Patty Walling

Once upon a time, there was a little girl who loved playing with Barbie dolls. Oh, you've heard this story? Perhaps it is your story, too. Most of us remember spending intimate hours with Barbie, dressing her up in glamorous outfits, vicariously living in her fabulous dream house, driving her dream car and going on dates with her dreamy boyfriend, Ken. For many grown women, Barbie is a distant memory with the power to transport to another place and time, a part of the past and perhaps a symbol of impossible perfection. But for one of Hilton Head Island's most beloved fashion icons, Barbie is still the "it" girl.

Patty Walling (who could pass for Barbie in the flesh) has found a way to make her fantasy real. "I never gave up my Barbie dolls," she said. But it's not just about playing a grownup version of dress-up; it's about helping others, she explained.

"My customers are my living Barbies," said Patty, who works as a sales associate at the Porcupine. "Bringing people to a sense of style within themselves (which we all have) is like getting up in the morning and brushing my teeth," she said. "It's easy for me."

While you might imagine that Patty spends her time poring over fashion magazines and planning her outfits, nothing could be further from the truth. Yet her natural knack for putting herself together makes her an eye-popping standout in any crowd. "I think I am outside the box in a lot of ways," she said. "When I'm working with my 'Barbie dolls,' I'll throw some things in that might take them in a little different direction. It gives them an opportunity to try something outside their norm and have fun. The box is safe. My box is so big, because everything I do is so unsafe! It's what makes me me!"

As the saying goes, she got it honest. "I'm a lot like an aunt of mine, Auntie Charma," said Patty. "She was the one who had all the beautiful clothes and loved shopping and fashion. She had a big bureau full of little white boxes of jewelry. She would open the drawers and let me see and play with it, and she would help me make clothes for my Barbie dolls." Patty's mother was also a strong fashion influence. "She was tall and thin. She loved clothes and fashion and we looked a lot alike," she said, eyes misting as she shared a photo. Gaining further fashion inspiration from her former mother-in-law, Peggy Lee, Patty said, "We had a lot of the same thoughts about fashion. Until the day she left this world, we were very close. She was an important part of my life."

According to Patty, the joy of her job is in making customers happy and giving them that little confidence boost that comes with the right outfit. "I think that women gain a sense of security when they dress well. If we feel great about the way we look, we have a better time than if we are unsure," she said.

Beneath the sophisticated exterior-the stylish outfits, flashy accessories, sassy haircut, curvy figure and perfect makeup-beats the heart of a Barbie to know and love. "Patty is a kind, caring, gentle, life-loving lady," said her friend, Mary Miller. "She is as warm and generous as her smile. Patty not only lights up a room, she lights up each life she touches."
Get to know the real Patty Walling: a living doll!


Up Close

Hilton Head Island resident: 21 years
Lives with: husband, Donn and two canine children, "Sugar Bear" and "Kira"

People might be surprised to know: that she holds a degree in interior design and loves to cook

A peek inside Patty's closet: Prepare for a shock. After moving from a house with six walk-in closets to a small, but charming condominium overlooking Shelter Cove Harbour, Patty's closet consists of two industrial-size roll racks, partitioned off from the rest of the room by two dividers. Tucked underneath each rack are shoe boxes galore; and behind it all is a lingerie chest filled with jewelry and accessories. Because there is no light switch, Patty navigates with a small flashlight in her mouth so she can use both hands to dig through and find her outfit for the day. (Her husband has promised to buy her a coal miner's hat for Christmas.) Additional items are stored as fold down-find storage chests and hat boxes under the beds and in every nook and cranny. Patty knows exactly what is in every box and can get dressed to the nines in less than 10 minutes.