Tressy, Our Girl About Town

Welcome to my Tressy site,

the aim of this site is fun, fun fun ! I hope you have fun looking at all Tressy's (well, Barbies actually) lovely outfits and accssories, and folowing her adventures in New York City during the 1960s. On this homepage you'll find a brief history of Tressy, and description of her and her release box, outfit and accessories. So, if you don't know much about Tressy, or early 60s Barbie outfits, you'll be able to learn a little here.

I've named my Tressy 'Tressy Dean' , as Dean is the surname of the ceator of Tressy, so I feel it's a fitting tribute to  Jesse Deans fantastic creation. Also, Tressy's 'hometown' is Hollis, in New Hampshire. The reason is because the seller that I bought Tressy from, bought her at a flea market in Hollis. Karen say's..........."Although she looks like no one played with her... well thats until you bought her.  She was a sleeping beauty that has finally awakened! "....Which I think is such a lovely things to say, and makes Tressy even more special.

You'll also be able to see Tressy moving into her new Penthouse apartment, eventually ! I am making it all out of cereal packets and A4 paper printed from my computer. You can already see some of the results when Tressy goes shopping for furniture, all the furniture is made by me this way. ...Lots of love....Johnny

Tressy has won the 'Miss American Character' contest, the most beautiful girl in the land.

Tressy Dean was born and raised in a small town called Hollis, it's situated in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, New England, USA. and now that she has won the contest, she is moving to New York City, which is about 225 miles south west of Hollis, to be a model and clothes designer. She has had so many offers of work, interviews, product promotions etc that she has enough money already to buy an apartment ! So lets follow Tressy on her New York City dream life.

In 1963 Tressy made quite a hit at the  USA Toy Fair. She was the concept of Jesse Dean, his wife, Diana had the idea for a doll who's hair could grow, He loved it, so set to work designing. The first doll was called 'Suzy Snippet'. He took the doll, a rather large  36 inch (compared with Tressy)  doll, more like a little girl, round to all the toy manufacturers, they weren't at all interested, so it was back to the drawing board for Jesse ! By May 1962 'American Character' toy company did express an interest, and Tressy was on her way ! Tressy was a real hit, and people loved her, she was in fact their best seller ever. Tressy, although hugley popular, only lasted three years in the original form, as the company went bust due to some very bad investing in a toy, and so the rights were bought by Ideal, the makers of Tammy and Family. From then on Tressy apeared in a different likeness.

 The original Tressy, 1964-66 was sold in a box with a cellophane front so you could see her. The second Tressy, which is the one I have, was sold in a box with lovely line drawings on the front and sides. She was also released in 1964 and has 'straight' legs, in other words, when she sits down, her legs stay together, unlike the first edition Tressy, who's legs  make a 'V'shape when she sits down. Like Tammy and the early Pedigree Sindy.

 Tressy was sold wearing a stretch cotton red shift dress, with white satin binding around the neck, deep 'V' cut back and arm holes. This was a good quality dress which can be washed with no fear of the red 'bleading' into the white, cool wash only though, just to be 'safe'. She had a satin cord 'belt' around her waist, and hanging from the belt was a silver /grey metal key. Tressy also had her own stand, a white plastic base with her name embossed on it, with a long metal support, and a waist support in plastic at the top, this was however quite tall ! And actually rested under her arms ! Well, mine does anyway. Tressy also wore white nylon panties with white cotton lace around the legs, and white plastic stilleto sandals, mine are Barbie sandals, but they are virtually the same as Tressy's anyway. You also got two booklets !  One showed you all Tressy's fabulous outfits, all in black and white line drawings, with details of the accessories as well. and another booklet on how to style Tressy's hair. All for the bargain price of just under § 5.00 !

 Tressy has a soft vinyl head with lovely smokey blue made up eye's and long painted on lashes and  cute sweetheart lips. Tressy's body is hard hollow vinyl, as are her very shapely legs, her arms are softer vinyl. Tressy can sit, raise her arms, and turn her head, but she cannot bend her elbows or knees.

What set Tressy apart from other fashion dolls was her 'Secret Strand' ! This is what made Tressy such fun to play with, and have as your 'friend' . The secret strand was a long, thick tress of hair that came out of the top of Tressy's head, it was so well done that it blended with the rest of Tressy's hair. The stand could be made the same length as the rest of Tressy's shoulder length hair, or it could reach all the way down to her waist. This is where the key comes in. To lengthen Tressy's secret strand, you push her belly button in and gently pull the strand to the length you want, it will then lock in that position, if you want to shorten the strand, you insert the key in Tressy's back, the opposiste side to her belly button, and turn gently clockwise, this winds the strand back in to the length you want. Great fun ! And so, with this fantastic hairpiece, you can give Tressy no end of fabulous, fashionable hairdo's !

 You could also buy hairstyling packs for Tressy, which contained different styling aids etc....like setting lotion, which you decanted from the soft plastic 'bubble' it was in, into Tressy's setting lotion bottle with foam applicator top, you then topped it up with water, and away you went, gently applying the lotion with the foam applicator top to Tressy's curled up hair. Which, was curled up with either Tressy's rollers, or 'Spin Curlers'. When the set was dry, you could brush and comb it out with Tressy's brush/comb, one side was a brush, the other a comb, and then you could apply Tressy's hair spray to keep it all in place. This came in the same 'bubble' as her setting lotion, and was decanted etc in the same way, into her own atomiser bottle. There was also a second hairstyling book, published by Dell, which came in some packs, and was also sold at supermarket checkouts. This had detailed drawings of how to roll up tressy's hair, and black and white photographs of the finished set. The  pictures of my Tressy on this page shows her with her secret strand at different lengths so you can see how versatile her hair is, in the first picture she has a simple but smart flip hairdo, you can also see a bob with fringe and without fringe (bangs to all those in the USA), a beehive, and also, just above, a cute ponytail.

Here are three Tressy booklets. The top booklet, 'Style Magazine' is in fact a Palitoy UK Tressy booklet, it shows you her outfits, in bright colourful line drawings, as well as her sister Toot's outfits, and it has a few simple hairstyle you can do.

The 'Hair Glamour' booklet has detailed drawings of how to set Tressy's hair, with a black and white photographs of the finished styles, this is the Dell booklet which was issued in Tressy's styling packs, and also at supermatket checkouts.

The third booklet 'Tressy Fashions' shows line drawings in black and white of all her first USA release outfits, and was issued with Tressy.

Below is the front and back cover to Tressy's Dell Hair Glamour booklet, I love the 'split' photo of Tressy in her rollers, and with finished hairdo, the next photo is of the inside first two pages, here you can read a short 'story' of Tressy winnning Miss American Character etc.........and see two of Tressy's hair glamour kits.

And lastly, if you have enjoyed this site, or have any input into ways I can change, improve or add to it, please mail me on

johnnyc@oninet.pt

All comments are welcome...J x