Barbie's had a bit of a hard time over the years due to the unrealistic body standards she represents. Though if Barbie was a real life human being she'd have to walk around on all fours because her feet are so small, so we kind of think the criticism is justified.
It seems as though Barbie's manufacturers have taken the feedback on board and have now released a new collection of the 56-year-old doll - and thus the 'Super Style' Barbie range was born.
Mattel's new range has embraced diversity by featuring eight skin tones, fourteen facial shapes, eighteen eye colours and twenty-two hairstyles - giving children all over the world a whole range of options.
"Barbie has always been a refelection of the style of the decade, but also of the culture and fashion that's happening in the world," Barbie's SVP-global brand general manager, Evelyn Mazzocco, told AdAge. "[Super Style] is really about who you are. And fashion is the vehicle for expressing who you are."
The new line of Barbie dolls aims to empower children by celebrating fashion as a form of self-expression, which even seens Mattel introducing a new feature on their website which allows kids to create their own clothing line for their Barbie.
Check out the promotional video 'Who is Barbie?' created to advertised the new range.
While it's great to see Mattel embrace diversity, it'd also be great to see the doll made available in a range of sizes. That waistline just isn't achievable for those of us who enjoy the odd donut here and there!