Barbie reshapes long held ideals of beauty and body standards.
I was never a Barbie kind of girl growing up. The iconic doll with her long golden hair and thin limbs just didn't speak to me. Theoretically, I was opposed to everything I thought Barbie stood for. The truth is I was never a doll type of girl but I might have been if I the new evolution of Barbie had been available when I was a kid.
The power of seeing a version of yourself that you can identify with can't be undervalued. Grown women have been moved to tears since Mattel revealed the new Barbies. Women are buying several versions of the doll to represent their many facets. At the launch, Mattel explained the reason Barbie had to evolve. "The new 2016 Barbie® Fashionistas® doll line includes four body types (the original and three new bodies), seven skin tones, 22 eye colors, 24 hairstyles and countless on-trend fashions and accessories. With added diversity and more variety in styles, fashions, shoes, and accessories, girls everywhere will have infinitely more ways to spark their imagination and play out their stories. Because with Barbie® You Can Be Anything!"