Barbie Dress For Barbara

“We Girls Can Do Anything!”~Barbie slogan, circa 1985

My cousin Elizabeth’s real first name is Barbara. She is our grandma’s namesake, but family calls her Elizabeth, her middle name. School friends and work colleagues all call her Barbara. She just so happens to share her name with someone else who she loves, Barbara Millicent Roberts. Who of course everyone calls Barbie.

So since the name fits I’ll break with family tradition, and call her Barbara in this post! HA!

Barbara bought this replica Barbie dress online, and on sale. When it came in the mail, much to her disappointment, it didn’t fit her. She couldn’t return it. Whatever could be done? I had some ideas but at the time did not feel confident enough to try to alter it. So it sat in my closet for a while.

The back of the dress had a zipper, complete with a Barbie silhouette zipper pull. The problem Barbara was having was that, because of her scoliosis, the left side of the dress wouldn’t close. To top it off, the dress was made out of a soft linen fabric, and had very specific trims and appliques. It would be very hard to match.

I was nervous to alter this dress. It is the replica of the Suburban Shopper Barbie dress, circa 1959. This dress is a very iconic Barbie look!

It came in more than one color.

It was the defining look for the shopping Barbie of 1959.

It was even featured on Barbie cases of the era. No pressure, right?

The first thing I did was take the skirt apart from the bodice. I would need to add panels in the back to specifically fit Barbara. Since the skirt was very gathered, I figured I could let some of the gathers out to match the new bodice I would build. Matching the fabric would be hard, and the trims and appliques even harder! I had a plan though!

I put the bodice of the dress on Edna, Barbara’s homemade dress form. This would help me know exactly where I needed to add panels, and adjust the straps. One of Barbara’s shoulders is lower than the other, so I would have to get that to fit. Plus make it look straight while she wears it.

Since the skirt part of the dress was long, I decided to cut some off of the bottom, and use the fabric for the bodice pieces I needed, and save the trim for the add on.

I picked the trim off of the cut off piece and discovered that it was made up of a strip of white linen fabric with an overlay sewn on top of it. So as I picked it off, I pinned it together.

I then sewed it together to make the placement of it on the dress easier.

I then had to pick apart where the straps were sewn. I was going to have to adjust the straps as mentioned and this would be the best way.

I measured and figured what I would need to do to make the bodice fit. I cut the pieces out of the excess bottom of the skirt, and sewed in onto the bodice back. The pinned part is where the zipper would go. First I had to attach the skirt to the bodice.

Now here’s the thing about attaching the bodice; Yes, the skirt was gathered but it also had pleats in the front which give it a unique flow. This design element is on the dress and also on Barbie’s original dress. I was going to have to keep that look, and gather to fit the new bodice size.

So here I am, pinning it like crazy and hoping not to mess up!

Slowly gathering and pinning, closing the gap.

Oh the crazy pinning!

And I do mean crazy!

Then it was time to sew. Nervous level, 8 out of 10.

Somehow it worked and it was time to put the zipper back into the dress.

Barbara came up to my house, and it was time for her to try on her dress and do a photo shoot.

She brought her original Malibu Barbie with her, circa 1971, wearing a 1959 original Suburban Shopper dress.

You can see the detail of the metal zipper in the back, as well as the pleated detail in the front.

It fits and it hangs straight in the front!

The back hangs straight too! You can barely tell that it’s been altered!

Barbara and Barbie, matching dresses and matching sunglasses! A vintage style Barbie case completes the look. (The pleat in the front matches up, I swear! Her arm just makes it look like it’s not.)

Fashion icons!

Barbara and Pinkie looking fashionable. Barbie doing the same. Twins!

This was really fun to do and I liked the challenge of it. I am very happy about the way it turned out.

Barbara and Barbie look amazing!

As for me, onto the next!