The History of Barbie: The World’s Most Ironic Doll

When I think about dolls in the twenty-first century, I can’t help but wonder what kinds of toys girls played with long ago, back in the 1950s. Were there even dolls back then? It’s something to think about, right? Out of curiosity, I read about the history of dolls and how the most popular doll came to be. While looking into it, I found that the very first dolls were baby and toddler dolls. There were no adult dolls at the time. Children in the 1950s played with baby and toddler dolls. Those were the dolls in the toy industry back then.

Then in 1959, something changed in the toy industry. It was the year the Barbie doll was born. The very first adult doll came to exist.

Girls used to play with paper dolls back then. It was part of their toy collection. One day, Ruth Handler watched her daughter Barbara and her friends play with paper dolls. Watching them gave her a brilliant idea: create an adult doll. She named Barbie after her daughter Barbara. Ruth realized that girls copy what they see. They notice their mother’s traits and what adult women do. And kids tend to mimic their mothers based on their actions and personalities. That gives them the drive to play, to role-play as adult women with their dolls. It’s said that when girls play with adult dolls like Barbie, it builds social skills. Those skills help girls communicate better in life. Young girls picture themselves as beautiful working women — independent, successful, with top careers. That admiration girls had for adult women, trying to step into an older woman’s shoes while playing with paper dolls, was exactly what Ruth needed. She saw something missing in the toy industry and went with her idea. She created the most famous doll in America: the Barbie doll. An iconic doll that still exists today.

Ruth Handler and her husband Elliott founded their toy business in 1945, Mattel Creations. Mattel was put on the map. It did very well, even with the sales of the first dolls — the baby and toddler dolls. Then Mattel had a big break on March 9, 1959, at the American International Toy Fair in New York. The couple got to show and introduce their doll Barbie to the world. The doll they named after their daughter Barbara. This was no ordinary doll. It was a white adult plastic doll that stood out from the rest at the toy fair. The doll was a white woman with blonde hair, a teenage fashion doll, dressed in a striped swimsuit, with a high ponytail, gorgeous eyes, a beautiful face, and an unrealistic body shape with a large chest. They introduced the doll named Barbara Millicent Roberts to the world at the toy fair. And at that moment, they had no idea the doll would be a success.

Ruth Handler unknowingly created an iconic adult doll she called Barbie. This doll paved the way for future dolls in the toy industry. And Barbie is still relevant today, in the 21st century. It remains an ironic doll and is seen as legendary. The doll made a mark at the toy fair, and Ruth got the exposure Mattel Creations needed. She got more than recognition — her business gained global status. Everyone was interested in her toy business. Ruth and her husband’s business became a well-known toy business around the world.

That being said, I have a list of ten facts about the Barbie doll, created by Ruth Handler. The woman who made waves in the toy industry, who created a doll recognized beyond the status of an ordinary doll, a doll that became a fashion icon and role model to little girls worldwide. The 10-fact list also includes a few popular Barbie dolls created after the first Barbie doll and the impact these dolls had on little girls and the world.

1. Barbie Was the First Adult Doll Ever Made

In 1959, a woman named Ruth Handler invented an adult doll she named Barbie, after her daughter. Ruth and her husband Elliott opened a toy business in 1945 they named Mattel Creations. Ruth was no ordinary woman. She was a visionary. She was very creative. Her drive to make her business a success led her to create her doll Barbie. She is the woman who created a doll that went beyond the status of an ordinary toy for girls and became a fashion icon and role model for girls all over the world. 

Ruth’s doll Barbie became legendary, and her legacy lives on in the Barbie doll she created.

2. Critics Hated Barbie’s Unrealistic Body

Ruth Handler’s doll Barbie had made a mark in the toy industry. With every successful creation come critics. It’s normal for the public to question a toy that is different from other toys, a toy that stands out. Some people tend to find faults in something they see as different or unfamiliar, something they don’t understand feels like a threat. And although Ruth and her husband faced challenges with their doll Barbie, those challenges made them stronger. Their business flourished and became very successful because of Barbie.

The critics had a few things to say about Ruth’s Barbie doll. They said Barbie was unrealistic and unnatural because the doll had a very tiny waist and large chest. Her body shape was called unfit. Barbie was designed to be stylish, but some people didn’t see it that way because they didn’t understand the design and purpose of the doll.

3. The Mickey Mouse Club Made Barbie a Star

Ruth Handler and her husband Elliott’s business became a success after all the hard work, drive, and dedication they put in. The business grew into a global empire. In 1955, their business Mattel won a major contract with the Mickey Mouse Club. That contract became very helpful when they created Barbie. The doll was advertised by the Mickey Mouse Club with TV ads. Barbie appeared in very stylish outfits from well-known designers, marketing the doll to girls. Mattel Creations sold over 300,000 dolls in the first year after Barbie was created. And that is how the Mattel Creations doll business became successful.

4. Barbie Became a Global Fashion Icon, Not Just a Toy

Barbie became so popular that the doll was no longer seen as a regular toy for little girls. It became a fashion icon. Designers created thousands of outfits for the doll and got exposure when Barbie wore their designs, advertised through TV ads by the Mickey Mouse Club. These designers would make the same clothing for their own collections and make major sales, earning a lot of money. Barbie was a very profitable doll that made a lot of money for Mattel Creations, and everyone they worked with benefited and got exposure from the doll.

Barbie became a global fashionista. The doll had her own mini toy runway for ads where she was shown on Parisian runways. She had her own clothing line used to market clothes from designers like Christian Dior, Versace, Calvin Klein, and many others, and to advertise the Barbie brand.

5. Barbie Got a Complete Makeover in the 1960s

Mattel Creations made a few changes to the Barbie brand to make the toy more attractive and versatile. Change is good sometimes. Upgrading her brand was a risk Ruth took to keep Barbie alive and interesting. She wasn’t afraid to create different types of Barbie dolls. That’s what made her business so successful. Even Barbie’s wardrobe changed over time. In the 1960s, Jacqueline Kennedy inspired part of Barbie’s clothing range, among others. Barbie’s look changed completely. She had cat eyes, and even permanent makeup was added to the doll’s face. Instead of wigs, she had rooted hair glued to her head. Barbie was renewed and transformed into a better version. The doll’s face shape also changed to look more realistic. They also changed the doll’s body. The body finally matched how a real human body looked. The shape was just right. It was perfect this time.

6. Barbie’s Boyfriend Ken Debuted in 1961

Ruth and her husband Elliott introduced their second doll, the first male doll, named Ken in 1961. He was Barbie’s boyfriend. Mattel Creations took a chance on the male doll but wasn’t sure if it would sell. Surprisingly, the Ken doll did very well. They sold it and made a great profit. Ken was a white male doll with blonde hair and handsome features. Ken was a success, and it has been made since its creation up to today in the 21st century. The Ken doll is still relevant.

7. Modern Barbie Dolls Now Come in All Shapes, Sizes, and Races

Barbie had changed completely since the very first doll. The first Barbie was seen as unrealistic. Her body type was not close to a real woman’s body. Critics said Barbie’s legs were long, her chest was too large, and her waist was too tiny. Mattel was accused of presenting a doll who was clearly unrealistic, and the public said Barbie was unfit, calling her body image false and misleading for little girls. The public wasn’t happy with Barbie’s look when she was first created. They didn’t understand Mattel’s vision and didn’t see the doll in a positive light. But the public’s first impression didn’t stop Mattel. They kept promoting and selling Barbie, and later the doll became a success — a legendary, unique, ironic doll that made history.

Barbie in the 21st century went through many changes over the years. The new versions just kept getting better. The beauty standards improved, and the public was finally happy. Little girls now have many Barbie dolls to choose from. They had lots of options. In 2016, Mattel Creations introduced a new range of Barbie dolls. These dolls were versatile. They came in different races — white, brown — and in different body types — skinny, curvy — with different hairstyles, hair colors, and hair types. 

Finally, the doll was for everyone to enjoy, every girl in the world from any race. The doll served a great purpose. It enriched the lives of little girls, and it was a model for the fashion industry, advertising stylish clothes from top designers.

Barbie was made to inspire young girls to live with purpose, to dream big, and to believe they can be whatever they want. These Barbie dolls have had more than 180 careers to show girls that the sky is the limit. They can be whoever they want to be.

8. The Rare 1964 Swirl Ponytail Barbie Is Worth a Fortune

Swirl Ponytail doll.

The Swirl Ponytail doll was created in 1964, and she was a success. The doll came with different hair colors. These dolls were so popular that some people collected the whole set. They were made until 1967. And today in the 21st century, it’s hard to find even one.

9. Midge Was Barbie’s First Best Friend in 1963

The Midge doll

The Midge doll was made in 1963, known as Barbie’s first friend. She was created along with Barbie’s sister Skipper. Midge had the features of an average-looking woman. She had freckles and short hair. These dolls were very popular with collectors, and today they are hard to find.

10. American Barbie Came With Wigs and Bendable Legs

American Barbie doll

This doll had bendable legs and sleep eyes. She came with a wig collection, different hairstyles, and hair colors. The American doll wasn’t popular with children, but some adults bought her as a collectible. The doll was sold worldwide. It was very popular with adult customers.

Closing: Why Rejection Made Barbie Legendary

The Barbie doll was first rejected before people accepted her and saw her purpose. It’s often the thing people reject that becomes a success later. You have to be rejected before you are recognized and accepted. Barbie became a global fashionista and an ironic doll in the end. And Ruth Handler and her husband’s business became a global empire. It became legendary. Ruth’s story proves that anyone with a vision and a dream can make it work if they work hard enough. Some people in the world will see your potential and your vision, and in time, your vision will become reality.

Barbie became an inspiration to little girls and to people who saw her beauty and her purpose.