Last week, luxury label Lanvin debuted its new line for girls ages 5 to 10. The dresses — all pink ruffles and tiered chiffon and dreamlike confections — were adorable, as were the kiddies modeling them for the company’s lookbook, which featured little girls jumping out of shopping bags and carrying dolls with matching Lanvin outfits.

Still, the idea of Lanvin for kids perturbed some critics. Some groused that spending hundreds of dollars on a silk trench for a 5-year-old is impractical , since she will grow out of it in six months — and probably spill something on it, rip it or destroy it some other way before then. Others saw Lanvin’s foray into childrenswear as downright nefarious. One blogger called it “ unethical “; another, an example of capitalism run amok .

We have an unspoken hierarchy of toys in this house.

Fur stuffed animals, especially black bears, get a lot more respect in general than do the dolls. I can understand to a point: the life of Esther-like bears, she has two now, with their majestic, serene faces and shiny black fur, command respect.

Barbie, on the other hand, with its frivolous obsession with her hair, she just ... does not work.

Take the other day, for example, when I came across Barbie Mermaid pork attached to the leg of a chair in the attic with a thread.For a split second, I felt a shock, with something close to sympathy for the poor girl, but not enough to stop what I was doing without it.

And, as this is not one of Essie beloved black bear, I can cynically ignore when a creature comes stuffed catapult out of the loft and landed on his head, or is dismissed and ends and covered with sheep dust in the most desperate reached under the bed dark for months....

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Disney collectibles are perennially a hot-ticket item with collectors, most likely because they hold and can even increase in value as they age. They are also a pleasant reminder of happy childhood memories of watching all of the fabulous Disney cartoons and films that are loved by children and adults the world over.

Disney collectibles now include Disney dolls with lifelike baby features that are  dressed as your favorite Disney characters.  These are a popular new addition to give to the Disney collector who has everything Disney, and is sure to be a hit with him or her.

Everyone likely has a favorite Disney princess doll, the heroines of so many classic Disney cartoons.  The lovely Snow White is a classic, with milky white skin and dark tresses.  Another favorite is Ariel from The Little Mermaid as well as Belle from Beauty and The Beast, both of whom have many trials to endure before they find true love and happiness in their cartoon worlds.

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