Now that Barbie is finally in theaters, all eyes are on the iconic doll. Her origins as a fashion doll are just one part of the doll's iconic legacy — but it is one major part.
1. The first ever Barbie wore a black-and-white striped one-piece bathing suit, with her hair pulled back into a bouncy ponytail. She's heavy on the eyeliner, topped with baby blue eyeshadow and paired with a tiny red pout and gold hoop earrings.
2. Swimwear was a big part of Barbie's wardrobe going into the '60s.
3. The bubble cut and shorter hairdos were more popular than the long hair often associated with the doll today.
4. Babydoll looks were having a fashion moment, and Barbie's closet followed suit, with different nightwear options being introduced over the years.
5. As Barbies started getting Kens, more couples looks started to come about, like this mid-'60s formal look.
6. As more women entered the workforce, Barbie started exploring her career options, managing to make an astronaut helmet look like an enviable fashion accessory.
7. Barbie started to interact with more than fashion, bringing forth some more casual looks that allowed accessories to shine more.
8. And here's a look at more Barbie dolls and their looks from the late 1960s. 1968 also marked the introduction of one of Mattel's first Black dolls, Christie.
9. As Barbie entered the '80s, the looks started to reflect the more colorful embellishments and patterns of the decade.
10. Barbie also started getting attention from actual fashion houses, with doll-sized designer looks being presented, like this Christian Dior evening-wear look with elbow-length gloves that match the gown.
11. Jean Paul Gaultier designed these Barbie and Ken looks.
12. And YSL explored all kinds of international fashion trends with their Barbie designs.
13. And what would a designer doll collection be without a contribution from Bob Mackie?
14. But for every chic look, there have also been some dated ones, like the overdone purple eyeshadow and teased hair of this '80s offering.
15. Designer Kitty Black Perkins actually designed the first-ever Black Barbie doll in 1979 — she was eventually responsible for over 100 designs a year as a chief designer for Mattel and received several awards for her work before retiring in 2002.
16. And the first releases of Black and Latina dolls officially called "Barbie" came in the early 1980s.
17. The '90s brought us even more bright looks, like the rollerblading Barbie and Ken that was, of course, recreated for the Barbie movie.
18. One staple of '90s Barbies was really taking the focus on pink (particularly hot pink) to the next level, like with this ski look.
19. The earrings got bigger, and the hair got longer. And how '90s is the crimp?
20. In 1992, we got our first presidential Barbie, with a fun patriotic look paired with a more business-y, debate-ready style.
21. Pop culture started seeping more into Barbie's world, too, like with Baywatch Barbie.
22. Barbie's friends and family were also getting lots of fashion options in the '90s.
23. Barbie closed out the '90s with puffy bangs and long, straight bleached blonde locks and lots of pink and gold. She also got her first computer, which connected to your computer and could get her to talk!
24. The 40th anniversary of Barbie in 1999 brought out plenty of tributes, including from leading figures in art and fashion — like Michiko Koshino, Escada, Alexander McQueen, and Stella McCartney.
25. The new millennium saw a more sparkly look to Barbie — with more demure makeup and more streamlined fashion choices.
26. Barbie also began to branch out more than ever in the '00s with variations that explored different themes, like Nutcracker Barbie in a classic storybook costume.
27. In the new millennium, Barbie took some more steps toward being more inclusive, like with a Barbie who taught ASL.
28. Fans were also getting more of a say in everything from Barbie's fashion to her career choices.
29. In 2015, Barbie introduced three new body types in response to long-standing criticisms that Barbie's body was not representative of many women. Curvy, tall, and petite dolls, as well as dolls that represented different hair textures, gave Barbie more in common with fans around the globe.
30. That was expanded upon even more in 2019, when Barbie introduced two fashion dolls with permanent physical disabilities: one wheelchair user and one with a prosthetic leg.
31. In 2022, Mattel's fashionistas line introduced a doll with vitiligo and a doll who wears hearing aids — and then earlier this year, a Barbie with Down syndrome was introduced as well.
In fact, actor and advocate Sofia Sanchez rocked her floral style at the Barbie movie premiere.
32. Today, Barbie's style continues to inspire kids and creatives alike.
And with the Barbie movie finally here and getting so much love across pop culture, there's a good chance we'll see so much more fashion and lifestyle from Barbie's world to come.
