1975 Florido Boxed Dolls and Outfits
Castellano
By 1975 Florido had switched to their 2nd edition dolls with their remodelled heads and bodies. Still worn by the new 2nd Edition dolls were Flor, Viaje and Verbena (Ref 500) and they were joined by a new boxed doll, Amazona (Ref 501).
Hair colours differ slightly between 1st and 2nd editions. All the 1st edn brunettes we have seen have a red tinge to their hair. This is not the case for 2nd edn brunettes, and there are some with black or just dark brown hair. 2nd edn auburn Sindys can be found, but generally there appear to be fewer auburns amongst the 2nd editions. Overall blonde 2nd editions are quite common.
There are also some differences as to which combinations of hair and outfit were sold boxed. Most Sindys wearing Flor or Viaje were blondes, but several brunettes have been found. We have never seen an auburn 2nd edn Sindy wearing either Flor or Viaje. Most Sindys wearing Verbena were brunettes. Sindys with blonde or auburn hair wearing Verbena were less common, but we have seen good examples of both. We have only seen the new Amazona Sindy boxed as blondes.
We would be pleased to hear from owners of 2nd edition boxed dolls to know what they have.
As with the 1st edition, the dolls wearing Flor, Verbena, and Viaje came with a red headband. But, these headbands are a slightly different, they are a smoother, thinner band. Over time these 2nd edition headbands tend to darken and they are more likely to become stiff and break than stick to the hair.
Amazona however was different, instead she wore her riding helmet which was kept on her head with a length of black elasticated cord which was positioned over her helmet and tied under her chin.
These Sindys wore the nylon crepe bandage pants as seen in the introduction.
The dolls were packed with the 1975 catalogue, their pink stand and the Sindy pendant necklace. For more information on the Florido packaging of boxed dolls, please see Introduction to Florido Introducing Florido Sindy
All the 1974 outfits were still available with the addition of seven new outfits.
All of these outfits can be found packaged with the 1974 catalogue, so perhaps they were introduced earlier than 1975, or were simply using leftover stock of old catalogues.
None of the new 1975 boxed outfits came with Sindy’s pendant necklace and please note that the shoes in the catalogue did not always match the shoes that actually came with the boxed outfit.
Amazona (Horsewoman) (Ref 501) Boxed doll outfit
Sindy as a horsewoman is so charming! Her hat… her boots… her red jacket… make her even more beautiful.
Spain has a rich history in horse breeding and horse-riding, and there a number of pure-bred breeds originating from the country. One of the most famous is the “Andalucian” from Rio Guadalquivir, in the heartland of Andalucia. In fact, the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, which was founded in 1565, is so called because of the Spanish horses that were crossed with other horse breeds to create the famous Lipizzaner, the oldest cultural breed in Europe.
For this outfit, Sindy was given a red felt coat with a black felt sewn-on collar. The coat had long straight sleeves and turned-back revers. The front hems of the coat were curved, and the back seam was styled with a 3cm split. The front of the coat was decorated with two gold coloured metal stud-buttons. The jacket fastened with a metal snap fastener at the breast. Sindy wore a pair of white nylon jodhpurs, and unusually these were made with feet. The jodhpurs had side opening seams at the waist and each side fastened with a small strip of white Velcro.
This outfit came with a rectangular white nylon cravat which was hemmed along each edge and a black felted riding helmet (kept on Sindy’s head with a length of black elasticated cord as shown above). Also included was an intricate black plastic horse crop. The horse crop handle was shaped and moulded with hand grips on one side and included a wrist strap and two keepers at the end of the shaft. A pair of new black, moulded soft rubber, low-heeled riding boots completed the outfit.
Shown left is the 2nd Edn blonde Amazona Florido Sindy.
This doll was packed with the 1975 catalogue, the pink stand, and the long pendant necklace. We have only seen this doll boxed with blonde hair.
Although this doll is referenced as 501, it appears that the regular 500 reference box was also used for these dolls. We are unsure if there were actually any numbered Ref 501 boxes at all?
We have a printed price list which also included a separate ‘Amazona’ boxed outfit, but this entry is crossed through, and it appears that ultimately the outfit was not packaged separately for sale. This is confirmed by the 1975 catalogue, which shows Amazona Sindy together with her box, and which states in the small print “(This outfit can only be bought together with the doll)”.
According to López de Lerma Baños in “Muñecas Florido: 1917-1975” (2015, p. 235), there was a prototype for a Sindy horse which was never produced because it was too large. The prototype was eventually scaled down and became a horse for Madelman figures instead.
Campiña (Countryside) (Ref 554)
All the charm and harmony of nature, in a dress, so that Sindy will be the most beautiful flower in the countryside.
A very pretty outfit, perfect for a picnic in the countryside.
A light blue and white polyester gingham dress with a scoop neck and a full skirt. This dress had full puffy sleeves (sometimes called peasant sleeves) with a straight cuff at the wrist. The sleeves were made of white nylon. The dress opened down the back and fastened with two strips of white Velcro.
Completing the look was a triangular white nylon headscarf with a sewn-on headband of the blue and white gingham fabric. A thin piece of white Velcro was sewn to each end of the long edge of the headscarf. The headscarf was shown in the catalogue as fastened at the back of Sindy’s neck.
This outfit came with white shoes.
Shown right on a 1st Edn with chestnut brown hair Florido Sindy.
This outfit can be found packaged with the 1974 or 1975 catalogue on a yellow cardboard inset and it did not come with Sindy’s Pendant necklace.
Esmeralda (Emerald) (Ref 555)
A comfortable and elegant dress, for meetings with good (female) friends.
Striking and stylish Esmeralda was a very popular dress for Florido Sindy.
Made from emerald green polyester cotton, this was a fashionable shift dress with a deep plunging neckline and wide straight sleeves. It was a pull-on dress and did not have any fastenings.
In contrast to the green, the dress was trimmed in a bold white polka dot on dark navy blue grosgrain textured fabric. The hem, sleeves and neckline were trimmed in this bold fabric. The bottom of the deep neckline was finished in a chevron shape – a fashionable motif of the 70s.
The shape and width of the chevron neck trim can vary quite markedly as shown left, and can be found on both versions (see below) of the dress.
The dress was finished with two polka dot patch pockets. In the catalogue, these pockets were shown at hip level, however they were more often sewn lower down on the front of Sindy’s dress, with some much closer to the bottom hem. The pockets can also be found in differing sizes and shapes.
This outfit came with white shoes and her white shoulder bag with a faux gold bead clasp.
There are two different versions of the Esmeralda outfit. A darker sea green version which is slightly longer and wider at the hem and with wider sleeves, and a lighter lime green version which is slightly shorter and with narrower sleeves. We believe the darker green dress is the 1st version because this is the one shown in the catalogue and because the light green version can be seen boxed in the brochure for the 1977 Valencia International Toy Fair.
Both versions are shown above. The darker coloured version is shown on the 1st Edn Blonde Florido Sindy (on the left in the photo), and the light green version shown on the 2nd Edn Blonde Florido Sindy (on the right in the photo).
This outfit can be found packaged with the 1974 or 1975 catalogue on a yellow cardboard inset and it did not come with Sindy’s Pendant necklace.
Hippy (Ref 605)
Modern and vivacious, Sindy always dresses according to the latest trends. And the hippy style… makes her look so beautiful!
Picking up the counterculture styles of the late 60s and early 70s, Sindy had her own flower-child fashion.
Sindy wore a creamy-white cheesecloth tunic top. It had a collarless, round neck which was cut down to the waist at the front and it had three quarter length sleeves. To complete the bohemian look, the neckline was trimmed with a row of bright red rickrack and a separate contrasting row of bright blue rickrack. The ends of the sleeves and the hem of the tunic were decorated with sunshine yellow rickrack. For her legs, Sindy was given a pair of denim blue polyester bellbottoms. The bellbottoms had side opening seams at the waist and each side fastened with a small sewn-on metal snap fastener.
To complete the outfit Sindy had a hippy-style, hessian fringed shoulder bag with a matching cord bag strap. It was decorated on the front with a strip of red rickrack. For her hair a length of red cotton braid to tie a hippy hairband. This is different from the two-coloured hairband shown in the catalogue.
Although shown in the catalogue with white shoes, this outfit came with red shoes.
Shown right on a 1st Edn with auburn hair Florido Sindy.
This outfit can be found packaged with all three catalogues (1974, 1975 and Sindy Color catalogue) on a turquoise cardboard inset and it did not come with Sindy’s Pendant necklace.
Niza (Nice) (Ref 606)
A delightful nautical outfit, for Sindy to enjoy the beauty and attractions of the sea.
In English, Niza translates to Nice, the seaside city and resort in the south of France, and for her trip to the French coast Sindy was given a cute maritime inspired dress.
Matching the colours of the French flag, Sindy’s tricolour dress was of a soft jersey nylon. The bodice of this dress was made of navy blue jersey nylon, it had long sleeves with a V-neck front and a deep V-shaped back. The edges of the V were decorated with a horizontal navy and white cotton trim. The wide waist was made of red jersey nylon, and the generous skirt was made of white jersey nylon. The dress fastened at the back of the waist with a strip of red Velcro.
In the catalogue, there is a round gold buckle sewn to the red fabric. The buckle looks very similar to that used for ‘Otoño’ (Ref 656) and ‘Volga’ (Ref 658) below. Perhaps this outfit was simplified, or Florido was running out of buckles, and so it was omitted from some dresses because we have also seen this dress boxed with such a buckle.
Although shown in the catalogue with white shoes, this outfit came with red shoes and her white shoulder bag with a faux gold bead clasp.
Shown left on a 1st Edn with auburn hair Florido Sindy.
This outfit can be found packaged with the 1974 catalogue on a turquoise cardboard inset and it did not come with Sindy’s Pendant necklace.
We would very much like to show the dress with the buckle on the original cardboard inset if anyone has it.
Otoño (Autumn) (Ref 656)
A youthful jacket-and-trousers outfit, for Sindy to be comfortable and elegant when Autumn arrives.
Perfect for those cooler days was this stylish trouser suit.
Made from a tartan tweed, this was a smart tailored look. The hip-length jacket had a sewn-on collar, turned back revers and long straight sleeves. It fastened at the waist with a small sewn-on metal snap fastener. Buckled around her waist was a red velvet belt with a fashionable large, gold coloured buckle. Sindy’s tailored trousers were straight with a slight flare from the knees. They had side opening seams at the waist and each side fastened with a small sewn-on metal snap fastener.
This outfit came with red shoes.
Shown right on a 2nd Edn with auburn hair Florido Sindy.
Otoño is a very interesting outfit because there are several variations. We know of at least three distinguishable tartan patterns, and we would be pleased to know of any others. Even within what we think is the same pattern, different colours may be prominent depending on how the fabric was cut or with other manufacturing differences such as a tighter weave, with some colours more prominent than others. For example the version shown in the main photo above is predominantly red even though the pattern also matches the blue variation (see below).
In addition, the outfit appears to have been manufactured first with a rectangular buckle (as the boxed versions with a rectangular buckle always have the 1974 catalogue), and later on with a round buckle similar to that of Volga (we have seen this buckle with both catalogues). We detail the combinations of tartan/buckle/catalogue we have seen below.
This outfit can be found packaged with either the 1974 or the 1975 catalogue and an apple green cardboard inset. It did not come with Sindy’s Pendant necklace.
- On the left is a variant with a navy, red, and yellow tartan design, featuring a distinctive white stripe. This version comes with the 1974 catalogue and the jacket and hips of the trousers are noticeably larger than the others. It can be found with either a round or a rectangular gold-coloured buckle (as shown here). We wonder if this is an early version because of the size difference?
- Below left is the predominantly navy variant. This version appears to be the most common and closely resembles the images in the 1975 and 1976 advertisements. It can be found with either a rectangular gold-colored buckle (and the 1974 catalogue) or a round gold-colored buckle (and the 1975 catalogue). It features a navy, red, and yellow tartan design. It has neither the white stripe mentioned earlier, nor the double red and yellow stripes mentioned below.
- Below right is a green variant. We have seen with the 1974 or 1975 catalogue, always with a round buckle. In addition to adding green to the navy blue, red, and yellow tartan design, it features distinctive, very thin double stripes in both red and yellow.
We would be keen to learn what Florido collectors’ think about this smart outfit.
Tenis (Tennis) (Ref 657)
A modern and practical outfit, for Sindy to be the prettiest of all tennis players.
Tennis is a very popular sport in Spain and over the years the nation has produced a number of well-respected international players. It is no surprise therefore that Sindy had her own outfit.
Sindy wore a white acrylic knit V-neck jumper with long sleeves. Around the neckline, and highlighting the wrists and waistband were contrasting and black knitted rows giving the jumper a sporty look. Complementing Sindy’s jumper was her white drill cotton pleated sports skirt. It had a sewn-on waistband, opened down the back and fastened with a strip of white velcro. Completing the outfit was a white drill cotton bandana to tie around Sindy’s head.
She also had a detailed tennis racquet made of white plastic with a handle slot, and a tennis ball cannister made of aluminium containing three moulded resin tennis balls.
The cannister was wrapped in a pink printed label printed with the Sindy logo, a tennis racquet and three tennis balls. The cannister had a clear plastic lid moulded with a Sindy “S”.
This outfit came with white shoes.
Shown left on a 1st Edn with auburn hair Florido Sindy.
This outfit is normally found packaged with the 1975 catalogue and a turquoise cardboard inset. It did not come with Sindy’s Pendant necklace.
Just a note about this outfit. The tennis balls in the cannister can deteriorate and the resin compound used to make them may yellow with age. In the cannister they can often stick to each and become mishapen or crumble. It is worth getting them out now and then (if you can) to let the air get to them.
Volga (Ref 658)
An elegant coat, to go out on the very cold days of winter… and Sindy loves its beautiful fur collar!
The Volga is the longest river in Europe and the foremost waterway of Western Russia. Almost all of river freezes for three months of the year. It was the chilly inspiration for this smart fur-trimmed coat for Sindy.
Made from beige suedette, this was a classic wrap-styled coat with long straight sleeves and a generous sewn-on collar. The collar, turned-back revers, and the front section of the inside panels of the coat were lined with a luxurious cream faux fur. The coat came with a brown velvet ribbon belt with the same fashionable large, round gold coloured buckle as ‘Otoño’ (Ref 656) above.
A brown velvet shoulder bag with a gold-coloured chain strap and faux gold bead clasp and a pair of brown shoes came with this outfit.
Shown right on a 2nd Edn with blonde hair Florido Sindy.
This outfit can be found packaged with either the 1974 or the 1975 catalogue and with an apple green cardboard inset. It did not come with Sindy’s Pendant necklace.