At first, Fulla was developed to have long coal black hair streaked with auburn and brown eyes, but later, dolls with lighter hair and eyes were introduced. The product development team considered about 10 different faces before deciding on her look.
Fulla is not the first doll to wear the hijab, a traditional Islamic head covering worn outside the house so a woman's hair cannot be seen by men outside her family. Mattel markets a group of collectors' dolls that include a Moroccan Barbie and a doll called Leila, intended to represent a Muslim slave girl in an Ottoman court. In Iran, toy shops sell a veiled doll called Sara. A Michigan-based company markets a veiled doll called Razanne, selling primarily to Muslims in the United States and Britain.
She was dressed in a black abaya and head scarf for the Saudi market, but no veil in other markets; because the product development didn't want to "go to extremes." For more liberal countries, Fulla has a white scarf and pastel coat. Her outdoor clothes have since become more colorful, but her shoulders are always covered and the skirt always falls below her knees, as traditionally, Muslim women (and men) are expected to dress conservatively. Her indoor clothes, however, are designed like modern outfits and include skirts, swimwear, and even lingerie.
