She’s the latest inductee to the

  P.B.D.S. Doll Hair Hall of Fame!

“Short or long or in-between, Tressy’s hair makes her a queen!”

1963 was a big year for budding little hair stylists! Standing in the doll isle, at the very beginning of their little hair-styling careers, girls and boys were faced with a truly impossible choice; should they go with wigs or hair that really grows? “Why can’t I just have both?” some would cry, stamping their patent leather Mary-Jane’s or suede Hush Puppie’s into the polished linoleum. “Because Mother says so, that’s why!” was the curt and unreasonable answer for many a future bad seed!

Brazenly wearing Barbies designer outfits in her debut commercial above, (“All About Eve” anyone?) Tressy dazzled you with bouffant’s, page-boys, flips, and even “long with braids” hairdo’s. The options were endless, and enticing enough for many die-hard Barbie fans to jump ship, at least momentarily, and lay down their hard-earned allowances for Tressy.

Going “head to head” with Mattel’s ‘Fashion Queen’ Barbie,  American Character’s unique offering to the fashion doll hair-play trend was ‘Tressy’ – and she had a secret! Not just any secret mind you, but an almost unbelievable one, “Her hair grows!” Yes, right out of her little vinyl head.

Using Mattel’s magic formula for success, Tressy was Joined by best friend ‘Mary Make-Up’ (Midge!) and little sister ‘Cricket’ (Skipper!).

 Tressy’s little brass key to happiness was packed in every box, which not only let you wind her long hair back into her tiny head, but could also unlock the doors of her cardboard penthouse apartment, millinery shop and of course, (clutch the pearls, Mary Make-Up!), her own beauty salon! Take that Bab’s!

The staff of the Pink Bubbles Doll Spa admit they are more than a bit jealous of the fabulous Tressy Beauty Salon!

You could gag a Gabor sister with the myriad of glamorous hair and beauty products available in Tressy’s world!

Zsa Zsa, Eva and Magda, the Gabor sisters, ready to gag on the glamour of Tressy’s world!

Here’s a small sampling dahlings!

Much like her rival sister in vinyl Barbie, Tressy and her family and friends were hugely popular with fashion doll lovers here at home as well as in Europe for many years. But all good things must come to an end and Tressy’s bouffant unfortunately fell flat in the later 1960’s as the American Character company went out of business.

 

The Pink Bubbles Doll Spa

congratulates and welcomes Tressy, the little doll with the big secret,

to the Doll Hair Hall of Fame!

Living quietly in Santa Barbara, California, a retired Tressy was thrilled to hear of her induction into the Doll Hair Hall Of Fame!

 Looking ageless, she wanted to thank her fans by posing for this rare recent photo.

“Thank you all for remembering me and for this wonderful honor!”