Every little girl loves Barbie - well, most little girls love Barbie, that's for sure!
Barbie has been with us for 50 years now. Launched in 1959 by Mattel, designed by Ruth Handler. Ruth watched her young daughter, Barbara, playing with paper dolls and often creating adult personalities for them. Most of the dollies available at the time were crafted on infants. Realising there was a gap in the market and having seen the German doll, Bild Lilli, Ruth designed the first Barbie doll and took the idea to her husband, Elliot, co-founder of the Mattel toy company. He and the other directors of Mattel were highly enthusiastic about the idea and hey presto - Barbie was born!
With her impossible figure (estimated at 36 inch chest, 18 inch waist and 33 inch hips if she were to be 5'9" tall), she has been surrounded in controversy over the years, creating an unrealistic body image for young women to aspire to. She was remoulded in 1997 to something slightly more realistic.
With so many accessories, from pets, to houses, to dvds, to tvs, to bicycles, there's something to suit just about every budget.
