Beautiful Laura Ashley dolls by Geoffrey and produced by Lotus Onda were first sold in 2001 by Toys R Us. They share the same general configuration as American Girl dolls, being articulated, soft-bodied dolls with distinctive "Geoffrey" doll type faces. Each comes with a non-removable Laura Ashley charm bracelet.

There are five (known) dolls in this collection: hazel-eyed brunette Rebecca Louise, blue-eyed blonde Marissa Lynn, aqua-eyed platinum Corinne Marie, green-eyed auburn Katherine Alyse, and brown-eyed, dark-brown haired Alana Michelle. (Other hair/eye combinations may be available.) Corinne Marie and Katherine Alyse have fair skin, Rebecca Louise and Marissa Lynne have medium skin, and Alana Michelle has medium-dark skin.

CORINNE MARIE, REBECCA LOUISE, KATHERINE ALYSE, MARISSA LYNN, AND ALANA MICHELLE

The dolls have a rosy-tint to their skin that contrasts with American Girls' more neutral-tints, and thick, mostly wavy hair of decent quality. The amount of wave can vary from doll to doll. (My personal Marissa Lynn has beautiful, luxurious waves, while Rebecca Louise's hair has only a slight amount of wave in comparison.) Likewise, different versions of the same doll can have different hair types.

DIFFERENT HAIR TEXTURES: MARISSA LYNN, REBECCA LOUISE, AND ALANA MICHELLE

ALANA MICHELLE with STRAIGHT SILKY HAIR (left) and TEXTURED WAVY HAIR (right)

While the rooted hair on all the dolls is fairly nice and full, it's not a versatile as it could be and is probably meant to be kept in its original style: letting it down from the complex system of pony tails each girl comes with may reveal some thin spots at the top. It is however still very workable.

MARISSA LYNNE and ALANA MICHELLE in their ORIGINAL HAIR STYLES

All the girls possess long hair, though Alana Michelle, Katherine Alyse, and Corinne Marie have bangs/fringe while Marissa Lynn and Rebecca Louise don't. This is a personal observation however; there may be exceptions.

Laura Ashley dolls have beautiful, brilliant colored eyes with long, feathery, curled lashes. Unfortunately, they have a tendency towards "red" silver eye, and some dolls may gradually acquire red, purple, or violet eyes over time.

CORINNE MARIE SUFFERING FROM "RED EYE" (left) and with her ORIGINAL EYE COLOR (right)

Laura Ashley dolls have arched eyebrows, painted lashes, and cherry-red lips which gives them a "made up" and slightly older look than some 18" dolls. 
 

KATHRYN ALYSE
 

Conversely, Laura Ashley dolls can be shorter than American Girl dolls, some standing at about 17" (44cm) tops. Their heads are slightly larger around while their cloth bodies are somewhat slimmer. As they are produced by the Lotus Onda doll company, they share an identical body type with other Lotus Onda dolls such as Gali Girls, My London Girl, and Today's Girl.

LAURA ASHLEY (L) DOLLS HAVE AN IDENTICAL BODY TYPE TO OTHER LOTUS DOLLS SUCH AS GALI GIRLS DOLLS (R)

Their vinyl is softer and more pliable than American Girl dolls and their cloth torsos are more loosely stuffed, so they may not stand as sturdily as a result. Their heads sometimes sit at a slightly down-tilted angle, vaguely giving them a coy or shy appearance.
 

Their arms and legs are shorter than American Girls and they stand with a distinct, pigeon-toed posture. With very few exceptions, they can wear American Girl doll clothes though some clothing may fit a bit loosely around the torso.  Laura Ashley dolls' hands and feet are noticeably smaller than American Girl's, which makes them less likely to stand steadily, and they may not share shoes as well as they could.

 

AMERICAN GIRL CAROLINE ABBOT AND LAURA ASHLEY DOLL MARISSA LYNN
 

	Pleasant Company AG	Mattel AG	Laura Ashley
height	18" / 46cm	18" / 46cm	17" / 44cm
head	12 1/4" / 31cm	12" / 30.5cm	12 1/2" / 32cm
chest	11 1/2" / 29cm	11 1/4" /28.5cm	10 3/4" / 27cm
waist	11 1/4" /28.5cm	10 1/2" / 26.5cm	10 1/2" / 26.5cm
hips	12 1/2" / 32cm	12" / 30.5cm	11 1/4" / 28.5 cm

The measurements are approximate. Individual dolls may vary.

 

The dolls come in several different starter outfits, often sharing the starter outfits among them, as there does not seem to be any one outfit designated for any doll. They may also come in a rare, collector starter outfit, such as the cheerleader dress below.

    
CORINNE MARIE in DIFFERENT STARTER OUTFITS
 

Laura Ashley doll fashions are also available for purchase separately and these can be found on eBay for around $10 to $30. For the creative collector or sewing fan, McCalls sells Laura Ashley 18" doll clothes patterns, which include clothing as well as nice accessories patterns such as hats and purses.
 

LAURA ASHLEY DOLL FASHIONS