 |
| Prince William & Kate Middleton |
Keep your hand up if you dreamed about someday wearing fabulous outfits like Barbie's.
Barbie Dolls Were All About Romance
If you have your hand up, would I be wrong in suggesting you are a romantic at heart? Playing with Barbies was all about imagining a romantic fantasy life.
Did your preteen hours fly by in creative play with Barbie, Ken, Midge, Skipper and friends? It was a fun way to daydream about boys, dates, clothes, a wedding, adventures, and exciting careers.
It isn't a leap to speculate that many future romance authors and readers spent rainy weekend afternoons hooking up Barbie and Ken on exciting dates that ended in a proposal and wedding before dinner. The Bachelor, anyone?
In my childhood during the 60s, Barbies were the only dolls on the market that looked vaguely like real teens and adults. I hear you sputter. I used the word vaguely. No real human was that skinny and buxom. At least not naturally. Mattel has come a long way in that regard, no question.
Over the decades, Mattel's iconic doll, while still a clothes horse, started to represent diversity. The company tapped into feminist teen interests, designing outfits for many hobbies and careers. Apparently Barbie has had over 200 careers!
Nathalie Atkinson writes in her March 2 article in the Globe and Mail, "As Barbie turns 60, she's become more than a toy, but a symbol of what girls can be." Barbie didn't have a professional engineer outfit back then (or ever), but that didn't stop me from becoming one. Engineers can wear ball gowns too!
Barbie Haute Couture Exhibit
As a lover of Barbie dolls and fashion, you can imagine how excited I was to visit Barbie Expo in Montreal, Canada. It is the largest permanent exhibit of Barbie dolls in the world.
Scroll down for the photos I took of custom dolls wearing beautiful miniature designer dresses representing fashion from the late 1800s through the 1900s. (Please excuse the lights reflected by the glass cases.)
Which Barbie outfit is/was your favorite?
Madelle
Madelle's Books
BORROW Caught on Camera and Seduced by the Screenwriter from your library via Overdrive.
BUY LINKS
Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com.au | Kobo | Apple Books | Walmart
BUY LINKS
Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.com.au
Kobo | Apple Books | Walmart
Madelle's romantic thriller DiamondHunter is a free read in Kindle
Unlimited.
Follow Madelle on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Wattpad.
For giveaways and new releases, subscribe to Madelle’s blog at www.MadelleMorgan.com.
4 comments:
Wow! Never had a Barbie - I was graduating high school (if I did the math right) when Barbie was "born" however, she's been such a larger than life part of, at least North American life, that I certainly know who she is. My grands both had Barbie dolls and I'm assuming one will make it into the arms of my great grand. As for the clothes? Beautiful to look at but I can't imagine me wearing any of the outfits. Too fussy, too uncomfortable looking to even try one of them on. But that's me...give me a couple pair of jeans and shirts, shoes and a couple pair of socks and I'm good for a week.
I loved playing with my Barbie. My best friend and I would spend hours dreaming up scenarios that would involve her Ken doll in some romance or other. Somewhere along the way I got a tiny doll, the perfect size for Barbie's child, and so I had to borrow my older brother's GI Joe to play the part of husband and father - for propriety's sake, hehe.
My Barbie didn't have a ton of clothes but she did have a few ball gowns and slip-on shoes in various colours. Flowery handkerchiefs wrapped sarong style and held in place with straight pins make fabulous dresses. My favourites of all her clothes were the outfits my Grammy O knitted - tiny sweaters and skirts and coats. I still have my Barbie and all her clothes.
I was already married when Barbie made her debut. I grew up playing with paper dolls. When I was young, I was called Barbie, because my name is Barbara. I'm so glad I had ditched that nickname by the time the Barbie doll appeared.
I do remember playing with Barbie and Ken and acting out a variety of scenarios that probably also mimicked Elvis Presley beach movies. :) As for all the fashion, I didn't pay attention to that. Partly because beyond the main dolls, we could never afford to buy all the other things. I did have an aunt who made clothing for the dolls, however they were more reflective of what we wore--basic cotton shifts for dresses, and lots of pants and tops for running around outside. I suspect that lack of fashion education growing up is a reason that I still prefer comfy, not fussy clothing.
Post a Comment