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Barbie gets a booty, plus other changes unveiled in new doll line

Written by
Marcia Gagliardi
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The busty and wasp-waisted Barbie, an iconic and much-discussed body shape young girls have been imprinted with for the past 57 years, is changing for the first time. In an unexpected (and long-overdue move), Mattel has just unveiled three new body shapes—curvy, tall and petite—as part of their Fashionistas line.

The most notable change is the new curvy Barbie features a thicker (read: normal looking) waist, limbs, and behind, and as of last year, the dolls no longer have to squeeze their bound-looking distorted feet in high heels—you can actually buy dolls with human-looking flat feet. Mattel has been rolling out changes in skin tone and hairstyles over the past year, and now with the new shapes, the Fashionistas will come in seven different skin tones, 22 eye colors, 24 hairstyles and four body types (you can still get the original Barbie shape). 

While the new line was not inspired by some feminist fringe group at Mattel that decided it was time to update the doll’s unattainable and exceedingly narrow beauty standard (it was flagging sales that drove the change), it’s great to see Barbie start reflecting all different kinds of beauty and ethnicities—especially when you consider that 92 percent of American girls between the ages 3 and 12 have owned a Barbie. (You can read more about the project in this in-depth piece on TIME.) 

The new dolls can be ordered on Barbie.com as of January 28, and will hit the shelves at major toy retailers this spring.

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