It's a Mod, Mod, Mod world!

I wouldn't have it any other way. Mod. My favorite fashions. My favorite era. My favorite to wear when I can pull it off. And that's just it. I usually can't. So, much more fun to dress the Blythes and Barbies in vintage mod fashions.

At top, my Jane (right) wears her Skipper "Twice as Nice," while Maggie's Ava wears "Twice as Nice" in their more familiar color combo. This is an early 1970s Skipper felt dress and coat set. Next, Brigette looks pouty perfect in Skipper "Quick Change," a mod 1968 outfit that also came with a mini dress, tassel'd knee socks and ankle boots. I am on a quest for the socks. So, here I substituted some slouchy socks and mock Converse high-tops with floral lining.

And lastly, my gorgeous "flip" Francie is wearing her own "Tenterric," a pleated wonder I've had at least three times now: childhood, a Blythe phase a couple years ago, and now. This time I have the purse (not shown here), but need to find the bonnet thingy, stockings and squishy lime bow shoes. This dress, however, is pristine! Here, I have used the lime-y Fashion Avenue accessories pack to add hose (baggy), slingbacks, a chain purse and scarf.

A couple excellent reference sites to vintage fashions can be found here and here.

The Barbie-Blythe overlap finally sucked me in and won't let go!

No, these 10 pictures are not of Blythe (as in Blythe-O-Mania, the title of this blog). They are of Francie, Barbie, Teresa, Casey, a host of "barbies," (small 'S'; different than 'the' Barbie, some of you understand that), a vintage Barbie case cover, and okay, one Blythe (Buffy) in pink with Superstar Barbie.

So what have we here? I guess I have to accept it. It's my newest obsession. Although it looks, feels and smells like my childhood of the 1970s, it's really my second childhood, circa 2010. And it's going well. Lots of fun. No angst about boys, zits or homework. Well, less angst.

It all started simply enough. Blythe bodies are the same as Skipper bodies, and as such can wear the vintage Skipper fashions of the 1960s and 1970s with special aplomb. Call it attitude. Call it whatever you will, but I have been slowly collecting my favorite Skipper fashions, many of which I had once before, for my Blythes to wear.

Then I discovered some of the Francie fashions also fit and looked mod. Francie was perhaps even more of a favorite than 'the' Barbie barbies I had. Francie was fun and mod and hip and had a cool friend Casey, whereas Barbie with a big 'B' was always a little severe looking to me with her arched eyebrows, pursed lips and stilettos. Barbie intimidated me the same way she probably intimidated Midge. And Ken.

Francie was my cool pal when I was about age seven to 10. And now she's my cool pal when I'm about ^%&^%*#@. Oh well, never mind that. Anyway, after accumulating a nice stash of vintage fashions, I realized I could enjoy them more if I could display them on their rightful vintage 'owners.' Suddenly, I had a new old Barbie collection (big and small 'S'). And as fate would have it, they display perfectly on top of my Blythe doll house. So now I can have an ever-changing montage of my first and/or second childhood. Or, as the next-to-last photo demonstrates, I can have a "Who Wore It Best" dress-off, a la Us magazine, any time I want.

Francie! Skipper! Come back!

Wild Bunch. Fun Time. Daisy Crazy. Maybe it's just the names. Maybe it's nostalgia. Even deja vu'. I've been obsessing over the vintage Skipper and Francie fashions of my childhood. I prefer Skipper and Francie size, because of course that fits Blythe, and then I can enjoy looking at my vintage treasures.

After many (and I mean many many) hours on Ebay, I scored the great bargains pictured above. I know I looked at over 125 pages of 50 items each on-line into the wee hours last night. But it was FUN! I had so many of these outfits, dolls, cases, accessories, doll houses growing up, and then repeated Barbie in the early 1980s with my daughter.

It is just incredible that there are still outfit sets in the unopened, original packaging from 1964. And even the packaging was cool. Was there ever a better era than the Mod Era? It is also amazing what the price tags are for some of these vintage items in mint, complete condition. I saw Barbie outfits selling for more than $1,000 for a tiny little dress and shoes. And collectors are paying it. Obviously, those collectors have money to burn.

My goal was to find the items I wanted at affordable prices, and it can still be done, especially if you are not looking for complete sets in mint condition. I don't mind finding the outfit only, since I'm going to put them on Blythes, and I don't mind a little unnoticeable damage, especially if I can make a repair, or alter them in some way.

The blue set (next to last photo) is Skipper Fun Time, a croquet set. I had this as a child, and it was always one of my favorites. I just love the detailed, embroidered top. Can't wait to try it with my blue-haired Zena.

The clam diggers raincoat (bottom) will look great with some orange jelly boots I found on Etsy, as will the hairy Wild Bunch coat at top. I believe this coat is one of the older ones from the 1960s-1970s, although the entire outfit was reproduced with a Francie doll in 1996.

Also from Francie are the yellow shoes above (have no idea how they will fit Blythe), the red and navy striped vest and the yellow shirt dress with pink, white and yellow tweed skirt. That came with a pink knit vest- had all that as a kid, too.

The Daisy Crazy dress, also pink and yellow, was for Skipper, and came with a belt. But I think it will be just fine without. It and the yellow Skipper Tea Time dress will both look great with white go-go boots or chunky mary jane shoes, don't you think? Stay tuned for a great photo shoot!

Blythe-Like Bliss in a Bottle

These 1970s Avon Small World bottles remind me of Blythe for some reason. Can't explain it. They just do. This is my own little collection. Trying to round up all eight. Prolly had them all when I was a pre-pubescent annoyance to my much-older brothers.