Living in a perfect world, Barbie has grown up and yet ironically stayed forever young throughout the decades. Formally known as Barbara Millicent Roberts, Barbie debuted on March 9, 1959. Created by Mattel Inc. The original Barbie doll was based on the German-built Lilli doll. Far from what is known now, the original Barbie doll wore a black and white strapless swimsuit, sunglasses, earrings, stiletto-heeled shoes, and bold makeup, and she had quite arched eyebrows.

Although Mattel was the manufacturer, Barbie’s life came from the heart and mind of Ruth Handler. An inspiring woman who was born on November 4, 1916. Her purpose for Barbie was to inspire young girls to imagine their future beyond motherhood and get rid of the idea that women have certain expectations in society. The name of Barbie was inspired by Ruth’s daughter, Barbara and as Barbie grew, she influenced ideas of women empowerment, beauty standards, and gender roles turning into a cultural icon after starting as just a playing doll for young girls. 

Over the decades, Barbie has changed appearances and transformed. As different styles became popular in fashion, Barbie adapted. From the original look of pale white skin and bold makeup to softer looks and outfits that reflected current trends, to now being diverse with multi-cultural Barbie dolls and inspirations. The first multi-cultural Barbie doll was introduced in 1980, but some question why it took so long to promote it. It wasn’t until 2022, that Mattel released its first LGBTQ+ Barbie doll.

“Barbie has always portrayed the message of ‘you can be anything you want’ especially towards a girl population,” said DBHS junior Jordan Juste.

Starting in the 1960’s, Mattel introduced the friends of Barbie. Starting in 1961 with Ken, her boyfriend, and her first best friend, Midge in 1963. After that, more friends of Barbie were introduced creating a large population to be interested in her as there weren’t only new girl Barbies but also new boy Barbies. But then again, it raised suspicions as to why other cultures weren’t introduced until 1980. As much as Barbie has grown and changed appearances, she has stayed young, being a 19-year-old girl since the start. 

“She’s very versatile, and there are different variations of her so she’s not just one thing, she’s implying to others that you can do anything, you’ll just be as good as the next person,” said DBHS junior Jordan Juste.

Today, young and older audiences are more inclined to Barbie because of the films. In 2001, the first animated Barbie movie was released introducing a whole new look towards Barbie and her world. Creating not only a toy doll for assumingly young girls, but an entertainment enjoyment for all ages. With the most recent Barbie live-action movie from 2023, the Barbie franchise doesn’t face as many problems as it did decades ago when the world wasn’t the same. Barbie TV shows and series have also made their way into the world, like the iconic ‘Barbie Life In The Dreamhouse’ from 2012. As of 2025, Mattel has yet to release Barbie dolls surrounding the Polynesian and Pacific Islander culture. So even though Barbie has changed a lot, there’s still a lot of room for improvement and even more growth.