1966 The Outfits

The 1966 outfits are the most collectable and expensive of all, but not quite as well-cut as the earlier stuff. As well as having basic collars, the shirts for Summer Job, Seein’ the Sights, Best Man and Here Comes the Groom only have one snap, rather than the usual two. Still, there are some great outfits here, though finding them is becoming increasingly difficult. This isn’t helped by online sellers listing fake and clone items as genuine Ken, so be very careful before spending a lot of money.

For more information and many more detailed photographs see THE ORIGINAL KEN® BOOK.


THE ENSEMBLE PAKS

TIME TO TURN IN #1418

1966 #1418 Time To Turn In
1966 #1418 Time To Turn In
1966 #1418 Time To Turn In in original packaging
1966 #1418 Time To Turn In in original packaging

TV’S GOOD TONIGHT! #1419

1966 #1419 TV's Good Tonight!
1966 #1419 TV’s Good Tonight!
1966 #1419 TV's Good Tonight! in original packaging
1966 #1419 TV’s Good Tonight! in original packaging

JAZZ CONCERT #1420

The trousers are unique to this outfit, made with the same cotton twill type fabric that Mattel also used for the Seein’ the Sights and the Best Man trousers, with a similar, loose cut. The shirt has a total of six buttons, one of which fastens to a thread loop at bottom.

1966 #1420 Jazz Concert
1966 #1420 Jazz Concert
1966 #1420 Jazz Concert in original packaging
1966 #1420 Jazz Concert in original packaging

SEEIN’ THE SIGHTS #1421

Some period advertising shows Seein’ the Sights with a red tie, but despite even being shown like that in the Barbie booklets and Mattel catalogues for 1966, this was not part of the set. The tie is not mentioned in the written description in the Mattel ’66 catalogues, it does not feature in all US (or in any European) advertising, and I’ve yet to find a tie in a NRFB version. In fact, notice how the shirt is displayed on purpose with an open collar. The tie either belonged to a prototype version, or was merely used as a ‘serving suggestion’, much like the extra clothing often shown with Campus Corduroys. The jacket is identical to that from Summer Job, just in different fabrics. And as with Summer Job, this shirt only has two buttons.

1966 #1421 Seein' the Sights
1966 #1421 Seein’ the Sights
1966 #1421 Seein' The Sights in original packaging
1966 #1421 Seein’ The Sights in original packaging (Dwane Adle Collection USA)

SUMMER JOB #1422

1966 #1422 Summer Job
1966 #1422 Summer Job
1966 #1422 Summer Job in original packaging
1966 #1422 Summer Job in original packaging (Dwane Adle Collection USA)

KEN A GO GO #1423

The Ken A Go Go shirt has a total of eight buttons: six down the front and one on either side. The ‘Beatles’ wig is very difficult to find, but unfortunately not particularly convincing. The outfit looks much better displayed without the wig. As with many of Ken’s more expensive accessories, there are occasionally fake wigs sold online: the genuine wig can be seen in  THE ORIGINAL KEN® BOOK.

1966 #1423 Ken A Go Go
1966 #1423 Ken A Go Go
1966 #1423 Ken A Go Go in original packaging
1966 #1423 Ken A Go Go in original packaging

BUSINESS APPOINTMENT #1424

This outfit is the one most often sold online with fake accessories. Close-up photos of the genuine hat and gloves can be seen further down the page, and in THE ORIGINAL KEN® BOOK.

1966 #1424 Business Appointment (Suit not included)
1966 #1424 Business Appointment (Suit not included)
1966 #1424 Business Appointment in original packaging
1966 #1424 Business Appointment in original packaging

BEST MAN #1425

The genuine bow tie is made of the same fabric as the cummerbund. The bow tie originally came with a regular rubber band, which usually perishes, even when kept MIB, so any bow ties sold online with white ‘knicker’ elastic are almost certainly fakes (see further below for more information). The cummerbund has red elastic at back. The trousers are made of a cotton twill, with a distinctly different piping down the leg from Ken’s regular Tuxedo trousers. See  THE ORIGINAL KEN® BOOK for more details about this outfit.

1966 #1425 Best Man
1966 #1425 Best Man
1966 #1425 Best Man in original packaging
1966 #1425 Best Man in original packaging

The shirts from Best Man and Here Comes The Groom can be found with silver or clear pearl buttons. Either they originally came like this, or the silver paint was accidentally removed through washing and/or bleaching. Certainly the NRFB versions I’ve found so far all have shirts with silver buttons.

Best Man shirts with silver (left) and clear buttons
Best Man shirts with silver buttons (left) and clear buttons
Here Comes The Groom shirts with silver (left) and clear buttons
Here Comes The Groom shirts with silver buttons (left) and clear buttons

HERE COMES THE GROOM #1426

Some versions of Here Comes the Groom came with a variation dark grey waistcoat, which can be seen in THE ORIGINAL KEN® BOOK.

1966 #1426 Here Comes The Groom
1966 #1426 Here Comes The Groom
1966 #1426 Here Comes The Groom in original packaging
1966 #1426 Here Comes The Groom in original packaging

The tailcoat has been found in Japan with a variation fabric.

1966 #1426 Here Comes the Groom variation fabric coats (Kanai Collection Japan)
1966 #1426 Here Comes the Groom variation fabric coats (Kanai Collection Japan)
1966 #1426 Here Comes the Groom variation fabric coats
1966 #1426 Here Comes the Groom variation fabric coats (Kanai Collection Japan)

MOUNTAIN HIKE #1427

The sweaters which came with Hiking Holiday and Mountain Hike have no labels, so genuine shorts all have a Ken label sewn inside. Note too that the genuine shorts fasten with zip-and-snap (most clone shorts have snap only).

1966 #1427 Mountain Hike
1966 #1427 Mountain Hike
1966 #1427 Mountain Hike in original packaging
1966 #1427 Mountain Hike in original packaging

THE ALLAN TRAVEL CASE

In Europe a variation travel case was sold with Allan on the front. I’ve found it featured in French, German, Dutch and Scandinavian booklets and catalogues from 1966-1968. They are marked ‘Made in France’.

1966 Ken & Allan Mattel France Travel Case
1966-68 Ken & Allan travel case (Made in France)
1966 Ken & Allan Mattel France Travel Case
1966-68 Ken & Allan Travel Case (Made in France)

The earliest European advertising shows a case with a variation design. Allan is shown on the left, with the two names and ‘Made in France’ on the right. In 2023 one of these cases appeared for sale on a Swiss auction website. I bought the one shown below in 2024 in Sweden. The Swiss version had the white cardboard drawers, but mine does not. Beyond a flattening of the plastic in that area, there are no signs the drawers were ever there (usually when the drawers are removed, the glue leaves terrible stains). These versions were then either super rare early releases, or prototpyes which were sent to the various European countries for promotional photos and were then handed on to children to play with.

1966 (Prototype?) Allan travel case (Made in France)
1966 (Prototype?) Ken & Allan travel case (Made in France)
1966 (Prototype?) Allan travel case (Made in France)
1966 (Prototype?) Ken & Allan travel case (Made in France)

The German and Swedish Barbie booklets for 1966 with Mattel’s own advertising show the variation ‘prototype’ Ken & Allan case. The Dutch toy catalogue and the later Mattel catalogue from 1968 show the regular version.

From 1966 German Barbie brochure
From 1966 German Barbie brochure
From 1966 Swedish Barbie och hennes vänner Brio brochure
From 1966 Swedish Barbie och hennes vänner Brio brochure
From 1966 Dutch Het Speelgoedboek toy catalogue
From 1966 Dutch Het Speelgoedboek toy catalogue
From 1968 German Mattel Spielzeug catalogue
From 1968 German Mattel Spielzeug catalogue

BOOKLETS & CATALOGUES

From 1966 Fashion Playthings book 4
From 1966 Fashions & Playthings book 4
From 1966 Fashion Playthings book 4
From 1966 Fashions & Playthings book 4
From 1966 Fashion Playthings book 1
From 1966 Fashions & Playthings book 1
From Mattel Preview '66 World of Barbie catalogue
Mattel Preview ’66 World of Barbie catalogue
Mattel Toys 1966 catalogue
Mattel Toys 1966 catalogue
Mattel Toys 1966 catalogue
Mattel Toys 1966 catalogue
From 1966 Sears Christmas Wish Book
From 1966 Sears Christmas Wish Book

The Wards catalogue mixed up Jazz Concert and Seein’ the Sights.

1966 Montgomery Ward Christmas catalogue
1966 Montgomery Ward Christmas catalogue
From 1966 Aldens Christmas catalogue
From 1966 Aldens Christmas catalogue

Rather than disappoint customers (or lose business) by admitting they had sold out of an ordered item, Montgomery Ward would ship a similar replacement item, with a covering note. The note on the early-1964 version of Casuals (below left) is curious, as this Ward logo first appears on their catalogue covers in 1968 – by which time Ward were no longer selling these original Ken items through the catalogue.

Montgomery Ward sticker explaining replacing a similar order with Casuals
Ward note explaining the replacement of a similar order with Casuals
Montgomery Ward sticker explaining replacing Jazz Concert with Business Appointment
Ward note explaining replacement of ordered outfit with Business Appointment

1966 Spiegel Christmas catalogue
1966 Spiegel Christmas catalogue
1966 Spiegel Christmas catalogue
1966 Spiegel Christmas catalogue
From 1966 John Plain catalogue
From John Plain book for 1967

Mattel also produced European booklets and brochures but, rather than using illustrations, the European versions had photographs. The titles of the outfits are often quite different. For example in German Here Comes the Groom is called Auf der Rennbahn (At the Races).

1966 German Barbie brochure
1966 German Barbie brochure
1966 German Barbie brochure
1966 German Barbie brochure
From 1966 German Barbie brochure
From 1966 German Barbie brochure
From 1966 German Barbie brochure
From 1966 German Barbie brochure
From 1966 German Barbie brochure
From 1966 German Barbie brochure
1966 German Barbie Werbung 66 brochure
1966 German Barbie Werbung ’66 8-page brochure

The German advertising below uses revamped sets from Mattel’s advertising brochure above. Both ads feature Ken as groom (though wearing Best Man). One location appears to be some kind of fashion salon, but a wedding couple at an airport (?) seems a little odd.

From 1966 German Vedes Gutes Spielzeug catalogue
From 1966 German Vedes Gutes Spielzeug catalogue
From 1966 German Das Schöne Spielzeug catalogue
From 1966 German Das Schöne Spielzeug catalogue

The Scandinavian brochures use the English names for all outfits, except for Ken in Switzerland.

1966 Finnish Barbie ystävineen booklet
1966 Finnish Barbie ystävineen booklet
1966 Finnish Barbie ystävineen booklet
1966 Finnish Barbie ystävineen booklet
From 1966 Swedish Barbie och hennes vänner Brio brochure
From 1966 Swedish Barbie och hennes vänner Brio brochure
1966 Swedish Barbie och hennes vänner Brio brochure
From 1966 Swedish Barbie och hennes vänner Brio brochure
From 1966 Swedish Barbie och hennes vänner Brio brochure
From 1966 Swedish Barbie och hennes vänner Brio brochure
1966 Swedish Barbie och hennes vänner Brio brochure
1966 Swedish Barbie och hennes vänner Brio brochure
1966 Swedish Barbie och hennes vänner Brio brochure
From 1966 Swedish Barbie och hennes vänner Brio brochure

The Danish brochure below is for Barbie og hendes venner.

1966 Danish Barbie og hendes venner Brio brochure
1966 Danish Barbie og hendes venner Brio brochure
1966 Danish Barbie og hendes venner Brio brochure
1966 Danish Barbie og hendes venner Brio brochure
1966 Belgian Ebiex Mattel booklet
From 1966 Belgian Mattel/Ebiex booklet
From 1966 French Mattel/jouets rationnels booklet
From 1966 French Mattel/jouets rationnels booklet
1966 Italian Mattel/EG (Editrice Giochi) booklet
From 1966 Italian Mattel/EG (Editrice Giochi) booklet

The French Jouets 66 catalogue below left refers to Allan as Barbie’s boyfriend and Ken as Francie’s fiancé.

1966 French nouvelles galeries Jouets 66 catalogue
1966 French nouvelles galeries Jouets 66 catalogue
1966 French Barbie advertising feature
From 1966 French echo de la mode magazine (20 November)
1966 French Jeux et Jouets supplement
1966 French Jeux et Jouets supplement
From 1966 French Sèlection Joué Club catalogue
From 1966 French Sèlection Joué Club catalogue
1966 Belgian Barbie advertisement
1966 Belgian Barbie advertisement
1967 Belgian Barbie advertisement
1967 Belgian Barbie advertisement
1966 Swedish Walt Disney's Kalle Anka & Co magazine No. 38
1966 Swedish Walt Disney’s Kalle Anka & Co magazine

The 1966 Ensemble Paks were available as follows*:

TIME TO TURN IN 1966-1967.
TV’S GOOD TONIGHT! 1966-1967.
JAZZ CONCERT 1966-1967.
SEEIN’ THE SIGHTS 1966-1967.
SUMMER JOB 1966-1967.
KEN A GO GO 1966-1967.
BUSINESS APPOINTMENT 1966-1967.
BEST MAN 1966-1967.
HERE COMES THE GROOM 1966-1967.
MOUNTAIN HIKE 1966-1967 (Sold until 1968 in Europe).

*Based on information taken from US, Japanese & European Barbie booklets 1966-1968, Mattel Toy catalogues 1966-1967 and Mattel Employee Order Forms 1966-1967.


COLLECTORS BEWARE!

As collectors are prepared to pay high prices, many online sellers claim they have rare items or outfits which, on closer inspection, are clone or even homemade clothes. The Best Man outfit is a prime example, as there were several similar clone outfits produced. Someone even listed a white clone pullover (exactly like the one shown below) on Ebay as a “rare Mountain Hike variation”, and actually sold it (after many bids!) for a huge amount of money. Fake Business Appointment hats and gloves are regularly listed as genuine. Rival brands like Totsy, Premier and Shillman produced masses of similar clothing and accessories (see section Early Clones).

From left to right: Hiking Holiday #1412, white clone pullover, Mountain Hike #1427
3 sweaters from left to right: Hiking Holiday #1412, white clone sweater, Mountain Hike #1427
Genuine 1966 #1424 Business Appointment gloves
Genuine 1966 #1424 Business Appointment gloves
Clone gloves (by Shillman & Totsy*)
Clone gloves (by Shillman & Totsy*)

The genuine Business Appointment hat is a Homburg. It is oval with a wide brim, made of soft felt, and has a thin hatband. The piece for the head is like a half-sphere, with a single, elongated dent in the top. This is the only true Mattel hat.

Genuine 1966 #1424 Business Appointment hat
Genuine 1966 #1424 Business Appointment hat
Clone hat (by Premier*)
Clone hat (by Premier*)

The newspapers below are all genuine Mattel, but belong to completely different outfits and decades.

1966 #1424 Business Appointment
Original 1966 Business Appointment newspaper
1976 #9167 Get Ups 'N Go
From 1976 Ken outfit Get-Ups ‘N Go #9167
From 1982 #3777 Fashion Collectibles
From 1982 Ken outfit Fashion Collectibles #3777

The Best Man bow tie is made of the same fabric as the cummerbund, and came with a regular thin rubber band, like all genuine Mattel neckwear from 1962 on (see directly below). This usually perishes with age, even with NRFB versions, so the genuine bow tie is almost never found with the band still attached. Clones can easily be spotted by the white ‘knicker elastic’ used. They are also usually longer than the genuine Mattel tie, and made of a cheaper, slightly brighter fabric.

1965 genuine Mattel Ken ties
Genuine Mattel Ken ties showing original rubber bands
Genuine 1966 #1425 Best Man bow tie
Genuine 1966 #1425 Best Man bow tie
Vintage clone bow tie
Clone bow tie (probably Shillman*)

* See section Vintage Clones.