brekkebenden - Hilary's Cabbage Patch Clothes Closet

#507 – Aerobics Outfit (Updated)

With only four versions of this outfit produced, it’s one of the hardest outfits to find. Obtaining a complete aerobics outfit with all the pieces is even more difficult! Learn all about this interesting outfit.

Main graphic with grey background and black text that says "507 Aerobics Outfit". It also has a redhaired, green eyed paci kid wearing the blue and red version of tihs outfit.

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

Description

This outfit consists of numerous pieces.
1) Striped one-piece with footies and long sleeves.
2) Bodysuit with a ruffle on the shoulder straps and a ruffle around the waist. The ruffles are the same striped pattern as piece #1, but the main portion of the bodysuit is a sold colour. This piece has the curved Cabbage Patch Kids logo patch on it.
3) A pair of slouchy leg warmers the opposite colour from the bodysuit.
4) Headband the same colour as the leg warmers (generally).

This outfit came with striped sneakers.

I believe that Coleco started manufacturing this outfit in 1985 because the PMI factory would not have had an opportunity to produce it otherwise. However, many believe the manufacture of this outfit didn’t start until 1986, as kids wearing this outfit are generally found in later boxes. It is a mystery.

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

Long-time collectors believe that this outfit only came in the four versions described below. UPDATE: However, we recently added a new PMI outfit to this list! Thank you April Shaw for your keen eyes. Are we missing any others?
If you have an outfit that is not recorded here, I would like to hear from you. Information is best sent in the form of pictures. For details, visit Taking Clothing Tag Pics.

Spreadsheet showing the outfits that I have recorded, and their details.

Factory Variations -none so far

Similar Outfits

Outfit #325: This cornsilk outfit is the only outfit that looks remotely similar.

Picture of outfit #325. It's a stripes shirt under an orange dress with pink tights.

Other Information

Scarcity: As it was only made by one factory for most of its manufacture, this outfit is one of the more difficult of the 500s Series to find. It is also the 500s Series outfit with the least number of versions produced. Finally, it is extremely difficult to find an outfit with all the pieces!

PTP: Bubble Romper Sweaters

How to determine which knit sweaters may go with which bubble romper. It’s all in the details!

Like all of the clothing made for Cabbage Patch Kids, the sweaters used in the #9 Bubble Romper Outfit are susceptible to differences based on factory. Meaning, the look of the sweaters changes based on the factory that produced them.

These sweaters are not tagged. (For information on what part of a CPK outfit do come tagged, visit Where are tags in clothing located?) Consequently, it is difficult to confidently match sweaters to rompers.

To determine which factory made a sweater, take note of the following.

The tension and pattern of the knit.
The patterns that are used for the edges and hems.
The pattern and look of the decoration around the neck. (If there are any.)
The colour(s) used around the neck.

NOTE: The factory of manufacture for each sweater is noted in the caption of the picture.

If you have a sweater that is not pictured here, or you have a better picture than one used here, I would love to see it.

Yellow Sweaters

I believe that yellow sweaters were only manufactured by the OK factory and for the 25^th Anniversary Kids (Play Along).

Knit Booties

The correct knit booties will match the sweater. They will have the same tension and knit pattern. For more information visit Shoes: Knit Booties.

#506 – Sun Suit

Fun in the sun! Everyone likes these cute sun suits, so much that they are highly replicated!

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

Description

This outfit consists of a cotton blouse, cotton romper, and a white terry cloth bucket hat. The blouse has slightly puffed sleeves and is a single fabric pattern. The romper has a lace-edged bib front with the curved Cabbage patch Kid logo on it. It also has two rows of lace running across the backside and acting as ruffles. The straps close with velcro. The hat is made of white terry cloth and has ribbon ties to hold it on. The outfit came with regular lace-up shoes.

Picture of outfit #506, the Sunsuit. It is blue and white with a blue patch on the front. — #505J OK, Photo courtesy of Kat Perhouse.

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 506A 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 Variations -none so far

Other Information

> Fun fact: This outfit can be found in the 1985 Coleco Catalogue (p. 3).

Close crop of a picture from the 1985 Coleco catalogue showing the Sunsuit outfit.

> Fun Fact: This outfit is one of the most commonly replicated CPK outfits. Consequently, you can find it in a variety of colours and patterns that Coleco never intended. They can also come with different styles of patches on the front.

Picture of a #19 HM CPK with blond braids and blue eyes wearing a purple gingham version of the sunsuit outfit. — Felicity is wearing a wonderful handmade version of the Sun Suit. It was a gift.

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.

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.

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

> 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!

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.

Photos courtesy of Gia Levato and Nicole Sorensen Barnes.

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!

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.

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)