Thursday, February 17, 2022

It All Started With Fashion Dolls

 Playing With Fashion Dolls


Hello everyone. I had so much fun doing this post and I hope you find it as enjoyable. I'm talking today about fashion dolls and the role they played in my life with helping me to develop a love of fashion. 

How cool is the little pink storage shelf for her headband and sunglasses?!

I must have been around eight or nine years old when I was gifted my first fashion doll. I can't remember if it was a Barbie or another type fashion doll. I seem to recall there was a Misty fashion doll that came with markers that you could use to change the color of her hair. That was lots of fun! I did have a Barbie, though, as well. She had brown hair and I loved dressing all of my fashion dolls in different outfits and doing their hair. 

Image courtesy Pinterest
This looks similar to my Misty fashion doll



Anyway, I had a bout of nostalgia today when I was shopping at Dollar Tree and saw this fashion doll that reminded me of my fashion doll from long ago. This doll is not a Barbie brand doll. Although she came with an outfit and a few accessories, I had to purchase a ball gown for her (well of course!!) as well as a few other accessories. I came home and began playing, I mean doing serious blogger styling, with her. She needs another color shoe with her ball gown but I didn't purchase extra shoes. Maybe on the next trip to Dollar Tree? I did, however, give her a bouquet to hold!


This doll came with her hair in a pony tail but I couldn't wait to take her hair down and mess with it! One of her accessories is a little comb, so I combed her hair and then I just had to give her an updo to wear with her ball gown! She came with several headbands so I used the purple headband as a tiara style with her updo. Like I said, I was having SO MUCH FUN! By the way, does anyone else look at this doll's face and see Katy Perry? For some reason, she reminds me of her. 

I truly loved my fashion dolls when I was a little girl and took them everywhere we me in a little cloth suitcase. That way, I was able to play with them wherever I went. I have to admit that kids have it pretty good nowadays with Dollar Tree stores. When I was little it was a big deal to get a new outfit for my dolls. Sometimes, my mom or one of my sisters made fashion doll clothes for me. That was really cool. Today, kids just can go to Dollar Tree and buy a new outfit for $1 (now $1.25--inflation you know!) I loved the whole kit and kaboodle when it came to the doll's fashion. Shoes, dresses, jewelry, hats, coats, you name it. I felt like a grown-up when I dressed my dolls and pretended they were having "groovy" adventures. (Sixties and seventies lingo, hah!) As I got older my interest began to wain a bit because I was getting into my own early teenage fashion. My last fashion doll was a Crissy doll. Remember her? Her hair was red and when you pushed a button on her belly her hair would grow and then she had a knob on her back to wind the hair back up to be short. Oh how I loved messing with her hair! I think I still have my Crissy doll stored away along with some of the doll clothes my mom made for her.  

Image courtesy Wikipedia


So, did playing with fashion dolls when I was little contribute to my love for and enjoyment of fashion today? While I don't think it was the only thing that contributed, I certainly think it had a lot to do with it. I feel that, as an adult, when I put outfits together and find just the right jewelry or shoes to wear I am becoming a bit of a life size fashion doll having the same fun and enjoyment that I had when I was nine years old! (Dare I say groovy fun and enjoyment???)

I have to admit that I got kind of excited playing with my fashion doll this evening and getting her all prettied up for this photo shoot. Is 63 too old to play with dolls? Nah....especially since I wasn't REALLY playing. I was doing serious fashion doll research for this post. I may need to do more serious research in the future.....so there may be another trip to Dollar Tree for a few new outfits. And shoes. After all, my fashion doll can't wear pink shoes with everything!!

Until Next Time,
Debbie




7 comments:

onceuponatimehappilyeverafter.com said...

I absolutely see Katy Perry!! So funny.

Love this post. I play Barbies with my granddaughters. My 11-year-old grand creates these elaborate storylines we act out. It is a lot of fun. Sometimes we play via Facetime because we live 500 miles apart. That pink and purple dress is really cute as is the evening gown. Are they both Dollar Tree items? I need to get some new clothes for my Barbies. When the grands visit we pull them out and play. And dressing and redressing is the best part of that.

I played Barbies through middle school. Also cut out people from the Sears catalog and made them paper dolls. Had a whole collection of those paper dolls.

Thanks for a unique post.

Debbie Styles Life said...

How wonderful to play Barbies with your grands! I know you must have a blast and playing via Facetime is just awesome! Yes, the pink and purple dress actually came with the doll and I bought the gold ball gown separately. I'm so glad you enjoyed the post. Have a great weekend!

Karen Anderson said...

This brought back memories for me! I still remember the excitement of going with my parents and my sister to get our first Barbie dolls. My sister was older and allowed to choose first. She got the only blond doll they had. My Barbie has a dark, what in those days was called a bubble cut and a black and white striped swimsuit. We had to make all their clothes, but we had fun doing that. We'd be gifted an outfit for birthdays and Christmas. Also got the Midge dolls a few years later and the younger sister Skipper. We weren't allowed to have Ken dolls because my mother thought that was just wrong to have a "naked" guy when we were kind of young. I think it's wonderful that you got the doll and had so much fun with it! I have only grandsons who are all grown up, so I'd have to do like you and buy one for me!!

Sharon said...

You mentioned that dressing fashion dolls influenced your love of fashion. I think it influenced my love of sewing. Although it was hard as a child to sew such tiny clothing, I gave it a try. It was fun to take fabric scraps from items my mother made and use the scraps to design and make clothing for fashion dolls.

Debbie Styles Life said...

Hi Karen: I'm so glad this post brought back some memories of excitement and fun from your childhood. Like you, birthdays and Christmas were times I got new (store bought) outfits for my dolls. I didn't have a Midge doll but, at some point, I got a Ken doll. I didn't like him as much, though, cause I didn't really care about his fashion and hair. I think my mom held off on Ken for quite awhile, just like your Mom! Go get yourself a doll and have fun styling it!

Debbie Styles Life said...

Hi Sharon: I'll bet the sewing you did for your fashion dolls produced beautiful outfits for them! How much fun you must have had!

Iris said...

Oh goodness, I love this post. I was too old for the Barbies and 'fashion dolls' when I was growing up... so a few years ago I started collecting Barbies and making clothes for them. Had quite a business going for awhile and still have a few of the outfits. I've mentioned them on my website, but haven't gotten around to getting them out and photographing them again.

It was fun designing and making all the different evening outfits.
Iris