Doll Measurements, Tape Measure Tuesday

Articulated Ken dolls vs. Regular Ken Dolls #TapeMeasureTuesday

An articulated Texas A and M doll (African American version) stands back to back with a regular Ken doll with blond hair. The African American Ken is wearing a pair of multicolored polka dot boxers while the blond Ken is wearing a pair of red flannel boxers. Blond Ken wears a silver watch.

Articulation is a term that refers to the number of joints a doll or action figure has. In today’s Tape Measure Tuesday feature, I want to share with you the comparison between an articulated Ken doll and a regular Ken doll.

Here on my website, I’ve grouped clothing patterns for both of these dolls together, and as you’ll see in their measurements, they’re not far off. However for sewing purposes, it should be noted that there are some slight differences.

In the image below, you’ll see that these two dolls (a Texas A and M articulated Ken doll and a regular Ken doll built like the non-articulated Ryan dolls of the early 2000’s) are almost exactly the same height:

Here we see a Texas A and M African American Ken doll in boxers standing side by side next to a blond regular Ken. Because they wear only boxers, the differences in their bodies is apparent. We can see the joints of the articulated Ken at the wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees, and even ankles. Blond Ken, who stands beside him, only seems to be able to move at the shoulder joints and at the hip.

But let me point out that their shoulders aren’t located at the exact same height on both dolls. Take a look at the arrows in this picture:

An African American and Caucasian Ken doll stand side by side. They appear to be comparable in height, but because their builds are slightly different, the African American doll's shoulder is a few millimeters higher than the Caucasian Ken doll's shoulder. This is pointed out by white arrows superimposed onto the photo, to point at each doll's shoulder. The arrows are off-kilter just a bit, which makes it obvious that although these dolls are the same height, their bodies are not identical.

Therefore, I decided it would be a good idea to post the two dolls’ exact measurements. That way you will have any extra information you’ll need for sewing doll clothes to fit your Ken dolls.

For example, if you’re sewing for a granddaughter who lives far away, and you’re using an articulated Ken for your sewing mannequin but she has a regular Ken in her collection, you’ll need to get that waist measurement to make sure the pants fit snugly on her doll when you’re finished.

So here are the tape measurement differences between the two:

Articulated Ken Doll Measurements

  • Neck circumference… 6.1 cm
  • Neck to shoulder seam… 3 cm
  • Collar to true waist… 6.8 cm
  • Underarm to true waist… 3.8 cm
  • Sleeve inseam (underarm to cuff)… 8.1 cm
  • Sleeve from shoulder seam to cuff… 9.9 cm
  • Sleeve circumference (upper arm bicep)… 5.6 cm
  • Waist… 11.1 cm
  • Hip circumference… 13.9 cm
  • Pants inseam (crotch to just below the ankle bone)… 15.1 cm
  • Pants outseam (waist to just below the ankle bone)… 18.8 cm
  • Pants leg circumference (upper thigh)… 8.2 cm
  • Height not including hair… 12 and 1/4 inches or 31.12 cm

 

Regular Ken Doll Measurements

  • Neck circumference… 6.5 cm
  • Neck to shoulder seam… 2.8 cm
  • Collar to true waist… 6 cm
  • Underarm to true waist… 3.9 cm
  • Sleeve inseam (underarm to cuff)… 9.2 cm
  • Sleeve from shoulder seam to cuff… 9.9 cm
  • Sleeve circumference (upper arm bicep)… 5.9 cm
  • Waist… 10.8 cm
  • Hip circumference… 13.8 cm
  • Pants inseam (crotch to just below the ankle bone)… 14 cm
  • Pants outseam (waist to just below the ankle bone)… 18.9 cm
  • Pants leg circumference (upper thigh)… 8.1 cim
  • Height not including hair… 12 and 1/4 inches or 31.12 cm

Of course it should also be noted that there are other types of Ken dolls, in addition to these two, and the Made to Move versions of articulated Ken dolls may not match my Texas A and M Ken exactly either. But even with that in mind, hopefully some of you will find these measurements helpful.

Disclaimer/Credit/Affiliate Marketing Link:

*ChellyWood.com earns money by linking to Amazon, eBay, Michaels, Etsy, and other online affiliate programs. Links provided above may be affiliate links. For a full list of my affiliate programs, and to understand how cookies are used to help this website earn money, please see my “Privacy Policy” page.

To honor the trademark rights of the doll companies mentioned in this blog post, I am including links to their websites here. Please feel free to visit their website and consider purchasing one or more of the dolls mentioned.

Articulate Ken and regular Ken dolls are products offered by Mattel, which holds the registered trademark for them (™). Please visit the Mattel Toys website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys.

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