Barbie, the iconic doll that has long been under fire for her impossible proportions, will look a little more realistic as of today.
Mattel announced in TIME magazine that Barbie will now come in three new body shapes, which the brand is calling "petite," "tall" and "curvy."
Barbie will also have seven new skin tones, representing a range of ethnicities and races.
We proudly add three new body types to our line. Meet the new dolls. https://t.co/JDeqzI59nX #TheDollEvolves pic.twitter.com/IJVcVhfPkL— Barbie (@Barbie) January 28, 2016
"By introducing more variety into the line, Barbie is offering girls choices that are better reflective of the world they see today. The new 2016 Barbie Fashionistas collection includes 4 body types, 7 skin tones, 18 eye colors, 18 hairstyles, and countless on-trend fashions and accessories," Mattel writes on its website.
The new additions, sold as the Fashionistas line and available for pre-order on Mattel's website, won't be elbowing aside the original Barbie, who will still dominate shelves -- and likely, sales - and remains a $1 billion-a-year bestseller for Mattel.
Besides being a toy, Barbie has become a cultural lightning rod for depictions of women, and a derisive synonym for "fake," something that has pained Mattel's marketing department for years.
Barbie debuted in 1959 as a sporty, beachy California girl with vaguely realistic proportions, but over the years morphed into a tiny-waisted, stiletto-wearing Glamazon that infuriated many women and was frequently the subject of academic theses on feminism and body acceptance.