Barbie: Over the Decades
When I think about girlhood, I think about the importance the Barbie doll has played in shaping the identities of children all the way through their transition into adulthood. Arguably, the Barbie movie, released in July of 2023, has brought such recollections to the surface for viewers all around.
Some may feel such a connection to Barbie for the reason that they feel as if they grew up and evolved with her.
Due to Barbie’s prominence in the lives of many growing up, it is common for there to be an emotional connection which resembles the evolution that Barbie has experienced. More specifically, as Barbie has experimented with different styles, gained new employment experiences, and more, fans of the Barbie doll have felt a sense of similarity and relatableness with her.
With her release in 1959, the original Barbie’s sense of style reflected the trend of softened shoulder lines, pleats, and patterns like stripes and polka dots. Barbie debuted as an elegant fashion-type, yet still mirrored the common, everyday outfit worn in the late 50s.
Through the swift transition into the 60s, the Barbie doll began to pick up on some new style approaches, including soft floral prints, cardigans, ribbons, and pearls. These different additions encapsulated the timeless, trending classy look of the decade. Furthermore, the Barbie line began adding elements of female empowerment, including outfits for the doll to either step into the office in style, or casually fly to the moon as an astronaut.
Moving on to the 1970s fashion, Barbie continued to closely follow the time’s trends. She was seen wearing bright and bold colors, funky patterns–such as tie dye with coordinating headbands, and flared pants that deviated from the more traditional fitted pants. In addition to this fun new look, we also see an emergence of more career paths Barbie has followed, including a doctor, an Olympic skier, and a model.
As the 80s emerge, Barbie begins to evolve her style even more through rocking shoulder pads, leg warmers, big hair, and crushed velvet. The colors she wore during this decade became much more prominent and striking, in the same way that trends took a turn. Not only did Barbie totally encapsulate the idea of rad, but further evolvement was reflected through Barbie achieving CEO status, as well as the company’s release of the very first Black Barbie.
Once the 90s came around, the Barbie doll adopted a new sense of style, through which she displayed her versatile approach to fashion, sporting both the minimalism and maximalism of the 90s. On some occasions, Barbie was seen wearing sequins, mesh material, braided hair, knee-high boots, denim on denim, and chunky jewelry. On other occasions, however, Barbie also appeared to be going the business-casual route with a hint of modern preppy, in which she wore plaid, blazers, gingham, and pencil skirts. Just as you thought she did it all, she added more occupations to her resume, including an Air Force pilot, police officer, firefighter, and a dentist. As time progressed, Barbie’s achievements became more and more apparent, giving girls all around the world the confidence to pursue their dreams.
Ella Bentley — November 7th, 2023
