Barbie has been a fashion icon for young girls since 1959.  The very first Barbie was dressed in a black and white zebra striped swimsuit.  As the times have changed, so have Barbie doll clothes.  As women were seen more and more in the work place, soon Barbie was too.  She sported a short “bob” hair do and a career style outfit in 1963.
  Her style has come a long way since then, and so have Barbie clothes.  Barbie can do anything with the right outfit.  All a little girl has to do is change her Barbie’s clothes in order for Barbie to take on a whole new career.  In the 1980’s you could find itty bitty shoulder pads in my “Model” Barbie.  She was also equipped with a briefcase and head shots.
  Today you can even design your own Barbie outfits on the web site Barbie.com.  There is so much Barbie doll clothing available that it is impossible to become bored with her.  In the 1990’s there was a Barbie mall that came out.  You could stock it with all the outfits and shoes available and she was ready with her credit cards.  Soon added to the clothing lines came the jewelry.  She would come with holes on her ears for earrings.

For many children and adults alike, how Barbie came dressed made her a collectors’ item. Each holiday season a new holiday version of Barbie comes out. Most people do not even open the package because she is a limited edition. There have been many limited editions of Barbie throughout the years.

She has immortalized many moments in history just by the clothing she came in. There has been I love Lucy Barbie, Scarlet O’Hara, and most recently Dolly Parton. Although Barbie clothes are part of the fun of owning and playing with your Barbie doll she has seen her scandal too.
She has worn a wedding dress for Ken and recently their divorce was announced. Her figure has also been a long time topic. Some people feel that she has an unhealthy shape and should look like a more normal woman, without the tiny waist and enhanced chest. There was also an issue with Tattoo Barbie. She came with low rise clothing and temporary tattoos.

Barbie still comes out on top. She recently has worked with Disney on a High School Musical clothing line. Barbie doll clothing is so advanced right now. She has so many accessories from hand bags, sunglasses, jewelry, shoes, scarves, and believe it or not dog carriers. It is also possible to purchase just the extra outfits and accessories instead of having to purchase a new Barbie doll every time you want a new outfit.

Barbie is not alone in her world of fashion. Through the years we have seen her sister, Skipper and many new friends. They all come with their own styles and fashion sense too. It is fun for Barbie and Skipper to try on each others clothing.
Along with her sister and new friends she also has had her competition with other fashion type dolls. Jem was a competing doll from the 1980’s. A lot of girls had to have the doll but when trying to play with Barbie and Jem together and switch clothing and shoes, Jem was a giant compared to the delicate features of Barbie.
Today Barbie’s biggest competitor is the Bratz doll. Barbie will of course always have the lead on fashion dolls. Many mothers find the Bratz dolls clothing and personas to be inappropriate.
Barbie has also made sure her career clothing encourages girls to reach for anything from Ice skating Barbie to Astronaut Barbie. She has been a veterinarian as well as a physician. Mattel has made sure not to dumb her down but instead to show that girls can do anything.

Barbie will always be in style. She will always be a fun fashion doll to play with. Young girls will be able to enjoy hours upon hours of dress up with Barbie and all her Barbie clothes.