Doris talks Barbie and the Importance of the Fashion Doll from 18th, 19th, and 20th Century

Hello The Way We Wore Fans,

Guess what we are talking about today? Barbie, yes the iconic fashion doll. The interesting thing about the parallels between dolls and fashion is they stem all the way back to 14th century where dolls were sent to ruling families and the courts they held to showcase fashions and the fine intricate work of the artisans that made the garments and embellishments. Marie Antoinette before traveling to France to marry Louis XVI had dolls sent to her wearing the latest garments worn at court, these dolls were almost life size and she would play with them much to the chagrin of her mother Empress Maria Theresa. Pandora was the name of the doll/mannequin sent to European courts. Prior to models wearing fashions on runways dolls served as a way to display the latest designs of the season. Dolls became more of a play-thing for children in the 18th and 19th century but it was after World War 2 that France in order to help the French Relief created a traveling show that showcased the latest in fashion by designers. In order to work with the rationing of the time they scaled their designs to fit 27.5" inch dolls. Designers such as Balmain, Worth, Schiaparelli, and Madame Gres created multipe garments for the international traveling show. The idea of a fashion doll for children is what lead to Barbie in 1959, whose looks and garments reference the designs of the time. We hope you enjoy this episode on dolls and fashion.

Correction at 10:03 in the video there is a spelling error, here is the correct spelling Lucien Lelong.

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Starring: Doris Raymond ( Owner of The Way We Wore)
Directors/Producers/Editors: Michael Amato @agaymarieantoinette