I had my share of Barbie dolls growing up. I had multiple outfits, her dream house, her swimming pool and accessories. I also had Skipper, her little sister doll, her friend, Christy, a white Ken doll and a black Ken doll. I even had some Barbies from around the world. Spain, India and China. All of my dolls and accessories have long been donated. I’m sure they’ve made some little girls very happy. If I were to dress Barbie today, these are my takes on how I would style her.
For the Bohemian chic look, I used Simplicity pattern S8926 for the cotton dress. This was an easy dress pattern that I finished in a day. Paired with colorful jewelry, scarf, shades, raffia bag and espadrille wedges. All accessories are from my personal collection. Fun in the sun on a Caribbean Island!
For this modern chic look, I used Vogue pattern V1490 for the special occasion dress. The fabric is a light pink satin with flecks of gold on it. It’s fully lined and the top fits like a corset. I love the asymmetrical hem! I paired it with statement earrings in the shape of peacocks with pink crystals. Gold, strappy sandals and a leather bow-tie clutch that I made some years back. These accessories are from my personal collection as well. Perfect for a summer night on the town!
Barbie has come a long way. All of the Barbie dolls I that owned (outside of Skipper) were the same shape body mold. I’m glad to see some representation and inclusivity of different sizes, shapes, complexions, etc. in relation to real life identities. I do have a question for Mattel though. Why did Barbie have more jobs than Ken?