The new 2016 Barbie Fashionistas line will include seven skin tones, 18 eye colors, and 18 hairstyles, in addition to three new body types: tall, curvy, and petite. Barbie’s parent  company, Mattel, has decided to add diversity to the dolls because for three years, their sales have plummeted by 14 % and they lost $11 million in worldwide sales because they have been receiving widespread criticism for only producing a woman who appears very tall and thin.

Through these new Barbies, young girls can learn to accept and acknowledge that different body types are normal and beautiful. The iconic Barbie has become a role model, and is looked at and sought after during a crucial period of time where girls are developing their self esteem. A girl who plays with Barbie wants to play with a doll who looks like her, not a doll whose measurements are unrealistic, like her tiny waist and towering long legs.

Mattel’s new marketing campaign also has an approach of focusing on Barbie’s career ambitions, instead of her looks. They want girls to see themselves as more than just a physical being, they want them to be successful adults. Women are put down for wanting to be bosses or achieving higher positions. Mattel wants girls to be not only comfortable with their bodies, but also confident in their futures.

The new Barbies are opening up the chance for creating diversity in the fashion and model industry. Barbie has made it clear that their focus is less about materialistic things, and more about different size models and more variety of sizes in clothes. This will allow girls to see more body types, instead of just a tall, thin figure.

Nobody is perfect, which is why Barbie is showcasing that one body type is not what a girl has to achieve in order to be happy and desired. Girls will not see themselves as perfect, instead they will be more confident and view themselves as being truly beautiful.