Barbie went through a transformation once again, and this time around, her new version will allow children as young as three to have more fun playing with her.
Dubbed as "My First Barbie," the new version is now 13.5 inches tall, two inches taller than the traditional one, with a larger waist that plays down the bust line. It is said to be not only kid-like but also more kid-friendly with longer hair for easier brushing and larger accessories for small little hands.
The new doll version was launched by manufacturer and distributor company Mattel Thursday, and is sold for $19.99.
Mattel executive vice president and global head of Barbie and dolls, Lisa McKnight, revealed that the creation of the new version was an active response to the feedback they are getting from parents.
"We talk to parents and kids almost 365 days a year. We started hearing a theme around younger kids wanting to play with Barbie. Parents were concerned that their children at the preschool age didn't have the fine motor skills to have a positive play experience with our traditional fashion doll," she expressed.
My First Barbie Features
The transformation may also be because of the unending critics the 63-year-old Barbie continues to get about her dimensions, which they say promote unattainable, sexualized body standards for girls when it should be representing a lady in her late teens. McKnight, however, did not have any comment about this.
The new version said goodbye to the "contentious hourglass figure" of the traditional one, NBC News described.
She has a slightly softer body and has flesh-tone modesty undergarment that is attached permanently. Children and parents can choose from her four diverse skin tones and hair textures.
Her fashion is more on the kid side with prints like playful hearts, stars and flowers on her jammies and dresses, which are more flouncy and preschool-friendly.
One big difference also are her fingers, which are now connected to end numerous complaints that Barbie's hands always get caught in her clothes when children are dressing her up. Yet, her limbs remain to be moveable, and of course, her facial features remain recognizable as the classic Barbie.
Others still quite disappointed
My First Barbie will not be part of a separate, parallel Barbie-universe. McKnight emphasized. She announced that there will be new content featuring the new version later this month on Barbie's YouTube channel. There is even an animated special that will highlight the planning of a surprise party.
Pediatric occupational therapist from West Hartford, Connecticut, and mother of two - a preschooler and an infant Andrea Werner expressed that doll play is valuable for children's development. She is well aware that there are plenty of dolls in the market, advertised and pushed by companies who will always try to sell the next best thing to consumers.
Joaniko Kohchi, director for Adelphi University's Institute for Parenting, on the other hand, is not that comfortable with Mattel's motives and is not entirely sold-out of Barbie's new version, News Nation Now reported.
She said that if parents and consumers think that Mattel should guide their choices, then the choices become limited.
Moreover, she thinks that My First Barbie is still inappropriate as "certainly" it is still a "little older than a preschooler."
If children are handed an image of what is beautiful and wonderful, it should resemble them a lot more closely, Kohchi added.
Overall sales of the Barbie line have continued to soar in recent years after a temporary decline in 2013.
Related Article: Barbie Dolls Harm Little Girls' Body Image, Experts Advise Parents; Mattel Rejects Study
