It All Starts Here.....

Welcome to Fashion Doll Stylist! Your fashion doll collection is about to get a little more interesting!

If you've found your way to this blog, you don't need me to tell you about the expense involved with doll collecting. Between the initial cost of purchasing the doll and the associated costs of dressing her, you can easily run yourself ragged trying to keep those 12" plastic divas in the height of fashion. This blog is for the frugal collector who wants to create sophisticated fashions for their dolls. We will look at how to get your creative juices flowing; how to choose fabric and create basic silhouettes; and where to look for inspiration.I have chosen the 11 1/2" fashion doll because she is more of a challenge and there are less quality clothes on the market for her. However, everything covered in this blog can easily be adapted for the taller, 16" fashion dolls.

There are countless blogs and websites all to dedicated to making clothes for Barbie. Trouble is, most of the clothing rarely goes beyond the juvenile styles one makes to satisfy the tastes the children in our lives: prom or princess frocks, sparkly party dresses, beachwear. I wanted something different. Something reflecting adult tastes like....suits, sheath dresses, fur coats, uncomplicated trends reflecting modern tastes.



After a long career in fashion as a design student, model, illustrator, journalist, educator and consultant, I began collecting dolls. My first doll was a Tonner doll. The clothes this company makes for her are wonderfully designed and constructed. I purchased two outfits for her, spending more on her wardrobe than I currently spend on mine.

Three years later, my "collection" began with Mattel's "Barbie Basics" Black Label Edition. Though I never cared for Barbie, I could not resist these fashion forward dolls. They have small heads, long, leggy fashion proportions, a variety of expressions and hold haughty, in-your-face poses with attitude. True fashion icons, they don't bend, they don't sit, they simply....strike a pose!!!! Their little black dresses were contemporary, uber chic and very well made particular in light of their $20 USD pricetag. I put them on my chest of drawers, adding a bit of jewelry as decoration at first.

As my collection began to increase, the presence of the dolls seem to scream for more. Hence, I had the idea to create clothing which more closely reflects a real modern day fashionista. I began to take pictures of the dolls but from the angle of photographing them as living, breathing models. For that I realized that everything, from the fabric to the garment silhouettes must respect their 11.5" proportions. I began to experiment with fabric, basic patterns, accessories and even the way I photograph the dolls.The entries on this blog are intended to help the collector get the most enjoyment out of their collection by showing them off in most glamorous light.