Throwback Thursday review: Ideal Tuesday Taylor

I'm RagingMoon1987, and this is not an Erry Vision Film (thank God).  How did I get this review up on time after being so busy, you ask?  Elementary, my dear Watsons.  I had this thrown together weeks ago!  All it needed was tweaking and pictures.  That said, I'm going deep into my dolly box again, not as far back as Tressy's era this time, but 1974 is far enough.  Several towns were in shambles, clothes were either really cute or really ugly, Elton John was going bald already...Mama said it was a fairly interesting year.  Apparently toys were interesting as well, and the rivalry between Mattel and Ideal was alive and well.  Malibu Barbie had become a thing, and I think that Ideal's response was the doll that I have today.  Her name is Tuesday Taylor, and she's straight from Etsy!

Wait a minute...Tuesday?  What kind of name for a doll is Tuesday???  I remember being flabbergasted over the name during my teenage years, and the name still makes me shake my head today.  It did make for a cute jingle, so I guess there was some sort of method to Ideal's madness.  Anyway, 1974 was the year that my beloved Crissy was getting a little dated, so Ideal introduced a smattering of other dolls that "did stuff."  One of these was Tiffany Taylor, a large fashion doll with a scalp that swiveled and allowed one to change the doll's hair color.  Her clothes were also mix and match; you could add or take away pieces of the outfits and create two separate looks.  Ideal had a good enough idea with Tiffany, but since Barbie was already Queen of the Dollies by 1974 Ideal reused Tiffany's gimmicks on a smaller doll that was closer to Barbie in size.  The result was Tuesday Taylor.  She has everything her larger friend had, including the two-piece head with rotating scalp and bicolored hair.  With her hair braided it's a little hard to tell, but she can have blonde hair facing forward or brunette hair facing forward.

All Tuesday and Tiffany Taylor dolls came with hair that was either blonde or brunette, while Tuesday's black friend Taylor Jones had hair that was either black or dark red.  The hair-change mech was the same for all three, and I assume that all three had the same problem that my Tuesday has!

Tuesday's hair is moderately long, and with a rotating head cap it's all but inevitable that some hairs will get caught in the mechanism.  Mattel, who ended up buying out Ideal when they folded, reused this rotating scalp idea in 2001 with the Jam 'n' Glam Barbie line, and the results ended up being the same.  My Jam 'n' Glam Barbie (renamed "Iola") has hair under her scalp as well.

I was able to get Iola's hair untangled from her scalp mech, but as you can see her hair is terribly frizzed around her face.

That may explain the poor state of Tuesday's hair.  I keep it braided to hide the chaos, but it's still possible to see that the ends are very mangled.  Apparently these suntan Tuesday Taylor dolls are more likely to get frazzed hair than the earlier ones.

Normally when I have a doll with hair this matted I cut the tangled parts off.  But with Tuesday's hair being multicolored the way it is, I was very apprehensive about cutting it.  So I braided it instead.  It looks a little bizarre in this style with both colors showing so blatantly, but Tiffany's original instructions did say she likes having her hair braided like this.  If she didn't mind both hair colors showing I doubt Tuesday would either.  When Tuesday's hair is styled like this I usually put her blonde hair facing forward, because when the brunette half is facing forward she tends to look a bit like Buckskin Girl, an unidentified murder victim that I've taken a liking to.  (UPDATE, 4/30/2018:  Buckskin Girl was identified on April 9th as a missing Arkansas woman named Marcia King.  I didn't see that coming!)  The style keeps Tuesday's hair out of her face though, and that's a plus because she has a pretty face.

In facial appearance Tuesday presents sort of an intermediate look between Barbie and Sindy.  Tuesday is more made up than Sindy, but less glamorous than a Malibu Barbie.

Tuesday's eyes are a lovely shade of blue with coordinating eye shadow.  She has rooted eyelashes that are a bit tricky to photograph, brown painted eyelashes, and light brown single-stroke eyebrows.

Her eyes are a bit wonky; her left eye is drifting off a bit, not unlike my own left eye!  Tuesday has a further, more minor problem with her eyelashes, a problem that we've seen before with Sindy.

Tuesday's wandering left eye has a full set, but the right set appears to have been cut or pulled out or pushed in...God knows what happened.  Either way, Tuesday has a lopsided set of eyelashes and that's a shame, because the lashes that she does have are soft and smooth.  There is an up side to that, though:  I know now why dolls with rooted eyelashes also have painted eyelashes!  Tuesday's painted lashes look bizarre, though; instead of looking like eyelashes, they look a little like each eye has a painted crown.

The remainder of Tuesday's makeup is simple.  She wears pink lipstick and no blush.

Like Sindy, Tuesday sometimes looks a little washed out under a camera's flash due to that light lip paint.  However, Tuesday can handle it a bit better because she's got a tan.  She doesn't look as tan when compared to my two Malibu dolls (Val and Farrah, left) or my Cali Girl (Anastacia, right), but she definitely has been spending some time in the sun.

It's a little easier to see how different the four dolls are under a flashbulb.  Val and Farrah look naturally tanned, Anastacia has a grayish cast, and Tuesday has an orange tint.  Looks like she got a bad spray tan...but at least it's even!  There were Tuesday Taylor dolls that did get a tan when they were put in the sun, but my doll didn't change a bit.  She is wearing part of the suntan doll's outfit, though.

Tuesday came with an orange swimsuit and a brightly printed coverup.  My particular doll also came with her original bikini top, but not the bottoms.  That's a shame, because both the top and the coverup are nice pieces.  They're hemmed and sewn properly, and the top even has a cute buckle that I unfortunately can't show you, due to it being lost in storage somewhere.  The coverup is a thin piece of material with holes for sleeves sewn in.

It has a large slit in the front...

...and a smaller one for the head to go through.

The neckhole is trimmed with a woven gold cord that's seen better days.

This cord ties in the back and looks quite nice when done up in a bow.

To keep Tuesday modest, the seller included this orange swimsuit.  I don't know if it's original or not, but it fits well and it looks okay with the coverup.  The material is very thin though, thin enough that I'm afraid I'll tear it.

Oh yes, Tuesday also came with these shoes.  They too are the suntan doll's shoes, and they carry some minor imperfections from the mold.

These shoes are huge, and so are Tuesday's feet.  Her feet are bigger than Barbie's, but smaller than a Monster High foot.

Yes, Tuesday was the same height as Barbie, but her measurements were quite different.  I'll get to that shortly, but first I want to discuss Tuesday's joints.  She's not as well endowed as Sindy, Polly, and Starr are, but she has more joints than Val and Farrah do.  In addition to swiveling hips, swiveling shoulders, and click knees, Tuesday has arms that bend at the elbow...

...and wrists that bend and rotate.

Tuesday's wrists are constructed similarly to Starr's, but they're much thicker so they're not as flimsy.

Due to her head mech Tuesday's head can look from side to side, but not up and down.

Tuesday is the same relative height as other fashion dolls of the seventies like Barbie, Sindy, and Starr, but since her measurements are different the forthcoming round of Dolly Dress Shuffle should be interesting.  Tuesday did have a sizeable wardrobe from Ideal, but I'm in no mood to put up with eBay crashing my tablet so I'll just work with the doll clothes I've got for now.  Starr's red flowered dress is tight across the shoulders, and Tuesday's rubbery arms create a lot of friction.  It's a chore to get this dress on, but Tuseday can wear it.

Starr has sizeable feet, but her heels aren't as high as Tuesday's so they can't share shoes either.

Sindy's calico dress fits almost perfectly, and the muted colors look surprisingly nice with Tuesday's hair.  I almost wish I had two of these Marx dresses.

Then there's Ami, better known as Sailor Mercury.  If y'all choose to look back to Ami's review, it's obvious that while Ami can wear some other dolls' clothes, no one can wear her sailor senshi garb.  Tuesday's measurements are similar to Ami's, enough so that she might be able to wear the uniform...

Well, it DOES fit.  The shoulders are tight but this fits.  And surprise of all surprises, Ami's big boots fit Tuesday as well.  I don't think Tuesday has what it takes to be a magical girl, though; there's something that she's missing.  It's good to know that Tuesday can wear Ami's shoes and clothes though.  Maybe eBay will have some other Sailor Moon items running loose with no doll to own them.

Of course I can't discuss an eleven-inch fashion doll's clothes without trying a few Barbie outfits.  Like Tressy, Tuesday can wear some of Barbie's modern clothes, but her measurements make fitting a bit different.  Whereas Tressy could not wear the top of the following outfit, Tuesday has a hard time wearing the pants.

Oh I got them pulled up, but they're tight and the cuffs did not want to fit over Tuesday's large feet.  There was also a problem with friction; Tuesday's vinyl legs create a lot more of it than Barbie's hard plastic legs.  This does fit Tuesday, however...except for the shoes, of course.  The shoes that usually go with this outfit are pink, and they don't fit Tuesday at all.

The odd pair of pants will likely fit Tuesday if the legs are wide, but for now I'll probably stick to dresses.  For the record, dresses are a little iffy as well.  The pink dress below is a little tight but workable, while the green dress looks okay is too tight for my liking.

Since Tuesday is a beach-themed doll, I'd also like to try some of my modern-day swimsuits on her.

The top left swimsuit looks good from the front, but the Velcro doesn't close fully in the back. 

That's a shame, because it looks good from the front.  The other two swimsuits fit Tuesday and look fine, but they too are just a smidge tight.  One modern-day outfit that fits Tuesday perfectly is this one, which I got in a beach-themed two-pack a couple of years ago.

The shoes that come with this outfit don't fit either, unsurprisingly.  Shame too, because they're cute.

Tuesday has more luck with older Barbie clothes, stuff that's designed to fit the old TNT bodies.  Here she is modelling Gretchen's Hip-2-Be-Square dress (but not the boots), and the green Shillman coat and hat set.  The dress is baggy around the chest and waist, and the coat is big all over, but not so big that Tuesday looks stupid.

In short, modern-day Barbie clothes are hit and miss on Tuesday, but older stuff works fine.  If the bulk of your collection consists of modern-day clothes like mine does, all I can say is play with this doll a little.  Not everything will fit, but you will likely find a few pieces that will look nice.  You'll have to dig around on eBay or Etsy for shoes, though...or you can steal some Monster High or Ever After High shoes.  These shoes are a little clunky on Tuesday, but they do fit.

A word of caution, though:  the heels on these shoes are very high.  In order for them to look right on Tuesday I have to bend her knees.  Below you may be able to see what I mean about the heels being too high.

Tuesday CAN wear these, though.  When the tables are turned few dolls can wear Tuesday's white sandals.  Barbie can at least get her feet into Tuesday's shoes, but they're way too big.  MH and EVH don't have a prayer of getting the shoes on their feet, so I didn't bother to show that.

Ami is the little oddball here.  She can wear Tuesday's shoes...

...and the fit is perfect!

In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if Tuesday and Ami don't somehow share a leg mold.  Their feet are a near-perfect match, and their legs are the same thickness.

I don't know if Irwin and Ideal have any ties, but it certainly is an interesting hypothesis.  I'll research this and get back to y'all.  Anyway, Tuesday actually has a fair amount of clothing to work with.  She can wear Monster High and Ever After High shoes, plus any outfits made for Irwin Sailor Moon dolls.  Old-style Barbie clothing works but is baggy, as are Sindy's dresses, and modern-day clothes are hit and miss.

Before wrapping this up, I want to share the little friend that Tuesday came with.  Y'all may or may not remember her from a previous post.

The Etsy provider was offering free Dawn dolls with each purchase at the time, and that was the final incentive for me since I've never owned a Dawn doll...or rather a Longlocks, one of Dawn's many friends.  It was a terribly nice gesture to send such a cute little item along with Tuesday, particularly since I've always wanted a Dawn doll.  For size reference, here's how they look together.

I told y'all that Longlocks is a tiny thing!  By the way, notice that in the last picture Longlocks is still in her rain gear.

I believe that brings us to the end, does it not?

BAD

*Hair is mangled at the ends and gets caught in her rotating headcap

*Eyelashes are uneven

*Face can look washed out in pictures

*Tan looks a little fake

*Can't consistently wear Barbie's modern clothes or shoes

GOOD

*Most of the facepaint is done well; even the bizarrely positioned painted lashes are nice and delicate like painted eyelashes should be.

*Gimmick is simple and still works

*Body has multiple joints with a good range of motion

*Pretty face

*Can wear older Barbie clothes

*Can wear Irwin Sailor Moon clothes and shoes.  I'm unsure about whether she can wear other brands (many companies have made Sailor Moon dolls).  Again, that would be interesting to find out. 

Tuesday Taylor is another doll that I learned about in Doll Reader, and she certainly is an interesting doll.  Mix-and-match themes are not terribly uncommon, but Tuesday takes it to the next level with a twisting skullcap.  Unfortunately, this gimmick has proven highly problematic with my particular doll and has mangled the living heck out of her hair.  Or at least, that's what I think may have happened.  Also, during my testing of her joints, Tuesday's left elbow broke and will no longer hold a pose.  Then her eyelashes are uneven, though that probably also occurred during a play session.  The rest of Tuesday's joints are holding firm, and while her hair is mangled I can still style it somewhat.  She looks cute in the handful of outfits I have for her and thank God, those shoes are white and go with everything she wears.  Based on the ups and downs I recommend Tuesday Taylor for anyone who likes small fashion dolls, but I also advise caution when choosing a doll.  Some have mangled hair and some don't, so unless you like a good fixer-upper (and I do), I'd recommend seeking out a doll with smooth hair and being extra careful with that hair.

Cheers,

RagingMoon1987