We need to talk about the 65th anniversary fashionistas 2024 because this year marks Barbie doll’s 65th birthday anniversary. Mattel is taking note and has released two waves of fashionista dolls with wave 2 just hitting shelves. Let’s take a look at them closely.
While I appreciate Mattel making affordable anniversary dolls, there is much left to be desired. Easily the best one is the 1980 Black Barbie inspired doll. She has an epic ‘fro and a sparkly red outfit. This doll checks all the boxes and is a deal for a $10 doll. At a decent second place is the 1981 Golden Dream inspired doll. She’s very cute and rocking a gold bodysuit and clear sparkly boots with a chunky gold “Dream” choker, a cute touch indeed. My only problem is that she’s PETITE! So the bodysuit fits very few dolls. Unfortunate but not a deal breaker.
1959 Inspired Version
Okay, let’s take a look at the rest of the doll line. I’m going to go in descending order from meh to downright awful. The next doll that I would rate as a solid “okay” is the 1959 inspired version. I appreciate the closed mouth Millie face mold and the upswept pony, but that’s about it. She has a random pink skirt that isn’t that cute. Glasses are cheap and only one color. And where are her bangs?! Her Poodle bangs were iconic! Feels like a missed opportunity.
1984 Inspired Workout Barbie
Kinda hard to choose who goes next, they all have some issues. But, let’s look at the 1984 inspired Workout Barbie. The rainbow print feels out of place as it didn’t appear on the original doll. A skirt is a weird choice for a “workout” doll but whatever. Her “necklace” is weird too. For the longest time, I thought it was a medal but is it actually a stopwatch? A gold one? I do like her blue hair and the face is decent but you chose a curvy body for the workout doll? Don’t get me wrong, I’m a curvy girl myself but it’s just not what I think of when you have a workout doll.
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1983 Peaches-n-Cream Inspired doll
Next up is the 1983 Peaches n Cream inspired doll. Not even a remote resemblance to the original. What was once a beautiful gown has been replaced with a very cheap mini dress. Why gold earrings? They are chunky and just really random. I mean, retro style earrings would’ve been nice. And then, what’s with the bright blue shoes? Why?! Just a big miss.
1977 Superstar Inspired Doll
I don’t even know how to feel about the 1977 superstar inspired doll. I have just one word to describe it, Cheap. The dress is not only cheap but just ugly. It feels like an afterthought for such an important and popular doll. I’m also not crazy about a brunette for this one, I think a blonde would’ve paid proper homage.
1991 Totally Hair Barbie
1991 Totally Hair Barbie is officially the best selling Barbie of all time, and it’s not hard to see why. So perhaps my expectations were just too high. I will say that the dress is a home run and the perfect “inspired by” fashion. She loses major points for her hair, or rather lack thereof. Her short style is just a downright mockery to the original. Luckily for me she was the perfect candidate for a makeover.
Her choice of new hair was a no-brainer. I rerooted her and used DG Nylon Crimped Aloha Blonde QN244-1 at full length. It is the closest color match to the original Totally Hair. Usually I cut my hair in half to reroot but I needed her hair to be as long as possible, so I used the original package length at 36 inches before folding in half to reroot her. Like ridiculously long was my goal. I am pretty happy with how she turned out.
1974 Quick Curl Inspired Doll
The 1974 Quick Curl inspired doll suffers the safe problem as Totally Hair. A perfect homage fashion but a weak hair game. Don’t you think a doll called Quick Curl would have more curls in her hair?! The doll is cute but I really dislike her hair. I think she’s in need of a reroot as well. Keep your eyes peeled for her glow up on my socials!
1983 Dream Date Barbie
Now here’s some curls! But to be honest when I saw this doll I couldn’t even guess who she was inspired by. This is supposed to be inspired by 1983 Dream Date Barbie. It’s brave to attempt a budget doll inspired by such a glamorous and noteworthy doll. Because she couldn’t be further from it. She’s just too simple, too boring and seriously lacking ruffles??
1967 twist-n-turn Barbie
I probably dislike this one so much because I really love the doll she’s inspired by. This is allegedly inspired by the 1967 twist n turn Barbie, who wore an orange two piece with a mesh coverup. Somehow they got this. Why the red accents and then pink streaks in her hair? And a red headband?! It was ORANGE, go look it up! So while she is kinda cute I just find her to be so annoyingly bad.
1985’s Barbie and the Rockers
And finally, we have this poor excuse of a doll, supposedly inspired by 1985’s Barbie and the Rockers. I just can’t even with her. It’s so lazy and boring. No big hair? No big makeup? Nothing about her embodies the high energy of the Barbie and the Rockers. It’s just so bad.
And there you have it, a good read for the Barbie fashionista's 65th anniversary! What do you think? Am I being too hard on these dolls?
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FAQs
1. What year did Barbie Fashionistas come out?
Barbie Fashionistas debuted in 2009, and featured a range of dolls with different body types, skin tones, etc.
2. What are the names of the Barbie Fashionistas dolls?
Barbie Fashionistas have different names, often inspired by their style or era, like the 1980 Black Barbie or 1981 Golden Dream Barbie.
3. What are the new Barbie dolls for 2024?
For Barbie's 65th anniversary, Mattel released two waves of Fashionistas, including dolls inspired by iconic past Barbies like the 1991 Totally Hair Barbie.
4. How much is a 60 year old Barbie doll worth?
The value of a vintage Barbie doll varies, but some 60-year-old Barbie dolls can fetch thousands of dollars depending on their condition and rarity.
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