Glamour and glitter, fashion and fame
This may be my most ironic custom yet: the Jem Barbie!
Ironic due to the fact that Jem is a character from a line of dolls (complete with a tie-in cartoon to sell them) that was in direct competition with Mattel’s Barbie until a designer from Mattel got the scoop on Hasbro’s Jem line and beat them to the toy shelves with their ripoff version Barbie and the Rockers. (Since the Rockers came out first, some people still think Jem copied Barbie.)
I felt a little old for the cartoon in the late ’80s, but I always loved the glam/punk aesthetic of the characters, especially Jem. As a Barbie-head, I was not enamored of the Hasbro dolls. They came out with Fashion Royalty upgrades of Jem and the Holograms and many other characters from the show several years ago, but to my eyes the dolls look older than the characters are supposed to be (not to mention they’re hella expensive and rare, to boot…but very well-made).
So I just had to try and make my own Barbie doll of Jem. I had a lot of fun watching the entire series recently, but nothing beats the original opening credits. So that opening sequence — along with some touches from the Integrity version — inspired my take on the outrageous glam rocker.
“It’s showtime, Synergy!” My version of the Jemstar earrings are a standard five-point star instead of a seven-point like on the show. I preferred this type of star not only because it is a recurrent motif in the fashion of the show but also because of the whole Hollywood/showbiz angle.
Inspired by the credits, Jem has bare legs. Inspired by the Integrity Toys Jem doll, her dress is more of a hot pink over bubblegum pink and she has a bracelet.
The bracelet is actually a people-sized ear cuff. I chose an oil slick/rainbow color meant to represent a hologram ;)
I’ve never been one for fringe. So I didn’t want to use the belt Jem wears in the credits. I saw this one on Etsy and loved it. Hearts are not used much in the style of the Jem-verse, but they are totally ’80s. Since this belt is also rhinestone glittery, I thought it was perfect.
The super cute detail on the back of the belt…aaaaand some REALLY big ’80s hair.
Singing “I Believe in Happy Endings”
I love these pumps. They really conjure the ’80s and luckily (but by pure happenstance) match her dress.
Enough pink to be a true Mattel Barbie.
My other nod to the Integrity version are these shiny silver tights. This is now just an alternate version of my Jem Barbie because they don’t really fit in her shoes and give her cankles haha
I used a watercolor pencil for her eye makeup, but I didn’t seal it because I wanted to remove it before storing her.
Are you and your friends Jem girls? Come on, come on and be a Jem girl!
Oh, Steffie, you’re so fine
You’re so fine you blow my mind! Hey, Steffie! *clapclapclap* Hey, Steffie! *clapclapclap*
My love affair with the Steffie head mold began with this doll, Hispanic Barbie from 1979.
Yes, her name is unfortunate in that some people consider the term offensive. But I love this doll and have for decades. She lives in my closet in the Golden Dream Barbie case. I’ve had her at least 35 years! And she is bee-yoo-ti-full! Not only is her raven hair to-die-for, but the Steffie face with the understated makeup is sweet and gorgeous.
I adore her outfit and accessories, too. The choker with the rose is such a unique detail. I also remembering it emerging as a fashion trend in the early ’90s.
Above are the accessories she’s not wearing: necklace, a different way to customize her earrings, and a hair comb. The comb is my favorite! Always has been. Another unique accessory.
Apparently I lost one of her earrings in a grocery store parking lot when I was around 5 years old. The story — which my mom still tells! — goes that I completely flipped out and we spent an inordinate amount of time looking for it. But we did find it! And that’s why her accessories have ever since been imprisoned in this teeny lil’ Ziploc.
I wonder if she’s so beloved because she reminded me of my favorite pre-school/daycare teacher.
Other treasured Steffies in my collection include:
Hawaiian Barbie (1982)
PJ from the Barbie & Friends set (1982)
OOAK Rogue
OOAK Lara Means
Oshogatsu (Happy New Year Japanese) Barbie #2 (~1995)
Sweet Roses PJ
Dream Date PJ
Parisian Barbie (1979)
Parisian Barbie (1991)
Life in the Dreamhouse Midge
Wow, I thought I’d have a lot more than that! Perhaps my collection is weighted more heavily toward my second favorite head mold, the Mackie/closed mouth. I may have to do a post on that, too.
But my wish list of Steffie face Barbies I’d like to have is probably a mile long!
Merry holidays!
Happy holidays from me (Remy), Barbie, and 1988!
Isn’t her hair just absolutely INSANE? And insanely awesome?!?
I hope everyone has a wonderful winter :)
Chinoiserie dream
As I mentioned in an earlier post, I was such a Barbie devotee that when I lived in Japan as a child, I only wanted Takara Barbie dolls, not Takara Jenny — even though they were identical twins!
However, circa 1986, I saw something so amazing that I had to make an exception to my “Barbie only” rule: Takara Jenny’s “China Dress” outfit from the “Collector’s Dress” series.
I’ve long adored this Chinese-style dress called a cheongsam or qipao. I wonder if this doll outfit is where my love affair began.
This is actually a Takara Barbie doll modeling Jenny’s outfit. The gold and the peach colors are surprising — and beautiful together. The pattern is lovely.
Here is a closer look at the collar and closures.
This is a card that came with the fashion set.
A side view.
Close-up of the slit to the thigh (there is only one, on the right side). Her shoes are one of my favorite parts of the ensemble: clear with gold glitter!
Above is the front of the package the dress came in. I can’t believe I kept it! The outfit cost 2200 yen, which is about $22 nowadays. Back in the ’80s, that was about $11. Kind of expensive for a girl, back then, but I do think this whole set is worth it. Especially because there’s more! The accessories…
Gold folding fan with white fur trim and a ruby-like bead accent on the wrist strap. (The fan doesn’t actually fold open or closed. It is flat.)
White fur stole and gold evening bag. Doesn’t she look like she’s about to go on a date to the opening night of a Chinese opera?
And above is the back of the package, which is a real treat in that it’s a mini-catalog of the other offerings in the “Collector’s Dress” series: Ballerina, Boxing, School Dress, Tennis, and Golf.
Prize inside the box
Sure, the doll herself is the true treasure inside a Barbie box, but there used to be a neat little bonus tucked behind the cardboard Barbie was tied to by some knot-obsessed perfectionist with a fetish for thread and wire ties. I’m not sure if this is still the case, as I rarely debox dolls, but back in my childhood the highlight for me of opening the Barbie (bad collector!) wasn’t actually getting my mitts on the doll. It was fishing out the “World of Fashion” Barbie catalog to do some serious window shopping. I always think of it as a catalog, although others refer to it as a booklet or pamphlet.
This catalog is from 1981.
These illustrations are amazing! I also was fond of the catalogs that had real photos of the dolls and fashions.
Please forgive the flash. I just didn’t have the time to put into scanning this booklet. So I took a shortcut. Notice Pink & Pretty Christie. She’s dressed in white here, but the actual doll comes in the same pink version as Barbie, which is a shame because I think the white looks great and would totally buy that doll.
These pamphlets are a great resource for identifying Barbie and Friends fashion.
Hey, there’s Best Buy #3636, one of my favorites!
Never been much of a Ken fan, but #1931 here cracks me up. Surprised they offered such an “ensemble” but more tickled at his proud Superman-like pose in showing off his skivvies!
My First Barbie wasn’t actually my first Barbie, but it was great that she was designed to be easy to dress — and very sweet looking and pretty as well.
#3787 has been on my wish list for a while now. No luck yet in locating one for sale. I’m actually starting to dig #3788, too.
Skipper’s not my favorite either, but I do think it’s cute how she has that “copying older sister” thing in that her outfits here seem to echo some of Barbie’s above.
So I’m still window shopping a bit in viewing these catalogs, but looking through this particular one, I realize how many of the dolls and fashions I had as a girl:
- Western Barbie
- Golden Dream Barbie
- My First Barbie
- Happy Birthday Barbie
- Pink & Pretty Barbie
- Magic Curl Barbie
- Best Buy Fashions #3636, 3641, and IIRC 3642.
I’m worried that I was spoiled, but then I remembered that I received these items over the course of several years, not all at once or even within the same year. It seems that the same Barbies were offered over a period of a few years rather than new ones constantly replacing the old on the shelves. At least that’s my impression from seeing the same dolls and fashions in the catalog above also featured in catalogs from other years.
BTW, if you’ve never deboxed dolls or only deboxed ones with no prize of a pamphlet inside, you can find ones from different years on eBay.
Fashion show
Barbie had some time to kill, went rummaging in her closet, and decided to try on a few things!
(I’m still trying to identify one of the pieces, but here are a handful of Barbie outfits that — mostly — survived my childhood. The model is Ralph Lauren Barbie, who is patiently awaiting her transformation into a custom doll.)
Just a sweet little summery dress to go to the park or shopping.
(From Twice as Nice Reversible Fashions #4825.) Another pick that should keep Barbie cool on her way to see X-Men: Days of Future Past at the theater followed by a few games at the arcade and maybe a little shopping at the mall.
(Best Buy #5719. One of my faves as a kid. I still like it, but it’s a shame about the black detailing around the waist. Not too tragic looking, but needs fixing. ) Our girl B. can head to the carnival to brave the rides and feast on some cotton candy, funnel cake, and corndogs.
(Fashion Fantasy #5539.) Barbie’s favorite workout/dance class/rehearsal outfit. She’s an ’80s girl at heart and looooooves her legwarmers.
(And last but not least, my absolute favorite: Best Buy #3636.) One of her faves for going out for drinks with the girls.
Made in Japan
Introducing my Takara Barbie collection. I was such a loyal Barbie collector that when living in Japan in the ’80s I would only buy the Takara Barbie, not Takara Jenny — even though they looked exactly alike! Here is the prize and jewel of my Takara Barbies, Kimono Barbie (Japanese Traditional Style):
Isn’t she darling? IIRC, she was the most expensive of the ones I bought/got bought for me.
Here’s a close-up. Note her earrings.
Take a look at her super kawaii heart-shaped pink(!) ring:
Here’s a great thing about the Takara B’s: the stand braces in front and behind the legs. Tricky to get them in there, but makes for a very secure display situation. Note her shoes, called geta:
Finally, a preview of the rest of my Takaras. I’ve got future posts planned for them:
Stay golden
One of my top three faves from childhood — probably why she’s still around more or less intact — is that billion-dollar beauty, Golden Dream Barbie:
She reminds me of Elvira from Scarface, although Elvira’s style was not nearly this ostentatious. Maybe Golden Dream Barbie is a flashy girlfriend of Elvira’s ;)
Her box has seen better days, but I think it’s an indication of how favored she was that I didn’t discard it. I kept her numerous (oh-so-much fun) accessories in this pink My Melody case.
Speaking of cases, probably my favorite one ever:
Here’s our golden gal on the way home from the discothèque after dancing her feet off:
I loveloveLOVED her clear Cinderella-ish shoes:
You’re a Superstar; yes, that’s what you are
Here is my Japanese Superstar Barbie collection, a trio of lovelies:
When I was a kid, my parents got me these dolls when we lived in Japan. I had no idea they are rare or sought-after or really anything special (other than to me personally) until I came across this Flickr pool of Japanese Barbie Exclusives. I didn’t even know they’d made more than three types of this Barbie. Oh, how I wish I’d kept them in their boxes — or even just kept the boxes!
Icees and the Barbie aisle
Getting a Coca-Cola or Blue Raspberry Icee to enjoy while going around Kmart and other department stores and five-and-dimes — and always making sure to hit the Barbie aisle — is still one of my happiest childhood memories.
Decades later, I still make sure to look at the Barbies at whatever store I’m in, time permitting.
So that’s how this joint got its name.
Why don’t you grab a virtual Icee and take a stroll down the Aisle?
The Barbie Aisle 