Valley of the Dolls

Antique Czech Glass Charms

Pear Blossoms in the Spring

This is Tara Lynn.

When I was a kid, I asked a local old man dressed as Santa for 'the red Western Barbie'. He told me that was a popular request that year, which made me worried I would not get her.

I don't like red very much. I wasn't into country Western stuff beyond liking horses. At the time, I didn't know about Barbie face sculpts or that this Steffie faced doll was in a really unusual color combo - I just thought this lady was cool and classy as fuck.

She came with a hat, which I do have, but I'm not in love with it. (See previous statement about Western wear.)

Something about Tara Lynn just got me back then and still does now. Though when I was a kid, she was more often looking like this

She was a beacon of beauty and wisdom in the games I played. I sometimes wonder if she subconsciously influenced an original character I would make later.

My pic for Day 9 “Vintage” for @look-back-month-challenge. Vintage party for the Disney princesses! All thoses outfits are from the Barbies of my childhood!

Day Dress

c.1855

England

This type of widely protruding skirt that appeared around the middle of the 19th century came to be known later under the name of the "crinoline style." As can be seen with this dress, large design motifs proved immensely effective on these voluminous skirts. The border pattern here is wood-block printed and repeats every 20.6 cm. Compared to small-scale designs, large patterns require a solid technique to avoid misalignment of the print colors. Considering that this mixed fabric of silk and wool is a material hard to print on, this dress with its bright and cheerful colors is a particularly fine example on how much cloth printing techniques had evolved.