Today I came across an unusual sight at the St. Lawrence market, a table of Barbies (and other dolls) circa the late 80's - mid 90s. This is my era of Barbie. I'm not sure how Heather would feel about this, but I definitely wasn't the only 30-something reminiscing while sifting through and recognizing old friends. Nobody was buying, but the table was popular. I had the Perfume Pretty Barbie featured above. She came dressed in a pink, nylon tube dress that could be worn long for evening or short for cocktail, trimmed with ruffles made of netting, and embellished with a large bow. Also included was a mini bottle of perfume to be worn by her and I. Here is the tv commercial.
As a little girl, and most likely against my mother's feminist beliefs, I was enamoured by the outlandish glamour and unrealistic, perfectionistic image of Barbie. In hindsight, I think the only Barbies I owned might have been gifts from other relatives and/or family friends and not from my parents. My younger sister humoured me by bathing Barbie and friends in large bowls of sudsy water, though I knew she would have rather been doing something else. These engagements with Barbie were quintessential to my fanciful ideas of adult living in a metropolitan city, attending fashionable events and enchanting dinner parties. I can't say my experience has been as glamourous as Barbies.
You might also spot here an Olympic themed figure skating version of Barbie and Ken from the Nagano winter games in 1998. I thought it would be fitting to include them as the winter games in Sochi are currently unfolding.
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