Hasbro Apron Dress – #505

Very similar to the Coleco Apron dress, these Hasbro outfits are harder-to-find, having been sold for a very short time. Can you collect all 5?

These dresses came out sometime around 1989/1990 and were worn by regular-sized, yarn-haired, Transitional kids. Consequently, they were not sold for long and can be hard to find.

Five dolls standing on CPK doll stands. Each is wearing one of the Hasbro Apron dresses with matching Ballet Flats and ruffled socks.
Photo courtesy of Chris Hansing Tallman.

Like other Transitional outfits, their tags have a Coleco number/letter code but are on Hasbro tags. For an explanation of the Coleco codes, visit What are Clothing Tag Codes.

I believe these outfits likely came with either ballet flats or a coordinating coloured pair of Mary Janes. I have evidence that 505A came with yellow ballet flats, and 505B came with pink Mary Janes. However, the shoes used may not have been consistent by this time, so the colour and shoe type could vary considerably.

These are the known versions of this outfit. It is believed, by collectors, that this is a complete set.

Visit #505 – Apron Dress for information on the earlier Coleco version of this dress. The most obvious differences between the two outfits are the lack of shoulder-ties and CPK logo patch.

#505 – Apron Dress

Beloved and beautiful, the Apron Dress is a beautiful addition to any patch.

Main graphic with light grey background and the text "505 Apron Dress". It also had a CPK wearing a green gingham version of the dress.


Summary of 500s Series outfits and a list of the outfits: The 500s Series

Description

This outfit consists of a cotton dress with an ‘apron’ overskirt and ribbon shoulder-ties. It is matched with a pair of bloomers and regular lace-up shoes. The apron is edged with scalloped lace and is made of shadow-striped white fabric. There is an arched Cabbage Patch Kid logo patch on the left side of the apron (skirt).

PIcture of #505J OK, a yellow version of this outfit.
#505J OK

Coleco started selling this outfit in 1985. It likely ended production no later than sometime in 1986. If it is found on later kids, it was likely because the company was using up old stock.

Version Information

My goal is to find every version of every outfit that was produced. Below is a record of each version of this outfit that I have. To understand clothing codes, factories, and variations, please refer to these posts: 1st Blog – Why do this project?, What are Clothing Tag Codes?, Factories and Companies

If you have an outfit that is not recorded here or does not match my information, (e.g. You have a 504A OK that is yellow, not pink.) I would like to hear from you. Information is best sent in the form of pictures. For details, visit Taking Clothing Tag Pics.

Ref #3, p. 384

Factory Variations -none

Similar Outfits

> Hasbro Apron Dresses Hasbro manufactured this series of very similar dresses. They were worn by Transitional kids. The most significant differences, other than the fabric patterns, are the lack of shoulder ties and logo patch.

Picture of the Hasbro transitional version of the Apron dress. This one is blue with white polka dots.
Photo courtesy of Jodi’s Punki Patch.

> Outfit #3 – Shoulder-Tie Dress

Yellow gingham outfit #3 Shoulder-tie dress.

> USA Version Shoulder-Tie Dress

Blue and white gingham USA version of the shoulder-tie dress.
USA Factory Version

> Mimic Outfit #656

Outfit #656, an outfit that mimicked the shoulder-tie dress. This one is blue with white polka dots and a white blouse area.
#656 – Mimic Series;
Photo courtesy of Kat Perhouse.

> 25th Anniversary Shoulder-Tie Dress (Play Along)

Pink Gingham Play Along 25th Anniversay version of the shoulder-tie dress.
25th Anniversary Version

> Foreign Factories: There were many variations of the #2 Shoulder-Tie Dress made by foreign factories. The Tsukuda factory used them on their twin sets. For information on identifying a Jesmar version, jump to  Identifying Jesmar Clothing

Other Information

> Fun fact: This outfit can be found in the 1985 Coleco Catalogue (p. 2). This appears to be a prototype outfit, as there are numerous differences between this dress and the one eventually produced.

#504 – Sailboat Dress

This outfit is wonderful for a day on the water! Deck your water baby out in the Sailboat Dress and enjoy!

Main graphic showing the name of the outfit "504 Sailboat Dress" and a wheat single ponytail popcorn girl wearing a blue version of the outfit. She's holding a crayon.


Summary of 500s Series outfits and a list of the outfits: The 500s Series

Description

This outfit consists of a cotton ‘swing’ style A-line dress with matching bloomers. It has a sailor collar with a ribbon bow, lace, and rick-rack. The same rick-rack runs along the bottom hem. On the left side of the skirt is a sailboat patch, with an arched Cabbage Patch Kids logo patch over it. The bloomers match the dress fabric and have no trim around the leg holes.
This outfit came with regular lace-up shoes.

Outfit #504B AX; It's blue with white sail boats on it and matching bloomers. It has red rick -rack and a white bow.
#504B AX

There’s some debate about when this dress began being sold. Although it has a 500s series number, most of which started being sold in 1985, Coleco may not have started selling this outfit on dolls until 1986. (Ref#3 p. 399) It likely ended production sometime in 1986 as well. Consequently, it would have been produced for a limited amount of time. If this outfit is found on a later kid, it was most likely the company getting rid of ‘older’ stock.

Version Information

My goal is to find every version of every outfit that was produced. Below is a record of each version of this outfit that I have. To understand clothing codes, factories, and variations, please refer to these posts: 1st Blog – Why do this project?, What are Clothing Tag Codes?, Factories and Companies

If you have an outfit that is not recorded here or does not match my information, (e.g. You have a 504A OK that is yellow, not pink.) I would like to hear from you. Information is best sent in the form of pictures. For details, visit Taking Clothing Tag Pics.

Factory Variations

> The Collar: The Taiwan factory collars appear to have an extra flap section with rick-rack that the China factory collars do not.

> The Lace: It seems that the lace used by the Taiwan and China factories is different. It’s hard to tell, but it appears that the KT and P factory lace are the same, while the AX lace is different.

> The Rick-rack: The location of the rick-rack around the skirt hem seems to change based on the factory. KT is right along the hem edge, AX is about 1cm away, and P is the furthest away from the hem.

Similar Outfits

 > Outfit #1 – Swing Dress

Yellow and red Swing dress. Yellow dress with red tie and red tights.

 > Outfit #655 – More basic Swing Dress

Picture of outfit #655, an outfit that mimics the swing dress. It is purple and white.
Courtesy of Jodi Punki Patch.

 > Foreign: I am only aware ofJesmar, of all the foreign factories, producing a swing-style dress. For information on identifying a Jesmar version, jump to  Identifying Jesmar Clothing.

Other Information

> Fun fact: This outfit can be found in the 1985 Coleco Catalogue (p. 5). It looks very similar to outfit #504B, but may in fact be a prototype outfit like so many of the others in this catalogue.

Picture of the Sailboat Dress from the 1985 Coleco Catalogue. It is blue with white sailboats and red rick-rack. It's being worn by a red poodle single ponytail paci kid.

#503 – Velour Jogging Suit

Warm and luxurious, our kids love showing off their moves in this velour jogging suit. Don’t forget the headband!

Main graphic showing the name of the outfit "503 Velour Jogging Suit" and a wheat single ponytail poodle girl wearing a purple version of the outfit.


Summary of 500s Series outfits and a list of the outfits: The 500s Series

Description

Two-piece velour outfit. The top looks like a regular long-sleeved top except that it has a pair of white shorts made of sweatsuit material attached to the bottom. The ‘shorts’ are trimmed with a ruffle, have decorative stitching, and have the curved Cabbage Patch Kids Logo on them. The ‘top’ has small white ruffles at the shoulders and white trim on the sleeves. The bottoms are made of the same colour velour fabric and have white trim at the ankles.
As this outfit is so oddly constructed, people will often put it on the doll wrong. Sometimes the pants have been pulled up over the ‘shorts’.
This outfit came with a terry cloth headband and pink striped sneakers.

Coleco started selling this outfit in 1985. It likely ended production no later than sometime in 1986. It may be found on later kids, but this was most likely the company using up old stock.

Version Information

My goal is to find every version of every outfit that was produced. Below is a record of each version of this outfit that I have. To understand clothing codes, factories, and variations, please refer to these posts: 1st Blog – Why do this project?, What are Clothing Tag Codes?, Factories and Companies

If you have an outfit that is not recorded here or does not match my information, (e.g. You have a 503D OK that is yellow, not pink.) I would like to hear from you. Information is best sent in the form of pictures. For details, visit Taking Clothing Tag Pics.

Factory Variation

As I only have three factories recorded as producing this outfit, there is very little factory variation to note. The only difference I can observe is in the curved CPK logo and the thread patterns on the shorts. There seems to be som difference between China factory outfits and Taiwanese outfits in those two areas.

Other Information

> Fun fact: A prototype version of this outfit can be found in the 1985 Coleco Catalogue (p. 4). As far as I am aware, they never produced this colour.

Picture from the 1985 Coleco Catalogue showing a prototype version of the Velour Jogging Suit, outfit #503.

> Washing Warning! Be careful when washing these outfits; some of the colours run horribly! The red is notorious for this.

#502 – Country Dress

Quaint, cute, and often confused with a Cornsilk dress of the same name! Count the patches, you’ll see the difference!


Summary of 500s Series outfits and a list of the outfits: The 500s Series

Description

Cotton dress with tights. The dress is a pinafore style, with a ruffle visible at the bottom and a flower patch at the neck. The ruffle and the sleeves are one pattern/colour, and the main portion of the dress is another. There is a curved Cabbage Patch Kids logo on the left side of the pinafore section of the dress. The dress is paired with tights and lace-up shoes.

502D

Coleco started selling this outfit in 1985. It likely ended production no later than sometime in 1986. It may be found on later kids, but this was most likely the company using up old stock.

Version Information

My goal is to find every version of every outfit that was produced. Below is a record of each version of this outfit that I have. To understand clothing codes, factories, and variations, please refer to these posts: 1st Blog – Why do this project?, What are Clothing Tag Codes?, Factories and Companies

If you have an outfit that is not recorded here or does not match my information, (e.g. You have a 502D OK that is yellow, not purple.) I would like to hear from you. Information is best sent in the form of pictures. For details, visit Taking Clothing Tag Pics.

Factory Variation

As I only have two factories recorded as producing this outfit, there is very little factory variation to note. The only difference I can observe is a slight variation in how the lace is applied.

Other Information

~ At least two of these outfits came in interesting variations. I have confirmation that 502H and 502J came with two additional versions that had fabric with embroidery patterns on them. They all have the same code and are essentially the same, but the embroidery makes them different. All the embroidered versions I am aware of were produced by the OK factory. The plain versions were produced by at least the OK and IC factories.

~ Another OK difference is the sleeve fabric. Most are regular fabric. A few are more corduroy-like fabric. I’ve seen this with C & K so far.

Similar Outfits

? #167 – Cornsilk Country Dress (Cornsilk Series 1)
Take note of the number of patches and the location of the lace. In this outfit, the bottom ruffle is different than the sleeves.

167K – Photo courtesy of Jamie Osterbuhr.

? #14 – Pinafore Dress (1983 Series)

#14 Pinafore dress

#501 – Fancy PJ’s

Every girl needs a pair of Fancy PJ’s for PJ parties. These popular frilly PJ’s bring it!

Title graphic for outfit #501 - Fancy PJ's


Summary of 500s Series outfits and a list of the outfits: The 500s Series

Description

Cotton two-piece outfit. The top is a short dress with a large bib-shaped piece edged with lace at the front. A curved Cabbage Patch Kids logo patch is on the bib section. Lace also runs around the bottom, neck, and sleeve hems. The bottoms are made of the same colour fabric and are footed. There is a band of lace and a flower patch located at the ankles.

Yellow 501 outfit, Fancy PJ's,  on a dark background.
501D OK

Coleco started selling this outfit in 1985. It likely ended production no later than sometime in 1986. It may be found on later kids, but this was most likely the company using up old stock.

Version Information

My goal is to find every version of every outfit that was produced. Below is a record of each version of this outfit that I have. To understand clothing codes, factories, and variations, please refer to these posts: 1st Blog – Why do this project?, What are Clothing Tag Codes?, Factories and Companies

If you have an outfit that is not recorded here or does not match my information, (e.g. You have a 501D OK that is pink, not yellow.) I would like to hear from you. Information is best sent in the form of pictures. For details, visit Taking Clothing Tag Pics.

Factory Variation

As I only have two factories recorded as producing this outfit, there is very little factory variation to note. The only difference I can observe is a slight variation in how the lace is applied.

Hong Kong Jesmar Shoes

These shoes came on Hong Kong Jesmars and Early Tag Jesmars. If they’re spanish, why do they say Hong Kong?

The majority of this information is courtesy of Jennifer Pelfrey via various Facebook messenger conversations. In some cases, I have just quoted her! Thank you, Jennifer! Additionally, kudos to Marta Aleman Perez, Callie Anne, Charlotte Ridgers, and Severine Guiguet for their contributions as well.

For more general information on Jesmar dolls and closing visit Jesmars and J Clothing.

‘Hong Kong’ Jesmar Kids

These dolls were likely those produced within the first few weeks or months of production. See below for theories about the origins of the HK aspects. Remember, Jesmar dolls were likely manufactured for less than two years.

Characteristics

  • They have a neck-stamp that says Hong Kong. There are at least two different stamps; there may be more.

    (Photos courtesy of Jennifer Pelfrey.)
  • They came with either no body tag or with the Early Jesmar body tag.

    There’s speculation that dolls without tags are the earliest sample Jesmar dolls. “I suspect Jesmar may not have had tags made at that point as they were still in the sample-making phase.” (Jennifer Pelfrey, FB, May 16, 2021)
  • HK Jesmars share many of the same qualities as Early Jesmars, such as glossy eye paint, softer heads, neck connection is a string, a dark signature, etc.  They may also have unusual hair colours or hair/eye combination which were not mass-produced later. i.e., soft orange vs. the later regular red.
     [insert picture of hair comparison]
  • They may only have had six freckles. How many does your HK Jesmar have? (Charlotte Ridgers, FB, May 18, 2021) For more information on Jesmar freckle patterns refer to Ref #3, p. 199 – 200)

‘Early’ Jesmar Shoes

These shoes look and feel quite a bit like Hong Kong shoes. They are characterized by:

  • the tongue has not been cut out; the shoe is one full piece
  • soft, pliable vinyl
  • rough/bumpy textured bottoms
  • badly formed interiors (appears ‘runny’)
  • thicker laces (though some came with standard laces).  [insert picture comparison]
  • a lack of markings on the inside

These shoes are not found exclusively on HK Jesmars. They have also been found on kids with early tags and Made in Spain neck stamps. “Personally, I’ve found them most often on Early Tag/Made in Spain kids with odd hair colors, but they were sometimes used on Early Tag kids with standard hair colors as well.” (Jennifer Pelfrey, FB May 17, 2021)

“There has been some debate over whether these shoes are actually Jesmar made, or whether they were made in Hong Kong and supplied to Jesmar when they were starting out. There are obvious similarities between these shoes and those that we know were manufactured in Hong Kong.  So, depending on who you ask, some will say that these are Hong Kong shoes while others will say Jesmar.  Until formal documentation surfaces we may never know.” (Jennifer Pelfrey, FB, May 14, 2021)

NOTE: Shoes that say ” Made in Hong Kong” on the bottom are also theorized to be Jesmar shoes, but others think they’re aftermarket. For more information on these shoes, visit These aren’t CPK shoes?!

Why do they say HK? Some Theories

One collector called the Hong Kong Jesmars a hypothesis. She described them as series of tests so that the Jesmar Co. could figure out what they were going to produce. (FB Conversation, May 17, 2021) Here are some theories as to why their heads are stamped Hong Kong and why the shoes have Hong Kong like qualities.

1)  There were unused shoes that had been manufactured in Hong Kong laying around, so Coleco gave them to Jesmar to use until Jesmar could manufacture shoes of their own.

2) “Supposedly, HK moulds were loaned to Jesmar so that they could make sample heads. The samples then went through a review process with Coleco and OAA.” (Jennifer Pelfrey, FB, May 15, 2021) It is supposed that once Jesmar was approved for mass production, shoe moulds and Made in Spain embossed head moulds were provided to Jesmar for ongoing production.

For more general information on Jesmar dolls and closing visit Jesmars and J Clothing and Ref #3, p. 198 – 231.