Cinderella "Dreams Come True" 16" doll in sparkling blue tulle

Those of you with daughters might know a little about Robert Tonner dolls. And then again, perhaps not. After all, it wasn’t my daughter who introduced them to me (like, that’s the understatement of the year—she won’t have anything to do with dolls, except for, mysteriously, Bratz which she plays with behind closed door and woe to those who enter unawares). Rather it was my sisters who first informed me of the fact that there was a Tonner doll company led by a man named Robert Tonner who sculpts and designs these gorgeous dolls and their clothes. His dolls are Barbie on speed, Dawn on steroids, Bratz on crystal meth (er, or so I assume since I only have a passing text-book knowledge of recreational drugs, in general). I know we shouldn’t worship things made “by the hand of man” but these dollies just make me go weak in the knees.

There are the fashion dolls that are dressed like models in knock-em-dead clothes that would look like garbage on me but give glamour a whole new meaning. There are the character dolls dressed in exquisite renderings of my favorite story and movie characters, Cinderella, Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, Pirates of the Caribbean (and more), there are the ballerina dolls and the heroes of DC comics and the list goes on and on (see the Tonner link at right). They come in a number of sizes, the 10” (bigger than life!) the 16” which account for the lion’s share of the dolls, and 21” (their clothes are the same size as a very thin child’s—I would have to get rid of one of my offspring in order to make room for her and her outfits).


Check out Tiny Kitty Collier in this cute little number. She could do summer in SF in this outfit.



"Winter" Tiny Kitty Collier 10" fashion doll

Should she get cold, she can add a jacket. She would still not be too warmly dressed for SF in July.


Not sure about this pose--maybe she is looking for something, like a bird, or a plane--anyway, we can hope

Then, should things get really cold, she could add this incredible fur coat. Technically, she could still wear a fur coat in SF in July—the seals do. It was Mark Twain who said the coldest winter he ever spent was July in San Francisco. (It’s true. The buildings are so tall the sun can’t find its way to the ground.)

Ah, Tiny Kitty, I love you so! Your clothes are a dream! Below, however, are some glam outfits that I must admit I would never wear, even if they looked good on me (way too immodest).

" Golden Goddess" made for 16" "Brenda Starr", modeled by "Sydney Chase"

"Showstopper", also made for Brenda, comes with gorgeous rhinestone necklace (Cinderella is wearing it as a headdress), earrings and two bracelets.

"Imperiale" Sydney Chase 16" doll--outfit only up for auction now on eBay, user name dunhavenplace (I just love that one curl that hangs down on her shoulder!)

But I would wear these outfits in a heartbeat, even if I got all dressed up and had no place to go.

Mary Poppins High Tea outfit--the clothes for this 16" doll are just gorgeous and exactly like the ones Julie Andrews wears in the movie.

10" Tiny Kitty Collier wearing "Grand Entrance"

an exquiste chiffon and satin outfit in pink with a hood on the cape that makes me giddy.

"Walk in the Park" outfit made for Cinderella's step-

sister Euphemia, modeled by Emily of the New York

City Ballet.

"Abandoned Bride" outfit made for "Elizabeth Swann" of Pirates of the Caribbean, modeled by 16" Cinderella.

See my Tonner doll slideshow at right for more photos of dolls I have known, owned, and very often sold to pay for the latest and greatest . . .