Modest is Hottest!
This may be a little off topic, but I just had to share.
A couple years ago while surfing around Pinterest, I saw this idea and though genius! A mother, like myself who was sick of seeing unclad barbies lying around willy nillly, took a sharpie and well… here is the result.
We only had one barbie at the time, and call me a prude if you must, but you better believe I got my sharpie out and drew on that cute little suit. Well, I wasn’t totally happy with the results. Mine had pen marks and when I tried to go over the same spot it lifted off the first layer instead of darkening it. So, while it was better than nothing I still didn’t love it.
Fast forward a year or so. We now have more than one Barbie and I really wanted to fix the problem (which is my girls know how to take the clothes off, but not get them back on)… enter nail polish. That is when it hit me, I could not only cover up these immodest dolls, I could make it SUPER cute and totally colorful!
If you love this idea, please share it!!!
And of course I am going to show you how I did it…. (just in time for Christmas… yes, I just said the “C” word before Halloween, I am a rebel like that!) So I bought some brand new Disney princess dolls to demonstrate how easy this is.
Here they all are fresh out of the box, with their hair all pristine and their dresses still in place. Live it up girls, that is the last time you will look this good!!! (it only takes one tiny 2 year old to change that REALLY quickly!)
And about 3 minutes later…
Goodness, I love this little mini girl!!!
Okay, so the process is really easy. Just lift the doll’s arms out of the way and start with the top line. I usually do a sweetheart neck line in front, and carry the line diagonally down the side and joining it in the back, then just fill the body portion of the doll below. Move the legs as necessary, just watch out, because sometimes when you move the leg it will hit the body. You can do as many coats as you need, and you can re-coat as necessary. Also, if you mess up at all you can remove the spot with some remover on a q-tip.
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Between coats, they can practice a little yoga in the sunlight as they dry out.
Give them a good hour to cure, if you do more than one coat, you don’t want ugly smudges! The best part is all the color choices you have! And this is what you get front and back:
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Hey everyone! It looks like a MODEST pool party on the roof of the Barbie Dream house!
So what do you think? So excited about having modest Barbies around in between outfit changes! If you like this idea please share it! Thanks guys!
EDIT: So apparently people are ticked that I painted nail polish bathing suits on my barbies… so here is my response. I should explain that it is hard for me to express this without being passionate after the lash out that I have received in the last couple days. So forgive me for my somewhat passionate and defensive response.
I really love this idea! My little girl’s dolls are all getting new swimsuits! 🙂
Yay! I am glad you like the idea!
I love this idea also! Just yesterday my 3 year old son was giggling about the naked barbies my boyfriends daughter had laying around and I was wishing she would leave the clothes on her dolls. I am not comfortable with my toddler looking at naked doll boobs. Hopefully she loves this idea as well.
I love it!!!
I LOVE this idea – what a creative and colorful way to add a little modesty to the dolls. I wish I would have thought of this myself when my daughter was young and I really wonder why the toy companies haven’t thought of this?? The dolls look even better with the colorful bathing suit on them and it’s SO MUCH easier than wrestling with those impossible-to-pull-on Barbie swimsuits! Well done and keep the great ideas coming!! 🙂
Actually, the last few Barbies I’ve seen at my daughter’s house have had at least panties, if not a full bodysuit. The princess dolls seem to have more coverage than the ‘regular’ Barbies, though.
Hi, I so appreciate you posting the Barbie swimsuit idea. My neighbors have 9 children and the youngest is 6. She wanted to play Barbie with me, (I am 73). I thought is was great, but mom didn’t want the dolls naked with her other male children. Our Goodwill has a bag of Barbies for 5$, but trying to get one in a painted swimsuit is hard. I now own many, many Barbies. With your idea, I can do most of them with permanent swimsuits. How great is that!
Hi Cassidy,
I am a grandma of 14 and mother of 3 grown adults. Our family has owned a lot of Barbies. I agree with you and like your idea!
I did this years ago when my daughters’ were little! I got so sick of looking at “nukid” barbies! 🙂
Yay! Someone who totally gets it. Not so much about being a prude, but getting sick of naked barbies lying around the house!
Exactly! That is the point, I know just what you mean! When my two girls were little, it drove me nuts that the dolls were never clothed, it seemed like they didn’t want to play with them then. We would have a marathon dressing session, and half an hour later, naked! I just want to see pretty dolls.
I am so doing this to my daughter’s barbies! Genius! And I had to laugh seeing the barbies in yoga positions..too funny! Thanks for the idea 🙂
Haha! That is genius! And muchly better. Having a son I was always faced with GI Joe’s and Star War troubles and most of their clothes were made on. Good thing. Nudie dolls make me uncomfortable. I don’t know why. I do know I would never have thought of this. You’re so smart!
JaG
Thanks! I am happy about it… but boy the trolls are attacking me!!
How it is a problem having “naked” barbies, but it is NOT a problem giving your daughter those unrealistic female bodies to play with? What kind of message are you giving her? “a naked body is bad”? “an ideal body is one with the organs compressed, but covered up”? How is a naked body not modest!? except when we are protecting ourselves against the elements, everything that we put over our bare skin is just to stand out. Exactly the oposite to what modesty means!
I’m not trolling, I’m honestly asking, what is the problem with a naked body?
Daniela,
Thanks for sharing your opinion. The whole point of this post is not to cause controversy, it is that I am sick of naked dolls lying around, and this is what solved the problem. My daughters love their swimming suits.
My daughters are comfortable and proud of their bodies, they are absolutely perfect, and I tell them that more than once a day. As far as the modesty thing goes, I believe our bodies our a sacred gift from God. We need to try to keep them healthy and beyond that, we do not need to show everything we have to every person. Just because the human body is the most beautiful creation on the planet, doesn’t mean we need to expose it.
This is the PERFECT start for an easy and beautiful outfit! Since the bodice is already painted on all you have to do is make a skirt and accessorize! Why didn’t I think of this? Thanks for this great tip. I buy and make over old barbies and they are ALWAYS naked. I’m just so excited about this because I am a nail technician and I have a lot of old polishes that I can now use up in a great way.
Thanks again.
A child does not understand that a doll has unrealistic proportions. They do not understand the human body so indepth that they think I need to be just like this. They see only what is the same, 2 arms 2 legs a head and a tummy. Children learn from society that size is in any way important. Models seen EVERYwhere idolizing petite blonde girls. Or parents telling them about what “fat” is. I, as a child, added my own undies to my dolls with masking tape. Because I wanted them to be like me.( I didn’t know enough then about bras) if you want your kids Barbie’s to remain bare then do that in your household please do just that and I in the process try and teach your children that everyone is going to do things a little, or a lot, different and that is the beauty of life. Next you will say “you only got princesses? What is that teaching?” Its not the object that reaches a child’s mind. That is just a tool. It is the parents who teach.
I think this is absolutely an awesome idea. Unlike some others thinking it is unnecessary(nothing wrong if you do) but I think its not about it being wrong to be nude or that our bodies are bad its about the whole idea of having them sitting around and especially if you have boys in the house it is something that should be covered up. Like I said its not a matter of your body being bad its a matter of teaching little girls from the time they are young to honor their bodies. My reasons for why I would do this may be a little extreme but as a 14 year old this is what I think… 🙂
I agree, I think bodies are beautiful. I just don’t want to see naked bodies everywhere.
I don’t get why people are getting so mad, it’s cute what’s the problem with that? I wish my barbies has cute swim suits like this and I will be doing this for my daughter too. Some people *facepalm* I LOVED your response though excellent haha
Great idea I also hate naked barbies laying around the house something doesn’t seem right about it my daughter and I might do this.
My mom did this for me when I was little–I had a Ken doll with outlines of underwear and it bugged her so much that she covered the underwear with nail polish too.
My daughter has some Princess barbie type dolls, but they were made with colored areas already, so I haven’t had to do this yet. You can be sure I will do it when I have to. But first I would have to buy nail polish (if you can believe that!)
Yes! We have a few that have actual but this is just so fun! You better go buy some nail polish!!!
We did that with some of ours too, but I just went ahead and gave them straps too. We had some fun color combos too- one of them was really cool with a stripe down the side! 🙂
Yes, I love that! I need to get more creative next time!
YIPPEEEEEEEEE! Does that tell you how excited I am for this? I bought metalic sharpies just so I could cover up those naked barbies and fairies. Rubbed right off. I thought permanent ment it wouldn’t come off. Silly me. I am so excited to do this, I will be sharing with everyone I know! Thank you! Love your blog by the way.
YAY! I am so glad you saw this too! I am getting raked over the coals on pinterest! But I think mothers with daughters who play with Barbies understand the annoyance! (p.s. the metallic nail polishes look the coolest like Tiana’s suit!… in my opinion!!)
Thank you so much for this simple, great idea! I’m glad to know that I’m not the only one who dislikes seeing naked dolls! lol!
Just curious. What’s wrong with a naked Barbie?
It gets a little old….
There isn’t anything necessarily wrong with naked Barbies. It just gets annoying to look at them in a constant state of nakedness when your children are too young to be able to put the clothes back on.
This is so cute! I only have boys so I couldn’t even remember what Barbie looks like sans clothes, lol. I can see how that can be a bit disturbing. That is cute idea. I wonder if the nail polish pens would work, too? Maybe detailed Barbie underwear? Love the Barbie yoga!
I have never heard of nail polish pens but that sounds SO fun!
I’m not sure how modest it is, since their swimsuits are literally “painted on” (which made me laugh, hehe), but it’s sure a heck of a lot better than naked! And SUPER cute ♥
I guess I just don’t get it? Is it the “nakedness” that is offensive? PS I can’t see the other comments, just the updates in my e-mail. Am I the only one?
Sarah, We are working on the comment issue! I don’t know why they aren’t showing… but in the next month I am getting a redesign, so it might have to wait until then either way!!
Anywho, about the swimming suits, I don’t know if you have girls but I have two and about 20 barbies, it just gets old seeing naked barbies laying around.
Sarah, the Cyclist’s Wife: I think Cassity has already explained that she prefers NOT to have naked Barbie dolls because of their nudity. So, yes, the nakedness is offensive. She found a fabulous way to cover them that is creative & adorable. If others believe that the naked Barbie is ok, that is their opinion & they can keep their Barbies naked all they want, but some feel that it is more proper to “clothe” them. It is not meant to create a debate, but many still believe in teaching modesty to their children. Cassity: LOVE the idea! Barbie is too “developed” to be naked all over the house! lol
Thanks Cindy!
Maybe it’s just me but whenever I see a pile of naked barbie dolls it’s so sad and depressing and it kinda reminds me of Schindler’s list or something (please no one get offended by that statement it’s just what it reminds me of). This keeps that sort of depressing scene from happening cause there is always at these the semblance of bright happy clothing. I’m super excited to apply it to our pile of dolls.
That’s just awesome. I have three boys and no Barbies, but I would be painting right now if I had any! Love the bright colors of their new ‘suits’!
I’m laughing, but what a great idea! I’m past the Barbie stage (until Grandchildren), but I plan to remember this!
I have seen that before and yes, think it looks better, than naked dolls. The nail polish looks shiny, and really does look like swimsuits! Hey, the yoga poses are funny.
Brilliant, truly BRILLIANT! 🙂
~Sarah
I LOVE THIS!!!!! Guess what I’ll be doing once the girls are in bed?? Thanks for sharing!