A History of Barbie, and her Relationship with Fashion
The Barbie doll was first introduced to the public in 1959 at a New York toy fair. The designer and toy maker Ruth Handler came up with the idea when she was watching her daughter play with paper dolls and imagining them in a grown up role. Excited by this example of role playing Ruth introduced the idea to Mattel, the company that she and her husband co-founded. The doll, which they named Barbie after their daughter Barbara, was at first refused by the company as it would have been too expensive to produce. During a trip to Germany Ruth Handler came across a ‘Lillie Doll’ that was produced in the mid nineteen fifties. This particular doll was modelled after a character in a comic strip. However the doll did not portray the innocent look the Ruth had imagined her creation to have. Following more input as a result of trips to Japan, Mattel ended up changing the doll’s pursed lips and thick make-up which made her look almost pornographic. After a number of false starts Mattel finally created an American teenage doll suitable for little girls to engage with and share their dreams and aspirations. This essay aims to look at how Barbie’s designs and styles have changed throughout the decades from the 1960’s to the 1990’s. At first buyers were sceptical about the potential for the doll as they were put off by the mature appearance, so different from the baby look of other dolls. Mattel continued to support the concept of Barbie doll and backed the brand with a television campaign. This proved successful and she soon caught the imagination of the general public and has since provided Mattel with sales of over 1.5 million dolls each week. The earliest dolls were still heavly produced and featured obvious make-up, which meant that some people commented on Barbies sleazy appearance. Her almondshaped head and sharp sideways glancing eyes were also felt by some to be slightly scary. Once sufficient numbers were sold and Barbie became established she was more accepted. Barbie's first outfit consisted of a black and white swim suit; her hair was designed to fall in a ponytail, which swirled. She later underwent her first hair cut and started to wear what was to become her most famous hair cut, the bob. This haircut was very popular during the 60’s, and this was an early indication of how the doll would adapt to follow current trends and fashions. The introduction of tights and mini skirts in the 60s by Mary Quant and other avant garde designers also influenced the design of Barbie’s outfits. Many of her clothes were designed to reflect the outfits worn by Jackie Kennedy (style icon and wife, later widow, of President Kennedy) and featured similar designs to those that were popular during the 60’s such as pleated skirts, straight sweater dresses, flared dresses and kitten heels. During the late 60’s Barbie saw her first major body change which saw her develop bendable legs. As a result of this advancement in design there was a far greater scope for the doll to play more adventurous roles in girls play. Around this time Barbie also grew her hair to chin length. Around 1967 Barbie underwent further major changes and developed a new ‘twist ‘n’ turn’ waist. This flexible waist meant that she could participate in new and more exiting careers and hobbies such as gymnastics, horse riding and ballet. Due to the demands of younger girls who wanted a doll with hair they could interact with by styling Mattel’s designers made her hair longer and straighter. Different models became available which had hair in a variety of colours. The 1960’s have been described as some of the most unsettled years of the century and Barbie’s changes in appearance and functionality reflect that.
In the early 70’s Barbie’s wrists, elbows and ankles started to bend. This meant there was much more posable and therefore she seemed more life like for younger girls. Again this increased the number of special models that could be made available. The 70’s was another decade of rapid fashion changes. With the rise of feminism mini skirts were now seen by many women as an exploitation of woman, and Barbie responded with the introduction of short flared skirts, usually with a checked pattern. Formal outfits from this time included the granny dress, which featured a high neckline and floral pattern. Despite its apparent unsuitability this is one of the outfits that became available for Barbie. During the 70’s transport became a lot cheaper and easier and this in turn meant more designs were influenced by ideas and accessories from abroad. The introduction of central heating and improved public transport meant that there was no longer the same need for long coats and thick fabric. Hip length velvet jackets and raincoats became popular. The designs of the early 1970’s gave way to flared trousers, gypsy tops and platform shoes, all of which were available for Barbie. However, perhaps the most famous style from the 70’s was that of ‘disco’, which featured hot pants, stretched fabrics, medallions and light reflecting clothes. This was yet another style which Barbie eagerly adopted. In 1977 Barbie’s face changed again as she developed a wide open-mouthed smile and bright eyes. This change in image was created to make her appear more friendly and for girls to be able to relate to her with greater ease. The 80’s showed equality more than any other decade up to that point. Women started to wear formal suits to the workplace and were given the same opportunity for a promotion as men (in legislation if not always in practice). Mattel responded by introducing black Barbie and Hispanic Barbie in 1980, followed by oriental Barbie in 1981. These were marketed as developments to show impartiality and to break up the culture differences of the times. It was surely no coincidence that these developments also opened up new markets amongst affluent blacks. During the 80’s Barbie somewhat lost her way as she developed a whole host of new images such as ‘astronaut Barbie’ and ‘day to night Barbie’, which showed her as a rock star. The 80’s became the era of colour coordination and shoes, tights, bags and hats were all available in matching colours. Mattel produced lots of accessories which allowed younger girls to mix and match items while indulging in role play with Barbie. Mattel wanted to make Barbie a character of status and importance and sought to achieve this aim by giving her a professional image, complete with calculator. This allowed girls to fantasise about the work place and encouraged them to expect equal opportunities in employment. Fashions in the 80’s included shoulder pads, shawls and costume jewellery. Again many of these were reflected in Barbie designs oft the time. The 90’s found some of the fashion industries more famous designers producing ideas for Mattel. These designers included names such as Bob Mackie, Nolan Miller and Christian Dior. There influence on Barbie created a huge rush for the doll, especially by a new group of specialist Barbie collectors. Mackie’s designs were over the top and consisted of lots of sequins and beads. ‘Mackie sculpt’ was the new and more developed Barbie head and face, which featured fuller closed lips, a smiling face and highly detailed eye make up. This new look was originally created for ‘Mackie’s Neptune Fantasy Barbie’. In 1997 Mattel widened Barbies waist after critics claimed
that her proportions were unrealistic; calculations showed that if Barbie were a real person then she would be so thin that she would be unable to menstruate. Many of the products of 80’s style were still around during the 90’s, however people had become more individual and had cultivated a much more relaxed attitude towards clothing. As a reflection on the individuality of the final years of the twentieth century Mattel designed many different Barbies with a wide range of different jobs, hobbies and styles so that there was something for everyone. In 1992 the company introduced ‘teen talk’ Barbie – 20 years after a fire destroyed the first talking Barbie. This doll prompted anger within the feminist movement as one of her phrases was “maths class is tough’. Many parents didn’t allow Barbie in to their house as they thought of her as a bad role model, pandering to the stereotype of beauty without brains. To conclude, Ruth Handler managed to create a doll that has helped develop and encourage the imagination of little girls throughout four decades. Although the doll was originally designed for her own daughter, Ruth and the Mattel Company managed to create something for many girls to enjoy. The company constantly changed her appearance so as to keep her up to date and ensure potential buyers were still able to relate to her. The 60’s was the decade that showed the most changes for Barbie, as it was her early years before she was fully established as a brand. Additionally her changes were reflecting the monumental changes in society at that time. Her hair also went though many alterations to ensure she kept up with the style of the decade. Mattel would be anxious to avoid having a product that looked dated. The designers also introduced added features which helped enhance her realistic qualities and meant that girls could use her in more creative role play as it was possible for them to imagine her doing more things. The 70’s changed her style of clothing keeping her ‘hip’ and Mattel also further improved her facial features, making her softer and kinder. During the 80’s Barbie tried out lots of new and exiting things. Her established popularity and strong brand image meant she could attempt lifestyles and images which she would not have been able to do in past years. Although a tribute to her popularity this also shows how much society had developed. The 1990s saw Mattel try to boost her sales by the introduction of a voice, opening up new models to the range. Throughout history Barbie has changed her image and developed new and more exciting careers or hobbies. This all serves to keep her more interesting and marketable. As long as Mattel (or more specifically their designers and consultants) are able to keep in touch with their inner child Barbie will always sell as despite her many changes in appearance and style she is still instantly recognisable.