I really enjoyed making my 1960’s Ken doll a wonderful ensemble, using this vintage Advance 2899 sewing pattern for male fashion dolls. While I shared my sewing and learning process with you, some of you sent me questions about this particular pattern.

For example, some people were curious about whether or not this pattern would fit a modern Ken doll. So I tried my Advance 2899 handmade outfit on a number of dolls, and over the coming weeks, I want to share my results with you.

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The image above shows each piece of the ensemble I created, using Advance 2899. Because my early Ken is rather short (regular Ken and Ryan are about a quarter inch or 5 mm taller than him), I wasn’t surprised to find that the trousers were a little high-water on most of the male fashion dolls I tried this outfit on.

And before I go on, I want to let you know which dolls this outfit didn’t fit at all: GI Joe, muscular Ken from the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, and most of the bulky action figures like the WWE dudes. Some of the dolls, like Earring Ken, could barely squeeze into the trousers, but their hands didn’t fit through the sleeves of the white shirt. So I probably won’t be featuring those dolls in the coming weeks.

But here’s a look at how modern Ken and my vintage Ken from the 1960’s measure up:

The rest of the photos will show a Ryan doll (with bed-head hair) wearing Ken’s ensemble from Advance 2899, but don’t worry; modern Ryan and modern Ken are basically the same doll with just a little change to their hair color, hair styles, and face paint.

So these photos show how modern Ken would look in these vintage patterns designed for 1960’s Ken.

In general, I think Ryan looks pretty good in these Ken clothes. The pants fit him with just a bit of a high-water effect, which could be easily altered in the cutting stages by adding a bit more length to the trousers pattern (probably a quarter inch or less).

The dinner jacket / sports coat looks nice on him, but it’s a little bit bunchy in the front with the ascot tucked into the front of the jacket. Truthfully, though, this was the case when Ken wore the ascot under the coat as well.

Ryan looks nice in the collared shirt too, and his hands easily fit through the cuff of the sleeve. As is common when dressing a Ken doll, you do have to push his hands behind him, in order to get him into the shirt.

And if I’m being totally honest here, I felt like the shoulders of the shirt weren’t quite broad enough for Ryan. I think our modern Ken dolls have a little bit broader shoulder measurement than the old vintage Kens from the 1960s.

Do you see, in the photo below, how the shoulders of that shirt sort of droop? I suppose I’m being nit-picky though…

Most of the dolls could not wear the collared shirt under the jacket without the shirt sleeves climbing up the doll’s arm, down inside the jacket sleeve. Ryan was no exception to this standard.

However, if someone were to ask me whether or not the vintage Advance 2899 sewing patterns for Ken will fit our modern Ken dolls, my answer would be yes… But it doesn’t hurt to know how to make alterations here and there, to ensure the best possible fit.

Later I’ll take a look at how these patterns fit some other dolls, like Hunter Huntsman, articulated Ken dolls, and my BTS doll (which I recently unboxed, just for this series of “show and tell” blog posts)!

Most of the commercial patterns I display and talk about here on ChellyWood.com are also available for sale on eBay. However, if you’ve never purchased a pattern on eBay before, it’s a good idea to read the article I wrote called, “Tips for Buying Used Doll Clothes Patterns on eBay.” It will save you time, money, and will likely prevent buyer’s remorse.

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For anyone who would like to expand their dolls’ wardrobes, you should really check out my “How to Alter Doll Clothes Patterns” course and my “Design Your Own Doll Pants Patterns from Scratch” classes on the Creative Spark online learning platform. Here’s my bio page on their website, where you can learn more.

For any class on Creative Spark, you don’t have to follow a schedule. Just sign up when you’re ready.

It’s a one-time fee for the course, and there’s no specific time limit to finish your course. You can just take your time and learn at the pace that suits you. So go check out my paid courses on Creative Spark, using this link.

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Disclaimer/Credit/Affiliate Marketing Link:

*Please note: when you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include Amazon, Etsy, and the eBay Partner Network. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how my website uses affiliate marketing, please visit the website’s Privacy Policy page.

Chelly Wood and the ChellyWood.com website are not affiliated with the pattern company or companies mentioned in this blog post, but Chelly finds inspiration in the doll clothes designed by these pattern companies. To purchase patterns from Simplicity, McCall’s, Butterick, Vogue, or other pattern companies shown and discussed in this blog post, please click on the links provided here. These links below the “Disclaimer” section do not help raise money for this free pattern website; they are only offered to give credit to the company that made these patterns.