body) and most importantly with a new pair of shoes! They do fit over the socks, although it's a tight fit. Liv can wear them too (without socks). I wish they had made them white with a pink or blue star instead, though.
Actually, the soccer shoes that Briana came with was one of the reasons I got her:
Seams are a bit wonky as usual, but nothing too bad. The color scheme is almost identical to Dreamhouse Summer's jacket.
So I heard the 80s were back
Those Fairy Tale High dolls have been on sale at TRU recently at half off. Even though they are pretty tall, they do have thin necks so I wonder if they would work for OHC rebodying. None of them are dark toned though, so Belle might be the closest match.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip! It doesn't look like they would match Briana, but if they have a thin neck they might fit Hadley/Isla. I'll look into it.
DeleteI used a Liv Daniela body for my AA Hadley/Isla doll.
ReplyDeleteCan't think of a replacement for the OHC doll though. Will consider it though.
Good luck!
Thanks, I think I'll need it.:) Hadley/Isla have really snall neck holes, did you have to modify them to fit the Liv neck? I did consider Daniela for Briana, but she's even taller than the Super Model body.
DeleteI've been waning to rebody Briana Joy for quite a while, but it is difficult to find a match for her. Juku Couture Kana would not be a match. I do like the Super Model bodies. Have you found a North American retailer for these? As for Hadley and Isla, I have mine rebodied on LIV Alexis bodies, and they are a good match.
ReplyDeleteIf I find a good match for her I'll let you know! My isla and hadley are not the AA version so Daniela or Alexis would be too dark, but if the Liv neck fits that's good news!
DeleteUnfortunately I don't know of a US retailer for the supermodels. They're a bit easier to find here in Europe. Some German ebay sellers may offer worldwide shipping, but that might get really expensive. They're good but not perfect, and maybe not worth THAT much to get a hold of. :)