Life in plastic, it’s fantastic! Sure, Barbie is iconic, but can you believe she’s been around since 1959? Society has changed a lot since this doll first hit the shelves, especially when it comes to women. So naturally, Barbie had to keep evolving too, or else she would have been buried under newer, cooler toys. She may have started out as a fashion doll, but over the years she’s been a nurse, a rock star, an astronaut, and even President of the United States! She’s also come under fire for perpetuating unrealistic representations of female beauty standards. Let’s take a look at just how much Barbie has changed over the years.
1959-1960s: The original Barbie
Barbie was created in 1959 by a Mattel founder named Ruth Handler. She had noticed that young girls, including her own daughter, weren’t interested in baby dolls any more. They didn’t want their futures to revolve solely around looking after babies; they wanted something more.
Barbie sprang from the idea that girls deserved dolls that reflected their aspirations: a doll that could do and be anything a woman could. So Handler made sure to name the doll after her own daughter, Barbara.
Barbie’s first jobs
When Barbie was first created, her official job was “teenage fashion model.” She certainly had the looks for it, since every part of her was designed to be as beautiful and appealing as possible. But her design didn’t change much when she was given a new career.
In 1960 Fashion Designer Barbie showed up, rocking a smart red skirt suit and, of course, a sketchbook. Barbie’s miniature clothes were manufactured to a very high quality indeed: check out that belt buckle.
Barbie gets a haircut
For two years after her debut, Barbie had a ponytail and that was it. But this all changed in 1961 when Mattel brought out the Bubblecut Barbie doll. Everything about her was the same as previous versions, including the clothes, but all of a sudden she had a cute short hairdo!
This new Barbie was available in several different hair colors, including blonde, brunette, and “brownette.” It would be a long time, however, before Barbie got any non-white hairstyles.
Nurse Barbie
Barbie soon got another job in the 1960s: a nurse — and a very stylish one, too. Being a nurse is one of the most important jobs in the world, of course, but it was one of only a few roles that were really open to women during that era.
Barbie fashion designer Carol Spencer joined Mattel in 1963; she mused in a 2019 interview with Insider, “At that time, there were basically five jobs for women: nurse, teacher, secretary, clerk, wife-and-mother.”
Red Flare Barbie
In 1962 there was one fashion icon that stood out above all others: First Lady of the United States Jackie Kennedy. So when the Red Flare Barbie debuted, she perfectly emulated Jackie’s signature style.
She had on a swing coat, a pillbox hat and white gloves, all immaculately put together down to the smallest detail, and even her hairdo looked like Jackie’s. Her face, though, was all Barbie, with the then-trademark red lipstick and sideways-looking eyes.
Astronaut Barbie
In 1965 came Barbie’s first outing as an astronaut, four years before humankind actually landed on the Moon! So Astronaut Barbie was progressive in many ways, not least because female astronauts were still a distant dream at that point. Sure, she was actually called “Miss Astronaut” on the packaging, but you can’t have everything.
From there, Barbie has had many more space adventures: she’s been an astronaut many times, and two Barbie dolls actually went to the International Space Station in 2022.
Barbie learns to twist
In 1966 Barbie got a new body: one that could twist! This was the Twist ‘n Turn Barbie body, and it was a big improvement in terms of play. Twist ‘n Turn Barbie had articulated joints, so she could move her waist and her knees, meaning she could even be made to “dance” more realistically.
This Barbie design, which also had the new feature of rooted eyelashes, was very popular indeed and lasted all the way to the new millennium.
Barbie starts to speak
After the twisting Barbie, the next step was a talking doll! The 1968 Talking Barbie, available in three different hair colors, had not only an articulated body but also a voice-box. Unfortunately, she didn’t have a whole lot of interesting things to say.
Barbie’s statements included, “I have a date tonight,” and “Would you like to go shopping?” which probably didn’t do much to truly inspire young girls. This would be a problem that would constantly plague the Talking Barbies, but more on that later…
1970-1979: Malibu Barbie
The 1971 Malibu Barbie marked another jump forward for Barbie’s design. She gained a new face, for a start. The new face mold was the same one as the one used for Mattel’s “Stacy” dolls, and it granted Barbie a smile with her teeth displayed for the first time and — finally — forward-facing eyes that allowed her to meet the gaze of the child playing with her.
Malibu Barbie exemplified the look of the ideal ’70s woman, the beautiful and beach-going California blonde. This was truly the year Barbie started to evolve into her now-iconic look.
Barbie becomes Miss America
Barbie was officially made a beauty queen in 1974. Was this a step forward for feminism or a step back, though? At the time the Miss America contest was very controversial, with women’s groups denouncing it as sexist. But then again, Barbie herself has been called sexist and an inappropriate idealization of the female form.
Bear in mind that Miss America was far from the only career path Barbie had during the ’70s: a Surgeon Barbie was released in 1973.
Superstar Barbie
Barbie got another new face in 1977. She had gained bright blue eyes, pretty dimples and a big smile, three of the features now most closely associated with the stereotypical Barbie. This was Superstar Barbie, who embodied all the glamor of the era and then some.
She came with a hot pink dress, some jewelry, a new style of strappy heels and even her own stand, so she could be put on display superstar-style. She was a very popular Barbie indeed!
1980-1989: Black Barbie
Barbies only came in one skin color until 1980. Young black girls had other Mattel-made dolls, such as Barbie’s friend Christie, but no Barbie. Then eventually the company hired their first black designer, a woman called Kitty Black Perkins, and she made the all-important change that ensured Barbie could represent everyone going forward.
“I wanted her just to reflect the total look of a black woman,” Perkins said in 2023’s Black Barbie: A Documentary. “We made her lips a little bit fuller; we made her nose a little bit wider.”
Day-to-Night Barbie
The Day-to-Night Barbie was a celebration of women in the workplace and the idea that women could “have it all.” She went to work to earn her own living and then she went out on the town! This Barbie came with a pink power suit that transformed into an equally pink evening dress, plus calculator, briefcase, shoes, purse, and hat!
Day-to-Night Barbie stood the test of time fashion-wise and Margot Robbie actually wore a look inspired by her while on the promotion tour for the 2023 Barbie movie.
Barbie and the Rockers
Do you know what the very first Barbie TV show was? It was the television special Barbie and the Rockers, released in 1987! And it was based on the 1986 toy line of the same name, which featured not only Barbie but her rock star friends Derek, Diva, Dana, and Dee Dee as well.
These were “real dancing action” dolls so you could make them party on the dancefloor! Chances are these figures were inspired by the Jem and the Holograms franchise, which was also very popular in the ’80s.
1990-1999: Rollerblade Flicker ‘n Flash Barbie
The ’90s were in many ways a chaotic time for Barbie and Mattel. Take the 1991 Rollerblade Barbie with “flicker ‘n flash” skates, for example. Parents soon found out that if their kids spun the rollerblade wheels anywhere near flammable liquids the results could be disastrous.
One journalist for the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph, perhaps sensing a fun opportunity, used the Barbie rollerblade to set fire to an old pair of underwear in his driveway and documented the results. Before long, the Barbies were recalled: they’re a rare find today.
Barbie joins the military
Barbie ventured into more traditionally ‘masculine’ employment areas in the ’90s. Gone were the days where, as designer Spencer had said, there were only five jobs available to women. The Barbie of the ’90s was a dentist, a soccer player, a business executive, a firefighter, and a rapper! And she even joined the military.
While discussion raged over the role of women in the armed forces, girls could play with a Marine Corps Sergeant, Naval Petty Officer, or Air Force Pilot Barbie.
Barbie makes millions
The year 1992 was a big one for Mattel: Totally Hair Barbie, the highest-selling doll in Barbie history, made her debut. She was a Barbie with 11.5 inches of hair, the most a Barbie had ever had at that point, offering loads of styling opportunities. More than 10 million units were sold! It wasn’t all great for Barbie and Mattel that year, though. Another talking Barbie, Teen Talk Barbie also dropped… and turned into a PR disaster for the company.
One of her stock phrases was “Math class is tough!” which infuriated feminist groups. Barbie was hugely popular but did she have anything to actually say? Was she still stuck in 1968 repeating insipid “girly” lines?
Barbies of the world
Despite the controversy, Barbie did take steps in the ’90s to be more inclusive. The year 1994 saw the release of four Dolls of the World Barbies: Chinese Barbie, Kenyan Barbie, Dutch Barbie, and Native American Barbie.
They all came dressed in the traditional clothes of their culture, so girls the world over could see themselves represented. The following year a German Barbie, Polynesian Barbie, Irish Barbie, and a different Native American Barbie, this one from the Southern Plains, dropped.
Barbie’s body type
As the ’90s progressed people started to ask the question: was Barbie promoting an unhealthy body image for young girls? Plenty of people thought the answer was “yes.” There was even a group during that era called the “Barbie Liberation Organization.”
The proportions of a Barbie doll are impossible to achieve in real life, but admittedly the same is the case for a lot of toys — you can’t grow a mermaid’s fishtail either! It would take Mattel another couple of decades to make Barbie less stick-thin.
Barbie embraces new technology
As the new millennium approached, toy companies embraced computer technology more and more. The year 1997 saw the release of Talk With Me Barbie, which came with a CD-ROM and a little desk that connected to a PC! The idea was that you could use the CD-ROM to program preset phrases into Barbie via infrared beaming and make her talk.
Presumably, “Math class is hard!” wasn’t one of the preset phrases! Talk With Me Barbie was a cool idea, but the price of $90 put a lot of people off, so the set wasn’t profitable.
2000-2009: Barbie gets more flexible
Barbie got a new body in 2000! This was the Ever Flex body, which debuted with Jewel Girl Barbie. The Ever Flex system meant that you could pose your Barbie in many different positions and twist her body more than the old Twist ‘n Turn joints had allowed.
This was great for Cheerleader Barbie and the American Idol line of Barbies! As for Jewel Girl Barbie herself, as her name suggests, she came with jewels that could be used to decorate her clothes.
Barbie for President
As time went by the question arose: why couldn’t Barbie be the President of the United States? Especially since a real female president was yet to come. The first “Barbie for President” doll came out in 1992 and came with a dress the colors of the American flag.
But after that it became more about the job and less about the clothes. Mattel partnered with the White House Project in 2000 to release another President Barbie doll, and there have been constant new ones ever since then.
Princess Barbie
Mattel kept adding to its line of diverse Barbies as time went on. From 2000 to 2005 it released The Princess Collection as part of the Dolls of the World line, and this featured princesses from cultures both ancient and still existing.
In 2001 alone Barbie fans got princess dolls from China, Ireland, the Incas, the Nile, and Ancient Mexico. There ended up being 21 princesses in all, each of them wearing a carefully detailed and beautifully made costume.
Barbie celebrates 50 years
The year 2009 was a massive year for Barbie, because it was her 50th anniversary! This incredible Generations of Dreams Barbie, whose facial features looked slightly different to her counterparts, was released for adult collectors at that time.
Her dress was intended to highlight iconic moments in Barbie history and the bio on her box read, “Fifty years of trends and fashion couture and dreams for the girl in all of us and for the woman we might become.”
2010-2019: A dangerous Barbie?
Mattel released a cool new doll called Video Girl Barbie in 2010. She came with a built-in video camera so kids could record a movie from Barbie’s point of view! Super-cool… but the FBI didn’t think so.
It released an alert saying that the hidden camera inside the doll could potentially be a safeguarding issue; it unfortunately got blown out of proportion by the media, even though no-one had actually used the Barbie to commit crimes.
Computer Engineer Barbie
Mattel’s woes involving Barbies and technology weren’t over after that. In 2014 people became furious over a book featuring Computer Engineer Barbie. The book, aimed at children, featured Barbie solving all her computer problems with the help of her male co-workers instead of doing it herself.
Mattel posted a message on Facebook saying, "The portrayal of Barbie in this specific story doesn't reflect the brand's vision for what Barbie stands for." But it was a PR disaster all the same.
Barbie goes to Mars
The 1965 Astronaut Barbie presented the idea of a woman in space years before it actually happened. Perhaps Mars Explorer Barbie does the same thing?
This 2013 doll was a collaboration between Mattel and NASA, and Mattel’s statement about the new Barbie declared, "Adding to her resume of more than 130 careers, Mars Explorer Barbie doll inspires girls to be adventurous and to always reach for the stars!" And this time around, she wasn’t called “Miss.”
Sports Illustrated Barbie
Barbie still wasn’t beating those anti-feminist allegations. In 2014 the doll became part of a photoshoot for Sports Illustrated magazine and many people weren’t impressed. Writer Nicole Rodgers told website The Verge, “In this context, the choice of this doll/human pairing seems to be moving in entirely the wrong direction.
It is quite literally a new level of female objectification to pair real women with inanimate objects, as equivalents, at least in terms of how readers are expected to appreciate and value their beauty.”
Entrepreneur Barbie
It wasn’t all controversy for Barbie in 2014. That year also saw the release of Entrepreneur Barbie, who was designed to get girls interested in STEM fields. Yes, we know she should technically have been titled Entrepreneuse Barbie. Still, Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani told Wired that year, “You can't be what you can't see. Unfortunately we live in a culture where girls are bombarded with images of male coders and engineers that just don't look like them.
When you ask a girl what a computer scientist is, she usually pictures a geeky guy typing away. And then we wonder why girls don't pursue careers in tech! We have to change popular culture and start showing more women, more cool, dynamic, creative women, in these roles.”
Barbie with dreadlocks
By the ’10s it had become a very high honor to be a celebrity with a Barbie created in their likeness. One of the lucky celebs granted this was actress Zendaya, and her 2015 Barbie was notable for featuring her with dreadlocks. In fact, it was the first Barbie with dreadlocks!
This was a huge deal since Zendaya had faced snide comments before for wearing her hair in locs, and the actress was full of praise for Mattel for diversifying their Barbie line even more.
Barbie gets new body shapes
A long-awaited development finally came along in 2016: Barbie’s body type was diversified. Suddenly she came in four different options: original, curvy, petite, and tall. Not only that, but she now had seven different skin tones and 24 diverse hairstyles. On the release, Mattel’s Evelyn Mazzocco said in a statement, “We are excited to literally be changing the face of the brand.
These new dolls represent a line that is more reflective of the world girls see around them; the variety in body type, skin tones and style allows girls to find a doll that speaks to them. We believe we have a responsibility to girls and parents to reflect a broader view of beauty.”
Barbie runs on an all-female ticket
What if there was not only a President Barbie but also a Vice-President Barbie? That’s a dream that Mattel offered with this set from 2016. It teamed up with the non-profit She Should Run, which was dedicated to getting more women into leadership, and the back of the Barbie box offered a website that could get young girls talking to their parents about women in politics.
The two dolls came in the original stick-thin Barbie body type, but they did also come with multiple different skin tones, so there was some variety in representation.
Barbie wears a hijab
The first Barbie to ever wear a hijab came along in 2017. She was modeled on Olympic fencing champion Ibtihaj Muhammad and unveiled at Glamour magazine’s Women of the Year summit.
Muhammad told Teen Vogue at the time, “Today I’m proud to know that little girls who wear a hijab, and just as powerfully, those that don’t, can play with a Barbie in a headscarf. As someone who grew up playing with Barbies, I know that the more diverse dolls offered, the many more inspiring stories girls will be able to tell.”
Barbies with disabilities
There had never been many dolls in whom disabled kids could see themselves. So in 2019 Barbie aimed to try and change that. The dolls, part of the Fashionistas line, had prosthetic limbs and wheelchairs upon which disability activists had been consulted.
Mattel said in a press release, “As a brand, we can elevate the conversation around physical disabilities by including them into our fashion doll line to further showcase a multi-dimensional view of beauty and fashion.”
Barbie with vitiligo
The skin condition vitiligo was once little-understood and represented, but no more. In 2019 Mattel released a Barbie with vitiligo and this decision garnered it a lot of praise. Erika Page of the vitiligo blog Living Dappled wrote in an open letter thanking Mattel, “I didn’t have a Cover Girl model to look up to. And I certainly had never seen a doll that actually matched my reflection in the mirror.
I grew up with kids asking why my skin was dirty. Yet I love to think that the next generation of little girls will be noticed because they look like the latest, hippest Barbie.”
2020-present: Barbie with hearing aids
Mattel continued to make strides in disability representation as a new decade dawned. In 2022 a Barbie was made that had a hearing aid, which had apparently been frequently requested by Barbie fans. British actress Rose Ayling-Ellis launched the doll and told the media, “It’s so important for children to be able to see themselves represented in the toys they play with.
When I was little, I would draw hearing aids onto my Barbie dolls to make them look like me, so I am thrilled that Mattel is releasing more dolls that encourage kids to celebrate and embrace their differences!”
Barbie Eco-Leadership Team
Mattel started to look into sustainability practices as the climate crisis progressed. In 2022 in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute, it released a Barbie “Eco-Leadership Team” set. It came with four different dolls: Environmental Advocate, Conservation Scientist, Chief Sustainability Officer and Renewable Energy Engineer.
And these dolls were made from mostly recycled plastic and had clothes made from recycled fabric. Maybe eventually there will come a point where all Barbie dolls will be 100 percent recycled!
An LGBT Barbie
In the 2020s Mattel launched a Tribute Collection which featured Barbies designed in the likeness of important women. These included Queen Elizabeth II, Lucille Ball… and transgender TV icon Laverne Cox. So when her Barbie came out in 2022 it was the first ever transgender Barbie.
Cox told Forbes magazine at the time, “I hope people can look at this Barbie and dream big as I have in my career. The space of dreaming and manifesting is such a powerful source and leads you to achieve more than what you originally thought was possible.”
Barbie with Downs syndrome
In 2023 Mattel partnered with the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) to create a doll with Down’s Syndrome. Kids with the condition were another demographic who were hardly ever represented in dolls.
When the new Barbie dropped, NDSS president Kandi Pickard told the media, “It was an honor working with Barbie on the Barbie doll with Down’s syndrome. This means so much for our community, who for the first time can play with a Barbie doll that looks like them.”
Real-Life Barbie
The year 2023 is a very exciting one for Barbie fans: it marks the release of the Greta Gerwig-directed live-action Barbie movie! Starring Margot Robbie, the film features a wide variety of Barbies, and many of them have their own dolls. Issa Rae, who plays President Barbie, neatly summed up the past seven decades of the toy.
She told The Guardian, “It has become representative of the perfect female body and also denigrated as a bimbo in some ways. But I think the company aims for it not to be that, and I think the movie aims to have a conversation about that.”