Barbie Karenina

Barbie Karenina

Clothing fashions take us from the scanty clothing of the Roaring Twenties and the Mod Sixties to the opulent extravagance of the aristocracy during any number of reigns.

In L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables,  Marilla comments when she sees Anne's new dress that 'there's enough material in those sleeves to make a waist'.  But fashion, however ridiculous, can never be ignored.  In Emily of New Moon (same author)  Emily notes that even her dour Aunt Elizabeth wears a bustle, 'just  a little one'.

The 2012 movie, Anna Karenina, was a symphony of dresses and bustles made with layers upon layers of fabric.  While I could not imagine actually wearing a skirt as huge and a bodice as tight as the ones  worn in the  film, Barbie loves to dress like a princess. 

Achy Breaky Barbie

Achy Breaky Barbie

I learned to line dance to Billy Ray Cyrus' Achy Breaky heart in the 90's at an aerobics class.  I took a line dancing course ten years later and  I learned it again.  A few years ago, I started line dancing once a week with a group of patient friends and I learned it for a third time.

Things have progressed and I now sort of know a lot more dances.  I am always an eighth beat behind the group and often finish a turn facing in the wrong direction.

Barbie does everything with ease and grace.  She never misses a beat, always turns with precision and never panics during the bridge.  She can clap on the off-beat and count to eight over and over.

She's dressed for dancing in a blue suede skirt and vest and her favourite gingham shirt.

Barbie gives me an envious, achy-breaky heart.