Which Barbie do you want… tall, petite or curvy?
The body transformations have been in the works for two years, said Mattel spokeswoman Michelle Chidoni to the Associated Press on Thursday.
Barbie has changed in some ways already. Many even have a flatfooted option, for those women who don’t wear heels every waking moment.
“Barbie has made gestures in the past, but nothing this dramatic”. CNN.com reports some of the new dolls will be in stores March 1. They will be available at retailers this spring. The only question that remains is, will Ken also come in new sizes?
When it comes to Barbie’s body, it will no longer be one size fits all.
“The look of the dolls is great”, said Marc Rosenberg, a marketing consultant in Chicago that has worked in the toy industry for 25 years.
What do you think of Barbie’s makeover?
In October, Mattel reported that worldwide Barbie sales fell 4% in the third quarter of 2015.
In late 2014, graphic artist Nickolay Lamm introduced a doll named Lammily, which features what the company calls standard human body proportions.
Mattel The curvy Barbie reflects a more realistic view of American beauty in a nation that is less Heather Graham and more Ashley Graham.
The first batch of new dolls will be delivered in February.
Industry expert Jim Silver, who heads toy review site TTPM, believes they will be a big hit.
Now, in addition to the original Barbie – impossibly slender and often parodied – the doll will come in tall, petite and curvy varieties.
While Barbie may look different, she’s still not shying away from the spotlight. It was the first time a doll with breasts had been marketed.
A few studies suggest that Barbie’s particular physical appearance-her sexualized body, her tight jeans (for Doctor Barbie), or her minidress (for Dentist Barbie)-may have something to do with the dampening of little girls’ career aspirations.
Barbie Petite. Screengrab from the brand’s Facebook page.