Say hello to the new Barbie, which looks a lot more like you than ever. Mattel has announced its newest line of the ever popular doll brand. The 2016 Barbie Fashionista dolls will feature 4 body types, 7 skin tones, 22 eye colors, 24 hairstyles and a host of new outfits, and accessories. These new Barbies are a step away from the traditional dolls which critics say give young girls an unrealistic body image and lack diversity in skin color and hair type.
Now doll lovers can purchase dolls that closely resemble them instead of a supermodel. The new body types include curvy, petite and tall, and the skin tones work to include more racial diversity. These dolls are being released in stages and can be customized with just about any combination of physical features.
Aside from the change in looks, Barbie is also getting some changes in occupation as well. The dolls have gone from being only supermodels to including more stereotypically female roles like veterinarians and flight attendants. The Barbie Fashionistas will feature a game developer doll and two dolls representing the President and Vice President of the United States.
It seems Mattel is responding to calls for a more inclusive Barbie doll. With the dolls representing a major standard of beauty, especially for the young people who play with them, Barbie has a responsibility to show all types of women. Thanks to these new dolls a petite, Hispanic, 9-year-old with red hair can go to the toy store and see a doll who looks just like her. A little curvy black girl can receive a doll with curls in her hair, hips and a little bit of tummy for her 12th birthday and feel beautiful. Now a young boy can see a doll that reminds him of his mother or his 5th grade teacher or the woman he passed on the street that afternoon and learn to appreciate the beauty of a woman in all shapes and colors.
Barbie has done a lot in history, she’s gone to the moon, been a doctor, an airplane pilot, and a school teacher. The dolls have had all types of outfits, cars, and dream homes to spare, but for the first time there will be a doll that looks like me. She will be tall and brown; her hair will have coils and she’ll wear glasses, and I will finally get the representation that a 10-year-old really could have used.