Barbie Workin' Out Doll (1996)

Product Information

In 1990, Barbie was a bridesmaid for her best friend Midge. Collectors could also get a special edition Party Sensation Barbie, who came dressed in head-to-toe pink. After Mattel surveyed 8,000 moms, they found that the majority of mothers said they were worried their daughters didn't have enough female role models. In response, the company released the Inspiring Women line. The series features 17 role models, including artist Frida Kahlo, mathematician Katherine Johnson, and aviator Amelia Earhart. Barbie sales in the fourth quarter of 2018 reached a five-year high. Skipper, Barbie's sister, went to ballet class and ice skated. Designers also gave “Miss Barbie” bendable legs, molded hair with wig options, and eyes that could open and shut. Miss Barbie wasn't a huge hit at the time, but collectible versions can now sell for hundreds of dollars.

Barbie Dolls | Mattel Barbie Dolls | Mattel

Ruth Handler created the Barbie doll in 1959 after she saw her daughter getting creative with paper dolls. Before Barbie—which was very similar to the German adult doll Lilli—American girls mostly acted as caregivers to baby dolls. Handler, who co-founded Mattel with her husband, had the radical idea to create a doll that could show girls they could be caregivers, yes, but they could also be anything else they could imagine. Over the past six decades, the iconic doll has changed hairstyles, facial expressions, and held more than 200 jobs. Though some say Barbie is a career-oriented feminist, the doll's body size has always been a source of controversy. If she was real, Barbie's original waist would have measured an impossibly small 18 inches. While her midsection expanded and her chest shrank a couple of times over the decades, it wasn't until 2016 that Mattel introduced figures other than the original version. The Fashionista line now features numerous body types, skin tones, and hairstyles. In the fall of 2019, Barbies with prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs hit the market. In 2020, Mattel released a new line of Barbie Extra dolls that showcases a wide variety of personalities and styles. Malibu Barbie hit stores in 1971. This new version was tan with Barbie's iconic, long blonde hair. Instead of pursed lips, she showed off a white grin and started looking straight forward instead of to the side. As part of The Career Collection, Barbie got her police badge in 1993. The limited-edition doll came with a uniform and hat, but Barbie also had a white and gold dress to change into after work. She also became a U.S. Army medic. Not only did Barbie run for president in 2008, but she also started coaching soccer and swimming in her spare time. She also took her professional cooking skills—which she learned the year before—and became a TV chef.Though some say Barbie is a career-oriented feminist, the doll's body size has always been a source of controversy. If she was real, Barbie's original waist would have measured an impossibly small 18 inches. While her midsection expanded and her chest shrank a couple of times over the decades, it wasn't until 2016 that Mattel introduced figures other than the original version. The Fashionista line now features numerous body types, skin tones, and hairstyles. In the fall of 2019, Barbies with prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs hit the market. In 2020, Mattel released a new line of Barbie Extra dolls that showcases a wide variety of personalities and styles.

Barbie | Stacker Looking Back at Six Decades of Barbie | Stacker

As the ‘80s approached, Barbie wanted to relax in the sun and not worry about sunscreen. Sun Lovin' Malibu Barbie came with “a peek-a-boo tan” that showed underneath her two-piece turquoise bikini. In 2003, religious police in Saudi Arabia claimed Barbie was immoral. "Jewish Barbie dolls, with their revealing clothes and shameful postures, accessories, and tools are a symbol of decadence to the perverted West. Let us beware of her dangers and be careful," said the Committee for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. The claim didn't hurt sales a bit: Barbie had already been banned in Saudi Arabia for a decade. The same year Barbie became a Mars explorer, Barbie Café—licensed by Mattel—opened in Taipei, Taiwan. The company said it hoped the restaurant would show off the fashion behind the Barbie brand. The restaurant has since closed. A Barbie-themed restaurant opened in China in 2009 and closed two years later.Mattel released the Barbie Loves McDonald's play set in 1982. Barbie could wear a McDonald's uniform with a hat. There was even a tiny spatula for flipping tiny burgers. Throughout Barbie's life as an architect, entrepreneur, presidential candidate, computer engineer, and Mars explorer, she has remained a successful toy for Mattel. It wasn't until 2014 that Elsa from “Frozen” exceeded Barbie's popularity on little girls' Christmas wish lists. Oscar de La Renta created a line of clothes for Barbie in 1985. The following year, artist Andy Warhol painted Barbie's likeness. The piece, called “Barbie, Portrait of BillyBoy*,” was painted in honor of BillyBoy*, a designer who owned tens of thousands of Barbies and also designed two of the dolls for Mattel. Barbie's breasts got bigger in 1972. That same year, sales of the doll declined for the first time since they came to market. Barbie's unrealistic figure was not a hit with second-wave feminists. “The movement against her began during the women's movement,” said Andrea Nevins, director of “Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie.”

Barbie Work Clothes - Etsy UK Barbie Work Clothes - Etsy UK

Mattel gave Barbie another famous friend in 1978 when they made a Cheryl Ladd doll in honor of “Charlie's Angels.” Barbie's fashion sense in the late ‘70s featured floral prints and jumpsuits. Barbie made her second run for president in 2000. Her hair was cut into a short style reminiscent of Hillary Clinton, who was the first lady at the time. Barbie also ran for the highest elected office in 2004, 2008, and 2012, when she ran the “I Can Be...President” campaign.

In a time when beards were less mainstream, Mattel released Shaving Fun Ken. Kids could lather up Ken's face and use a toy razor that would remove his scruff with warm water. Barbie and Ken also went into space for the 30th Anniversary of “Star Trek.” Unlike Ken, Barbie did not have her own phaser. The 1992 version of Teen Talk Barbie voiced her disdain for arithmetic when she said, “math class is tough.” The American Association of University Women didn't like the message this sent to young girls. Mattel didn't recall the doll, but parents could switch their doll for one that wouldn't say the phrase. Mattel's president at the time, Jill E. Barad, admitted to the error. "In hindsight, the phrase 'math class is tough,' while correct for many students both male and female, should not have been included,” said Barad. Totally Hair Barbie hit stores the same year, becoming the best selling Barbie of all time. She was re-released in 2017. Navy Barbie, who was a petty officer first class and quartermaster, was dressed in a replica of a U.S. Navy women's uniform. When she wasn't on the ship, she spent time as a music video star or as an Air Force pilot.