20 Jul Five Ways to Be Your Own Barbie
I’ve always balked openly at Barbie and the whole Barbie-girl phenomenon. When we were younger, I remember my sister always wanting to play Barbie and, well, I disliked dolls. I hated pink, I really didn’t like how Barbie looked, and my tomboyish nature just rebelled against anything that was considered ‘girly’. It was a persona that meant I couldn’t be what I wanted to be, and even at that age conforming didn’t seem like a great way to live. My ideal world was full of Legos and Transformers and books where the little girl protagonists were anything but ‘girly.’
I’m so glad we are more or less over these terms of entrapment.
Don’t get me wrong – my sister and I are pretty close and she is one of my favorite people in the world. I have a ton of fun when I’m with her and I couldn’t ask for a better sis! But we are polar opposites when it comes to our style choices. And that actually makes it fun. For me. She thinks most of my choices are outdated. And dumb.
Come on 90’s everything. I’m looking at you chunky heels, baggy jeans, and vests! :: shrugs :: I am who I am.
Even today, she decorates her space in hot pinks (think Pantone 219C, the true Barbie pink) with black and white, florals, and creative pops of personality. I may not like pink, myself, but her place is such a reflection of her personality that I can’t help but love it when I’m there. She also dresses in colors and styles that suit her personality.
Me? My decor style has become more industrial-eclectic with lots of pops of geek. Everywhere. And as far as fashion, well I was more the bookish goth band nerd in school, hiding out in the library where the bullies couldn’t find me. Think a combination of Wednesday, Raven, and Death from the Sandman. So some of that leaked into my adult life in the form of a mostly black wardrobe.
Okay, who am I kidding? Most days my uniform consists of all black everything everywhere, all at once. With pops of Converse and Star Wars.
:: shrugs :: again, I am who I am.
The Barbie Movie (2023)
Needless to say when I saw the trailer for the new Barbie movie (2023), I scoffed openly, and practically blinded myself rolling my eyes. It was quite dramatic. I was like ‘Margot? Harley? Is that you? But how could you? I thought we were geeky best buds.’
But I have to admit that with more and more of the imagery I’ve been seeing, and the buzz surrounding the upcoming movie, I am becoming more and more curious and less frustrated with all things Barbie. After all, I can definitely appreciate when others are geeking out over something, even if I’m not geeking out about it with them.
(That’s geeky acceptance, everyone!)
So with that, I now needed to know more: why is Barbie still so popular? Where did she even come from? Why is she always shown wearing pink? I mean, should I go see the movie for myself? And is it possible to appreciate, or even like Barbie without having to like pink?
Pink is obviously the main concern here. Priorities.
So I found myself deep in a rabbit hole of Barbie history and facts, and I realized that Barbie is so much bigger than just a Dreamhouse and a Corvette convertible. She has more depth than her extensive wardrobe and seemingly lavish lifestyle. And I’m not sure she even really likes Ken that much. Could just be a rumor, though.
But besides all that, could I actually begin seeing myself as a Barbie girl?
:: gasps and looks around :: Who said that?
A (Very Brief) History of Barbie
Created in 1959, Barbie the doll came about as a mother and businesswoman’s way of showing little girls like her daughter that they could be anything they wanted to be – to make their future career dreams a reality. While there are many controversies surrounding Barbie’s look and what she sometimes stands for, there is no doubt that this single doll would launch a fandom so widespread that Barbie would become Mattel’s biggest money-maker for generations. Let’s not ignore the good that has come out of the creation of this doll, as well.
It’s a lot to get into in just one post, and there are others who have already done a great job getting the history and timeline of Barbie just right. The best source, to me, is the Barbie Wikipedia page. Any other articles and posts about Barbie that I found interesting will be linked at the end of this post.
As far as the whole pink thing goes: Well, Barbie’s first outfit was actually black and white, not pink. In fact, pink came about later, and for marketing purposes, and was not included as a major part of their branding until the 70s. Like most marketing of that time, Mattel’s team thought pink would best appeal to younger girls, and so Barbie became all things pink, while also becoming the face of femininity and fun. Now when we think of Barbie, we think pink. This pink-Barbie-phenomenon even earned Barbie her own Pantone color – 219C – a bright magenta pink shade. Barbie’s style is a style that has always given fashion-minded people something to talk about, and with the release of this new movie, a new fashion trend – Barbiecore – was born.
So. much. pink.
Barbiecore
and now we have Barbiecore… And I think that most people will say that the essence of Barbiecore is actually the color pink. That the fashion trend, itself, is all about being fun and playful, and that pink is all happiness and laughs, comfort and good times. And I get it – Barbie and pink probably provide a good dose of escapism for most fans. I mean, I use Horizon Zero Dawn, manga, and anime as a way of escapism from this soon-to-be Last of Us world.
But I would argue that Barbiecore, like most trends, isn’t necessarily the color or the style of clothing. Trends come and go, and with so many trends come the new-car smell of fun and freedom. I believe that Barbiecore, Cottagecore, Witchcore – all the cores – appeal to those who favor them because that particular style lends them the permission to feel those amazing feelings while wearing something they love.
I feel less great when I see pink. #sorrynotsorry So if you schlepped me into a pink dress, I’d be miserable all day. What does this mean for me? Can I not be considered a Barbie girl?
(If that’s what I wanted, of course. Not saying that this is what I want.)
What Barbie Means
The amazing thing about Barbie and what she has done for girls, women, hell – PEOPLE – all over the world, is that she teaches us we can be anything we want to be. The company has done an amazing job over the years of making sure that Barbie is accessible to all and I think they have tried to be more inclusive as well.
Just like Barbiecore – even though the doll itself is tangible – Barbie has become a feeling or maybe an aesthetic more than just a toy or collectible. “She’s a Barbie girl” is definitely a term that uses gender, but I believe that it’s true meaning is genderless. Anyone can be a Barbie-girl because it’s a feeling – an attitude – not a pronoun. Being a Barbie-girl is the knowledge that one can be whatever they want to be without having to conform to the norm. We have a choice to become whatever we want to become – even if for some that means becoming a stay-at-home mom. Or an engineer. If that’s what makes someone happy and fulfilled, then they, too, can be considered a Barbie-girl.
And who’s to say that I have to wear pink while doing that?
Five Ways to Be Your Own Barbie
- Embrace who you are
- Take care of yourself
- Try new things
- Surround yourself with beautiful things
- Have fun
Here is what I’ve observed about Barbie and what it means to be your own kind of Barbie. Period. And I have five ways that you can work on your Barbie-persona.
Because, like Spiderman, Barbie has many personas.
Embrace who you are, you Geeky Barbie!
In other words, don’t take yourself too seriously, and don’t try to be something you’re not. I think I’ve made it quite clear that I’m not going to purchase an ounce of pink in order to make myself into the quintessential ‘Barbie-girl.’ But I do think I can personify the essence of Barbie in my own right while infusing my own style and personality into the mix. You can be geeky and a Barbie girl – you just have to embrace and own that geekness.
What makes you feel good when you wear it? What do you own that has that fun and carefree vibe to it? Do you have a favorite hairstyle, lipstick or gloss shade? Nail color? Then wear that and be your own Barbie!
Take care of your inner and outer self.
I’m talking all around self-care.
I have this bad habit of trying to do all the things all the time and sometimes I don’t leave time to properly deep condition my hair or care for my skin. Right now my nails look like something chewed off the nail polish while I was sleeping and I know I have to take care of that before I even think about taking pictures for the socials.
But I should be doing all of that for me, shouldn’t I? While your headspace is truly important for mental health, and can help us want to do other things, taking care of the outer shell is just as important. I don’t generally condone caring only about how you look on the outside, but I do think that balance is important in all things.
It’s why I’m a gray Sith.
Have you ever seen Barbie with a hair out of place? I mean she and all her friends always look so put together. There’s something to that, and I believe it’s why she embodies confidence and self-love. Even if I feel creative and inspired and good about my work, I don’t always feel completely and wholly awesome if I haven’t combed my hair or put on something other than my comfy sweats to work from home.
There’s just something about looking great to go along with feeling great that boosts self-confidence. Finding your personal style and having fun with it helps, too.
Give equal attention to your inners and outers. Your whole body will thank you.
Don’t be afraid to try new things in life.
One of the reasons Barbie was created to begin with was to show little girls (at a time when this was not common knowledge for little girls) that they could be anything they wanted to be. This is why Barbie has so many careers.
But the underlying lesson here is that Barbie is not afraid to try new things. What if her baking hobby doesn’t pan out? Cool, then she’ll try being a veterinarian. And if that doesn’t work, maybe she’ll try engineering. The point is how do you know if you can do something if you never even try? Am I saying that you should career hop and earn five million degrees? Nope. But do what you want to do with your life. And if it takes a few tries to reach your inner peace and happiness or to attain your goals, that’s okay. Never discount your talents and abilities if you don’t even know what those abilities are and how they can manifest into something greater.
Don’t underestimate yourself.
Surround yourself with beautiful things.
It doesn’t have to be pink walls and glitter pillows. Whatever you consider beautiful and makes you happy will improve your outlook.
For me, when I look around my office and see my figurines, comics, and fanart I feel inspired and creative. I feel happy in my surroundings. You should feel that way, too. Why do you think Barbie surrounds herself with so many things and people she loves? Because it keeps her happy, motivated, and inspired.
Don’t forget to have fun.
I mean, this seems to be what Barbiecore and this movie is all about. It ties into the bit above about not taking yourself too seriously. Once you stop taking yourself too seriously then you can have more fun with the things you want to do. You’ll also be braver and try new things.
Much like this post.
I hope it was a fun read, but I also hope you can take something away from it.
Are you going to see the Barbie movie? If so, tell me how you like it, below. Be careful of potential spoilers 🙂
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