Sindy in the 1980s
During the 1980s Sindy experimented with a variety of hair styles, and eventually had complete reconstructive surgery.
1981 Party Time doll with pigtails. This doll was accompanied by a vinyl record. Probably relased around the same time as the Party Time doll, Show Jumper Sindy also had pigtails. This doll is not pictured in any of my cataloges or mentioned in Mansell.
In 1981 the first short-haired Sindy since the 1976 Funtime was introduced. Inspired by the newly popular Princess Diana, the new short hairstyle was worn by the 1981 Sunshine Sindy, and 1982 Party Girl, Holiday Girl and Pop Star Sindys. 1982 saw the Styling Sindy, with waist-length straight hair.

In 1982 a new ballet outfit was introduced. While blonde Active dolls continued to wear the popular pink and white outfit, brunette and auburn dolls now wore a silver leotard, opaque white tights, white skirt and white shoes.

1984's Masquerade doll was one of Pedigree's most elaborate Sindy dolls. Her hair was thickly rooted along the hairline and swept on top of her head into a shock of tight curls.
1984's Beach Party doll had long, side-parted hair. Most often found in a pale platinum blonde, she was also available with auburn and brunette hair. The 1984 Star Dance had long, curly pigtails.
The 1984 Cut 'n' Style doll had growing hair. Equipped with a non-growing short layered bob, a long twist of hair could be inserted into a compartment in her back and pulled through a hole in the top of her head. The doll was sold with two twists of growing hair. The 1985 Space Fantasy was Pedigree's most unusual doll. Abandoning Sindy's usual realism, this doll had pink hair rooted tightly around her hairline, and wore an alienesque silver and pink outfit.
1985's Shaping Up doll had long thick hair worn in two thick plaits. The 1985 Starlight doll was dressed for the disco with an opalescent jumpsuit and long side-parted crimped hair. Available as a blonde or brunette, this doll was probably a Beach Party with crimped hair.
The 1985 Premiere Sindy had masses of side-parted curly ash-blonde hair.
In 1985 a new one-piece ballet outfit replaced the two-piece leotard-and-skirt model. The new outfit was an extremely pretty white and silver tutu with separate puffed-sleeves and a pink rosebud at the waist.
In 1986 Sindy abandoned her hairstylist and instead hired a cosmetic surgeon. In this the last of the Pedigree years the "New Face Sindy" was introduced. This doll had smaller eyes and a slimmer face than her predecessor, as well as painted eyelashes, blue eye-shadow and a small smile. Most of the New Face dolls were available only with ash-blonde hair. The single exception was the Colour Magic doll, whose light brown hair changed to blue when wet.

For many Sindy fans (myself included) this year and this remodelling signalled the end of Sindy's golden era.
In 1987 Sindy was bought by Hasbro, who extensively remodelled her in subsequent years. A succession of new faces and bodies were introducted but none achieved the popularity of the 1975-85 Sindys. During the 1990s Hasbro's Sindy so came to resemble Mattel's Barbie that the latter engaged in litigation which resulted in Sindy's removal from American stores. An article by Frances Baird in Doll Magazine discusses this era. The Sindy doll name is now owned by Vivid Imaginations. Currently available only in the UK, Vivid's Sindy line can be seen on their official web site at www.sindy.com.