Imma Barbie Girl

Barbie’s got a new shape, and she ain’t afraid to show it. I’m a Barbie girl, in a Barbie world. Now, that catchy tune can really feel real to any girl singing it because of the new body types, skin complexions, and eye colors that the Fashionista doll has released. Barbie’s now have four body types: the original, plus tall, curvy, and petite. They also feature seven skin tones, 22 eye colors, 30 hair colors, 24 hair styles, and 14 face sculpts. These new body types also mean that not every piece of clothing or shoes will fit each doll. So, girls don’t strip your Barbie’s of her outfits just yet, because you can’t mix and match how you used too.

This evolution has been a long time coming since the “original” doll has been Barbie’s thing for 57 years with some minor tweaks to her face but no body reconstruction, until now. The original Barbie was released in 1955 as a Caucasian woman with puckered bright red lips, eyes and brows that draw your attention, a slim waist, big boobs, and a toned butt.

In 1967 Barbie’s face became more youthful and realistic looking, her lips were pouty, and her eyelashes were real.. Not painted on, and she had a slim waist, big boobs, and a toned butt.

In 1977, the disco era, Barbie’s hair grew bigger, her face makeup was extremely glamorous, she was smiling with a hint of a dimple on her left cheek, her eyes became bluer, her lashes grew longer, but her waist was still slim, her boobs were still big, and her butt could never be more toned.

The dolls changes very were minimal up until 2011 when Barbie released their Tokidoki Barbie. This doll had the same body structure as her predecessors but she came with a huge twist, a flower tattoo on her chest, a tiger tattoo on her neck, and she had a pink bob.

Lastly, in 2015 Barbie released a limited edition Zendaya doll. This doll embraced a different skin tone as well as the very controversial hairstyle, dreadlocks.

This 2016 variation to the dolls body type, hair color, eye color, facial structure, and skin complexion is a huge step in the right direction for this company. I can see it now, more girls going to the stores asking their mom for this Barbie doll for Christmas, and that one for their birthday just because the girls look more like the real people that they know and less like the celebrities that we don’t.

Aliya Drake