Out of the Box: American Girl Kaya

In the box.

I wasn't planning on picking up another American Girl doll, but last week they had such a good sale that I couldn't help myself.  The AG historical dolls were revamped last year, and this sale -which offered a doll plus an extra outfit for half the regular price of the doll on its own seemed to be aimed at clearing out old stock.

I was surprised to be able to post about this doll today.  I've made a few purchases from American Girl over the past year, and every time the packages have taken more than a week to arrive.  But not this time: for the first time, I had a shipping notice within 24 hours and a package in my hands within a few days.

But enough about the logistics, let's talk about the doll!



The doll that I picked up is called Kaya'aton'my, a Nimíipuu/Nez Perce girl whose stories are set in 1764/65 in the US Pacific Northwest (presumably what's now Washington state).  The head mould used for this doll is unique among the AG faces in that she has a closed-mouthed smile, rather than the toothy grin that the other seven moulds have.


As with all of the historical AG dolls (which is now called "BeForever"), the doll comes with the first book in the associated series and an outfit which appears on the cover.  In this case, the default outfit is a faux-deerskin dress, matching faux-deerskin moccasin-type boots, a brown belt and four hair accessories (two faux-leather ties and a pair of shell hair decorations).

Kaya in her default outfit.

The bonus outfit that was included with the sale is called "Pow-Wow Outfit of Today" (this is the second release to have that name).  It's made of a similar type of material as her default outfit, but rather than the natural beige is a bright blue with embroidered yellow and orange accents.  This set also comes with faux-leather moccasins (which aren't included in my photos because they were a pain to put on) and includes a feathered hair comb (also not visible here):

The Pow-Wow Dress of Today, minus the boots

Both outfits are solid quality, but I wanted to put her in more modern clothes and see how she looks with my other AG dolls Josefina and Cécile.  Interestingly, although both Kaya and Josefina are described as "medium skin" in AG's material, there is actually a significant colour difference between the two, which might be useful to know for people doing repairs or making customs - Kaya would not have matched the SewAble body that I used for Josefina, for example.

Compared to AG Josefina.

Compared to Cécile

Overall, I think Kaya is a lovely doll.  She'll probably end up with a new name and a new wardrobe as she settles into my collection, but I do appreciate her outfits and enjoyed getting to examine them.  And given the sale,  I certainly can't complain about the price!

Did I mention that she has great hair?  Because she does!