Monday 9 March 2015

Pink to Make Ken Wink

On this day in 1959 Barbie was launched at the International Toy Fair in New York.
She didn't feature in my childhood though.
I was a Sindy girl, not a Barbie Girl, cue annoying song by Aqua to begin playing in your head now.
I would play with my Sindys for hours, sometimes on my own and sometimes with my sisters.
Although I do remember going to our next door neighbours house and playing a game on the stairs with their son Terry who was a couple of years older than me. The game involved his Action Men kidnapping all my Sindy dolls.
I got them all back.
 
Whilst looking in my wardrobe today for something to wear in honour of the Priestess of Pink I remembered two pink items I loved wearing when I was 16.
I owned a pale pink knee length culotte skirt.
I have never been particularly confident about my legs and although this style of skirt wasn't the most flattering I still wore it because I liked the way it made me feel.
 I felt confident when I wore it.
I used to wear it with a white blouse which had a lace panel and on my feet I wore white moccasin shoes.
I can picture myself in that outfit so clearly.
The other item was a bright pink strapless dress, cinched in at the waist and then billowing out into a circular skirt.
I LOVED IT.
And even though I may say so myself I looked pretty darn good in it too.
 
I also wanted to be a Pink Lady.
I wanted to be Marty, she of the impossibly tight pencil skirt and always sporting a scarf tied round her neck.
 
But back to the present day.
Or more precisely to the end of this evening's meal when we all tucked into a slice of this pink sponge made in Barbie's honour
I'll never get into a pencil skirt now.
 

And just in case you think he may be feeling left out this Friday is Ken day, the date he was launched in 1961.

12 comments:

  1. I never had a Barbie or a Sindy. To be honest I wasn't really into dolls, but I did have a Pippa - do you remember them?
    I have quite a mental image of you in your cullottes outfit! x

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  2. Being older than you, I was a "Tressy" girl - I like to think she was Sindy's mother! Her hair used to grow - can you remember her? I love the way that Barbie was born in the same year as me - she's kept her figure better than me though! xxxx

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  3. From International Women's Day to Barbie! I had a Sindy too. Plus loved Grease. But have never liked pink. My memories of playing with Sindy was making (bad) furniture. K x

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  4. I had Tressy dolls & inherited one old Sindy & clothes from an older cousin. I used to play " house " with them & my brothers' Action men - all very innocent !

    I dressed up as Rizzo once - black biker's jacket & my mother's pencil skirt & shoes from the 60s ( couldn't do up the skirt as she was way slimmer than me at that age even after having four children ! )

    I had a gorgeous pair of pink brushed cotton flares... happy days xx

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  5. I was a Sindy girl too, and do you remember her sister, Patch? I had her too. Actually, they were passed down to me from my sister, along with a wardrobe and loads of clothes. I eventually had my own Sindy doll bought for me, how I treasured her.

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  6. I have to confess I didn't have either. My daughter had a Sindy at some point in her childhood but she was never really a dolly girl either.

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  7. Yes! I had a Sindy. I found her in the sandpit at our local park. I foolishly swapped her for a gonk not long after. What an idiot....xx

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  8. I had Sindy. I loved her so much, until her head snapped off and she had to wear a surgical collar! I couldn't afford all the lovely clothes so I used to knit my own. Thanks for the memories xxx

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  9. I loved my Sindy. I still remember the Christmas I got her house - apparently I was sent into the kitchen to get something, stomped off as I wasn't allowed to open any presents and walked past the house and back again without noticing it - it was about 5ft tall!!!!!

    Still disappointed that i had to fill the bath from the kitchen tap :-)

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  10. I was a Sindy girl too, and my Sindy house was my pride and joy. I spent more time tidying it and arranging the furniture than I did playing with the dolls.

    Love the sound of your pink outfits! x

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  11. We had a Sindy and several Barbies too (and Tammy).I love your nostalfic reminiscences x

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  12. I was a 'dolly' girl and had Sindy and her little sister Patch,Barbie, Pippa dolls and a blonde,bearded action man!!! Any photos of you that you could share in your pink culottes?!!! x

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