From a full line of Barbie clothes, Barbie curtains, and of course, the Barbie doll. No inch high figurine made of plastic has evoked the international phenomenon that is Barbie. With the perfect figure, a large family consisting of Skipper, Stacie, Todd, Tutti, and Kelly, depending on the generation, a devoted circle of friends with names like Midge, Christie, Steven, and Teresa, and cute boyfriend by the name of Ken, Barbie had the life that dreams are made of. And it doesn't hurt that she remains one of the last of the now defunct Marilyn Monroe breed-an international sex symbol. No matter how unrealistically shaped that body may be.
The Barbie doll was first introduced as Barbara Millicent Roberts at the American International Toy Fair in New York City on March 9, 1959. It was that day that began paving the way for the succession of Barbie clothes and Pink Toy Barbie Jeeps designed by Power Wheels that would become best sellers worldwide by the mid-ninteen eighties. Named after the daughter of her creator, Ruth Handler, Barbie Roberts was a blonde or brunette, depending on doll owner preference and was always on the forefront of everything in high fashion. But Barbie's journey was just beginning and she had a long way to go before Mattel would unveil her own line of Barbie clothes for adults nearly a half century after she was welcomed as the playtime companions of America's sweethearts. But more on that later, you have simply gotta hear more about Barbie's role in pop culture.
Barbie and Popular Culture
Barbie's bosom wasn't the only thing making an impact on popular culture. Barbie was one of the first toys to adopt a marketing strategy entirely aimed at television. Ok, ok, so in the perfectly modern world of 2006, toy television advertising is just as vanilla as All-American apple pie-ever seen a commerical for Bratz dolls? But back in Barbie's of the groovy sixties, using the precious time between breaks of The Mickey Mouse Club for a toy was major. Ruth Handler wanted to market her doll directly to children.The buck didn't stop there, Barbie made some other major moves over the years. In 1974, an area of New York City's Times Square was honarily named "Barbie Boulevard" in commeration of the eternally blonde-haired girl. By the time famed artist Andy Warhol painted a portrait of Barbie, it was officially, without ever uttering a word Barbie had become a legend. She even made a guest star appearance in the box office smash, Toy Story II.
Barbie Clothes For Young Women...And Big Girls Too
The Mattel Toy Giant estimates Barbie's worth at 1.9 billon dollars a year. Whoa, it's no wonder Barb keeps her friends so close by. Barbie isn't just a gang of cute little plastice dolls anymore-it has become an empire. Barbie is now stamping her name and badge of approval on a number of items like, backpacks, handbags, video games, books, straight to release DVD's, computer CD-ROMs, stereos, and naturally, fashion accessories. Barbie is a fashionista, you know. And now young girls and their Moms can be, too.
In 2004, Mattel unveiled big plans to release a line of Barbie clothes entitled "With Love, Barbie," for young girls for exclusive sale at Federated Department Stores, like Macy's. But Mattel took it one step further, after testing out a series of Barbie couture themed stores in Japan, the toy giant finally decided to introduce Barbie clothes for big girls to the American public. Barbie couture for adults, also exclusively available at Federated Department Stores, is based on some of the high-strutting fashions that Barbie has consistently become known for. Some of the signature pieces of the collection include:
•Cocktail dresses
•Snazzy shoes
•Vintage T-shirts
•and Winter coats.