In the image above, I’m holding up a Tressy doll wardrobe pattern, published by Simplicity in 1964. As you can see in the list offered on the back of the pattern (see below), these patterns will also fit Barbie:
But my gosh! Look at the list of dolls that can swap clothes with Tressy! So today I’m asking, not only what ever happened to Tressy dolls, but what ever happened to all of these other lovely ladies?
I’m not 100% sure, but because they can swap clothes with Barbie dolls, they must not be the same dolls as the Tressy that was associated with Ideal Crissy dolls of the 1970’s.
This list on the back of the pattern threw me for a loop. I’d never heard of some of these dolls: Annette, Mitzie, Babs, Kay, Polly Jr., Tina, Barbie, Midge, and Gina. What a lineup!
Granted, most of us are familiar with Midge, but Babs? Never heard of her.
Do any of my followers own one of the dolls listed on the back of this pattern, and if so, how is she different from or similar to a vintage Barbie?
As a seamstress, what I found most inspiring, of course, were Tressy’s wardrobe items:
Just look at all those 3/4 length sleeves!
You can still see the price tag on my Simplicity Tressy doll wardrobe pattern number 5731. I paid a whoppin’ fifty cents at a second-hand store for these patterns.
But the package says they will fit Barbie, so I was thrilled to find an uncut pattern at such a low price!
Everything pictured there was in the package. Nice!
Tressy — the darling of the wardrobe — was given top billing and honored with a copyright and trademark. Oddly enough, though, they didn’t show the same respect to Barbie or any of the other little darlings on the back of the pattern.
Have a look:
Today we think of Barbie as the queen of the fashion doll industry, but perhaps back in 1964, Tressy was a close contender. I’m not old enough to remember that, so I can’t be sure.
But I’d love to hear from you, my followers. Did you own any of the dolls mentioned in the Tressy doll pattern‘s list of clothes-swap dollies? And if so, what are your memories of that doll?
I look forward to reading about your memories in the comments section below.
Most of the patterns I display and talk about here on ChellyWood.com are also available for sale on eBay. However, if you’ve never purchased a pattern on eBay before, it’s a good idea to read the article I wrote called, “Tips for Buying Used Doll Clothes Patterns on eBay.” It will save you time, money, and will likely prevent buyer’s remorse.
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Chelly Wood and the ChellyWood.com website are not affiliated with the pattern company or companies mentioned in this blog post, but Chelly finds inspiration in the doll clothes designed by these pattern companies. To purchase patterns from Simplicity, McCall’s, Butterick, or other pattern companies shown and discussed in this blog post, please click on the links provided here. These links below the “Disclaimer” section do not help raise money for this free pattern website; they are only offered to give credit to the company that made these patterns.