Hi! Earlier this year, a kind online friend sent me a generous gift of some vintage Barbie dolls and clothing for them. One of the dolls was the Skipper (Barbie’s little sister, from 1963) in these photos. Also, years ago, an old friend gave me the gift of the other doll, Francie (Barbie’s modern cousin, from 1965) and some amazing outfits for her. So, these two pals of mine started me down the vintage Barbie trail!
I’ve since discovered a whole world of vintage Barbie on Instagram, where collectors set up elaborate and wonderful scenes with their dolls, dressed to the nines in pristine vintage clothing and accessories.
So, for a few months now, I’ve been spending time on ebay admiring the beautiful (and quite expensive) old dolls and clothing. One item I kept my eye out for was this red velvet coat for Skipper. The coat originally came with a hat, purse, gloves, socks and shoes, but all I “needed” was the coat. I eventually found it for $15 Cdn, including shipping, which might seem like a lot to pay for something like that, but, trust me, I’m a frugal shopper and that was a very good price for the tiny garment made in 1963, which still included all of it’s original buttons and snaps. So, while I didn’t spend a dime on clothing for myself to wear over the holidays, Skipper got a new/old coat!
↑ This image of a page from the catalogue was found on the internet. ↑
Then, of course, the girls needed some accessories to go with their outfits. I made a leather purse for Francie, which actually opens up, and a Christmas corsage brooch. Skipper got a crocheted hat. They both got a scarf, Skipper’s crocheted to match her hat, and Francie’s made from felt. Each of them got a nicely wrapped gift to carry.
The premise was that they were on their way to Barbie’s place for a party.
This is the third photoshoot I’ve done with the dolls so far. If you’d like to see those, this one is from years ago and features Francie and the clothes I received, and this one from this summer, after I’d been given Skipper and Ken’s friend Allan.
Francie is actually a little bit smaller than the classic vintage Barbie, so the clothes my friend sent me for Barbie are a bit too big for her. And now, I’m stalking ebay with my finger over the button to acquire one of the gorgeous old dolls on sale there. Hey, I’ve been sent some Christmas money from my beloved in-laws and gift money is supposed to be spent of gifts, right?! Stay tuned, Barbie might be present in the next Vintage Doll Photoshoot seen on these pages!
Thanks for visiting. Wishing you a merry Christmas if it’s a holiday you celebrate.
xo loulou
