Lucy Locket Lori-Ann

Nancy Ann Storybook's Lucy Locket dress #9528 of 1959

Lucy Locket lost her pocket.

Kitty Fisher found it.

Nothing in it, nothing in it,

But the ribbon 'round it.

So here's a post about the evils of procrastination. A while back I bought an Alexander-Kins doll who arrived wearing a Nancy Ann tagged dress. I ordered the doll for the doll, but when she arrived I thought I probably ought to look up the dress. It's unusual because it fit the 8 inch 'Kins well but is much longer than a typical Muffie dress. I thought maybe it was meant for Nancy Ann but it seemed too short in the waist. So, I cleaned it up and set it aside. With one thing and another it's just been hanging around. Finally today, since I didn't feel like going for a walk in the cold rainy weather, I got out my Nancy Ann book and realized I have a super rare Lori-Ann Storybook doll dress. It's probably worth as much or more than the doll and it's just been lying around in my office for ages!

The outfit was sold on a Lori-Ann doll.

It was also sold on a Storybook Lucy Locket doll.

Lori-Ann dolls were 8 inch vinyl face dolls that debuted toward the end of Nancy Ann's tenure at the company and were produced for a short time only. The only Lori-Ann doll I've ever acquired sold almost immediately. This dress was sold by the company in 1959 on a Lori-Ann Storybook doll and also on a Storybook doll just called "Lucy Locket". As you can see from the 1959 catalogue above the Storybook doll used the Lori-Ann body with different hair style and color. Both dolls were numbered 9528. The dolls came wearing a "locket" that was a faux pearl heart necklace. It didn't open and wasn't really a locket.

The outfit modeled by Ginny

I originally planned to dress an 8-inch doll Alexander-Kins in the dress, but since it's such a rare find I decided to sell the outfit alone for someone who might be trying to complete their Lori-Ann doll. Since I don't have a Lori-Ann my vinyl-face Ginny doll is modeling the outfit. She's quite similar and was made during the same period as Lori-Ann. Ginny, who has her original paper hang tag and outfit, is for sale separately in my store, Atelier Mandaline, so please check for both her and the outfit shown here.

I made a real locket for Lucy.

The locket really opens!

Since Lucy's locket is missing from the dress I decided to make her a new one. The dress is missing not only the original locket and black velvet sash. I made a new black velour sash and then used the same velour ribbon to make a choker. I attached a real locket that really opens and a clasp. I think the original necklace must have been sewn or glued to the front of the dress originally, because this dress had a hole exactly where the locket would have been. I treated the hole with Fray Check and sewed it up and this new locket hides the repair.

The dress is tagged.

The dress isn't perfect. Besides the missing accessories I had to repair the hole as I mentioned and there's also a black ink mark on the back of the skirt. Luckily neither of these flaws are terribly noticeable. Otherwise the dress is in remarkable condition for its age. The fabric is nice and crisp and the tag has minimal fraying to the edge. Nancy Ann's wonderful details like miniature soutache braid trim and lace-edged attached net petticoat are all present. This is a really great opportunity to add a very rare ensemble to your Nancy Ann collection!

The locket hides a repair to the neck.

There is an ink mark on the back of the skirt.