The first of the Barbie Hair Fair sets, #4042, was released in 1968. This set has a Barbie head with pageboy, a flip wig, a "wiglet," a very long braid with an intertwined ribbon and a gold barrette, and a hairband with a braid and roses. Blonde heads and hairpieces are much more abundant than the brunette items.
The 1968 booklets show two different packages. In the booklet The World of Barbie Fashions Book 1, dated 1967, the actual 1968 #4042 Hair Fair Set with green and purple packaging is shown.
The booklet The World of Barbie Fashions Book One (note that this version has the digit spelled out) is dated 1968 and was released in early 1969. It has 1969 clothing pictured, but the new Talking Ken is not yet shown and some of the girl dolls are shown in their 1968 outfits. Ironically, this later booklet has what I believe is a prototype package for #4042, with faceless dolls pictured and what looks like the 1965 American Girl Barbie.
What is a "wiglet"? It's actually a very fancy chignon or bun. Put it on the top of the head a doll wearing a ballgown.
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| Barbie in Team Ups wears the hairband and holds two braids with darker pink ribbons. Barbie in Zokko wears a full wig and holds a braid with a lighter pink ribbon. |
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| The actual 1968 4042 Hair Fair packaging shows two Barbies, Francie and Casey wearing hairpieces. |
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| It's my theory that the 68/69 booklet shows a prototype of 4042 Hair Fair, with incomplete faces and no plastic covering. |
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