Let Her Princess Flag Fly

What is it with little girls and princesses? Some way, somehow, despite the fact that Vivi spent her infancy and early toddler years literally cutting her teeth on her older brother’s construction trucks and dinosaurs and lizards and bugs, she had it bad for Disney princesses and all things pink and girly before she had even turned two. I know that some mothers loathe the princess stage, but I imagine that when Vivi is fourteen, I’ll be downright nostalgic for those simpering Disney honeys with their doe eyes, breathy voices, and 1950’s aspirations.

If your little princess has a thing for the bling like mine, take her to Let’s Dress Up, a charming dollhouse of a place where little girls can indulge all of their princess fantasies for the afternoon. They get to choose from oodles of flouncy, pastel-hued gowns and then accessorize with high-heeled shoes, tiaras, bridal veils (but, of course!), wands, and an assortment of sparkly jewelry. Before enjoying a tea party of thimble-sized cups of pink lemonade, a glass slipperful of M&Ms, and a tiny cupcake, they’ll get their eyelids dusted with shadow, their cheeks sprinkled with glitter, their lips iced with shiny gloss, and their nails painted their favorite color. They’ll pose for a picture and dance to the strains of “Someday My Prince Will Come.”

"I believe in manicures. I believe in overdressing. I believe in primping at leisure and wearing lipstick. I believe in PINK." -attributed to Audrey Hepburn

"Great balls of fire. Don't bother me anymore, and don't call me sugar." -Scarlett O'Hara

"A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous." -Coco Chanel

Yes, it was all a bit twee for me. But it has bought me a couple more years to keep holding off on Disneyworld.

Let’s Dress Up, 345 East 85^th Street (between 1^st and 2^nd Avenues), Upper East Side/Yorkville, New York, New York 10028-5447 (212) 879-0956, www.uppereast.com/lets-dress-up; Open dress-up: $20 singles welcome/no reservations required; Hours for open dress-up this summer are usually Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM and 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM, but call every Monday to check times for the week.