Totally Hair Barbie

Up next:  Totally Hair Barbie

I received Totally Hair Barbie as a gift from Gram and Pop circa 1992 and she quickly replaced my old favorite Barbie.  The commercial jingle went something like "Totally hip, totally cool, Totally Hair Barbie!" I'm not convinced the outfit she's wearing in this picture is the outfit in which she came.  I think it was more of a multi-colored spandex dress, but honestly, the acid-washed jean vest with matching ruffled skirt is way more stylish.  She came with a tube of DEP hair gel, which is awesome in theory, but if you want to keep this doll's long locks looking good, giving a small child a tube of hair gel is not a good idea, as evidenced by her current hair condition: 

Keeping her hair krimped was not an easy task when you're styling it as a child, and for me, that attempt was apparently an epic fail.  She also came with a ring on her right hand, but that was lost long ago, leaving a large hole in her hand (see photo above).  Because her hair was so long, keeping it in a ponytail was a strain on her little head, so much so that today her head is inclined to lean back a bit, exposing some strange mark that looks like a hickey.  I'm sure the mark was just a sad attempt to draw a necklace on her or something of that nature. 

Now I've done a bit of web research on Totally Hair Barbie because unlike my other features, I actually know the real name of this doll.  According to Business Week, this doll holds the record for most Barbie Dolls sold worldwide, and honestly, I can believe it.  She was awesome and to this day is still my favorite Barbie.

Who Dis?

Continuing with our Barbie theme this week....

Today's highlight: Who Dis?

I have entitled this post Who Dis? because I'm not quite sure who this doll is. She is Barbie-esque, but she's rather flat-footed, so I can't be sure if she is in fact part of the Barbie line.

Update: I just checked her bottom. She is an imitation. She is a product of Hasbro, not Mattel.

Regardless, she deserves a commentary. She's wearing some pretty sweet acid-washed jorts (jean shorts) and her bangs are a bit side-swept, but most importantly, her feet are more rubbery than your typical Barbie.

The rubbery feet are her most crucial awesomeness factor. They were the perfect consistency for chewing when you needed something on which to nibble when you're playing with your dolls. Please allow this photo to serve as evidence of such:

If anyone can identify this doll, please do so in the comment section below.

Lingerie Barbie

I'll open the first week of DeLorean Travels with a Barbie theme. Granted, Barbie was originally a 1960s phenomenon, but Mattel manufactured some pretty sweet Barbie dolls in the 80s and 90s, so I figured I'd take a look at the few Barbies that survived beyond my childhood. My sister and I probably owned close to a hundred Barbies at some point in time, but in the great playroom cleanout of the late 90s, we were instructed to trash all but about 10 of them, so this week we'll take a look at the survivors.

Today's highlight: LINGERIE BARBIE

So I received this doll as a gift in kindergarten. I'm pretty sure it was a Christmas gift at school. Maybe a Secret Santa or maybe one of those games that involve the participants trading around gifts until the last box is opened. Regardless of how I got this doll, I was pretty pumped to receive her. She was waaaaayy cooler than some of the other gifts other kids were receiving. She came in the classic 1989 shiny hot pink Barbie box that every girl was really excited to see. I loved her blue eyes and her pink "bathing suit". She instantly became my favorite Barbie.

Now, however, as I look at her through the eyes of a 26 year old, I'm pretty sure her bathing suit is, in fact, lingerie. The sparkly lace is pretty much a dead giveaway, not to mention the fact that her "bathing suit" is made out of a silky material. I wonder where Mattel was going with this one. I also wonder what the Malaysians who made this doll thought of her. At least she made it out of the 1990s clothed, which is more than I can say for her near-twin sister, a doll I found next to her in the storage bag.