I have been waiting for this moment since I was 5 years old. At long last, I will soon be able to dress like Barbie.
Yes, that Barbie. As in THE Barbie doll. She of the ridiculously proportioned figure, sure, but also of the fantasy ball gowns, the hilariously impractical "career gal" suits, the purple monster-fur coats. Mattel is collaborating with Forever 21, Lord and Taylor, and Wildfox to create lines of women's clothes inspired by Barbie. And I can't wait.
Talk all you want about setting more realistic expectations for body image. If we're talking about just the clothes, I am all for this.
After all, playing with a Barbie doll is what sparked my passion for style in the first place. I was one of those little girls who would spend hour after hour creating different looks for my dolls. I loved the clothes the dolls came with, tacky though they were -- all those shiny textiles, the poofy skirts and sleeves, everything tailored exactly for Barbie's figure.
Those clothes were the spark that lit my imagination. What if Barbie wore that skirt upside-down as a blouse? What if I made my own Barbie clothes from my mom's sewing scraps? What if we gave Barbie a rainbow mohawk?
Look, I was a very serious child growing up. Barbie was my only outlet for silly, frivolous fun. And I still need that -- you become an adult and life gets quite gray and sober. Have you read the news lately? It's a harsh world out there. Style is one area of my life where I can indulge in some lightness and silliness.
Barbie Wildfox Dreamhouse
So yes, thank you, I will take a pair of these giant pink plastic sunglasses. That fuzzy oversized sweater with "Barbie" emblazoned across the front? It kind of reminds me of the sweater my grandma knit for my doll. Lay it on me! And if you can find a way to make a sleazy bubblegum-hued sequin sheath and maybe a zebra-print maillot, I'll take one of each, please.
I know we're all concerned about the warped messages about body image Barbie sends our girls. I get that -- believe me, I do. But life is a little richer and more complex than that, isn't it? Do we really have to reject everything Barbie just because we don't like her measurements? What about reclaiming some of what we love about the doll, the magic, the pretty, the sparkle, the fun?
I don't think you should have to give that up just because you're a grownup.
Would you wear anything from the Barbie clothing lines for women?
Images via Mattel