Tressy Fashion Doll Her Hair Grows

Tressy was trademarked in 1963 as a doll with hair that grows by the American Character Toy Company of New York. It was first sold as an 11 fashion doll similar to Mattel s Barbie and by the late 60s as a larger preteen doll by the Ideal Toy Company. Tressy featured a long swatch of hair that could be pulled out of the top of the doll s head by pushing a button on the doll s midriff; that mechanism allowed children the ability to comb the hair in a variety of styles. American Character clearly intended that Tressy s growing hair feature would give the doll a marketing edge over its blockbuster competitor, Barbie.