By: Katherine Huang

Even if you didn’t have one growing up, you probably heard of the Barbie doll. This article will tell you who invented the Barbie doll and how it evolved over the years.

The Mattel Toy Company was founded in 1945 by Ruth and Elliot Handler. According to Watch Mojo, Ruth Handler found her inspiration by watching her daughter, Barbara, play with paper dolls of adult women rather than baby dolls. Ruth named her dolls after her daughter, Barbie. On March 9, 1959, after years of designing the Barbie Doll, Ruth presented her creation at an American National Toy Fair. According to Watch Mojo, “Mothers and daughters bought those dolls and clothing so fast that they made the consumer and made the Barbie doll and instant success.”

Barbie’s have evolved over the years. Barbie used to be marketed as a teenage fashion model that perfectly fit 1950’s glamour. This included pouty red lips, sassy hairstyle, and arched eyebrows. Over the years, Barbie has adapted to the latest fashions. Towards the end of the 1960’s, Barbie’s makeup softened, and her hair became more shiny. In the 1970’s, according to Watch Mojo, Barbie “was tan with long blonde hair,” and for the first time, her eyes started looking “boldly forward and not slanting sideways.” When MTV gained popularity in the 1980’s, Barbie started its first rock band. In addition, the 1980’s also brought the first African American and Hispanic Barbies. In the 1990’s, the first free flowing hair Barbies were introduced. These barbies, according to Watch Mojo, were the most popular Barbie to this day — 10 million were sold. Lastly, in have the 2000’s, Barbie gave up her blue eye shadow and gained a belly.

In conclusion, I talked about who invented the Barbie doll, and how she evolved other the years.

Barbie was invented by Ruth Handler and has evolved over the years by keeping up with the latest fashions and adding new features. Do you like Barbie dolls? Why or why not?