The new look Barbie dolls are here and they’re a LOT different

But body type “was only one of the criticisms”, he said. The global sales of Barbie dolls has been dropping as of late, with a reported 14% drop announced by Mattel in October of previous year. Today, the release of the 2016 Barbie Fashionistas line has been mostly met with positivity, though others argue that more effort could still be done, particularly with the inclusion of a transgender Barbie. “Girls everywhere now have infinitely more ways to play out their stories and spark their imaginations through Barbie”, the company said on its website.

While Barbie may look different, she’s still not shying away from the spotlight.

Kirstie Alley took to Twitter Thursday morning to ask the world, “are we seriously going to imply that BARBIE needs to be taken seriously?”

The El Segundo, California, toy company will also continue to sell the original Barbie.

It’s a stark contrast to when Barbie showed up in the pages of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue almost two years ago. The new versions will begin arriving on USA store shelves in March and will roll out globally after that.

These variations in size also mean that not every piece of Barbie clothing will fit every doll.

In 2014, Barbie lead designer Kim Culmone justified the doll’s unrealistic shape. Which new Barbie is your current favorite? “I’m officially excited & proud to buy my daughter a barbie one day!” “I just don’t want her to feel bad that she can’t see a doll that looks like her”. She adds that it’s important for young boys to understand women’s bodies come in all shapes and sizes because “they grow up expecting girls’ bodies to look a certain way”.

Feminists and parents have been criticizing the doll for setting an impossible ideal of women’s beauty for half a century since the first model was launched, with a wide bust and suspciously slim figure.