NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Lifestyle

The changing face of Barbie

Herald online
16 Nov, 2015 11:42 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Spanning 56 years, Barbie's dramatic changes reflect changing beauty standards. Photos / Tumblr

Spanning 56 years, Barbie's dramatic changes reflect changing beauty standards. Photos / Tumblr

Although Barbie's disproportionate figure has hardly changed since she landed on shelves in 1959, it's a different story when it comes to her face.

Released by Mattel, the original Barbie was pale, had heavy eye lids and a curly cropped fringe.

Fast forward to the 2000s and she's undergone a complete makeover to become the glossy-haired icon we see today.

But In the decades between, her appearance has been continuously tweaked to reflect the beauty ideals of the day.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Created by Ruth Handler and produced by Mattel, Barbie was inspired by a doll from Germany.

1950s - 1960s

Barbie and her changes in her first year on shelves. Photos / Tumblr
Barbie and her changes in her first year on shelves. Photos / Tumblr

Starting out as pale, with winged-liner and a curled fringe, by 1960 her lips became rounder, her nose was given a turned up tip and her makeup softened. She also sported a bouffant bob, very different from the long blonde locks she's now known for.

1960s Barbie sported short hair. Photo / Tumblr
1960s Barbie sported short hair. Photo / Tumblr

As she became a coveted item, her style also changed so that she was known as Mod Barbie during the 60s.

1970s - 1980s

In the 70s she adopted a Scandinavian style. Photo / Tumblr
In the 70s she adopted a Scandinavian style. Photo / Tumblr

By the early 70s, Barbie had taken on a more Scandinavian look with lighter hair, bluer eyes, darker skin and, for the first time, a tooth-revealing grin.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Long-time Barbie designer Carol Spencer explained the evolution to the 70s tanned, casual doll was because everyone was "going to the beach and having a sun tan." 1971 saw the launch of Malibu Barbie.

In the late 70s Barbie was working a tan. Photo / Tumblr
In the late 70s Barbie was working a tan. Photo / Tumblr

Later in the decade, Superstar Barbie appeared with the 1978 edition looking noticeably like actress Farrah Fawcett, who rose to fame in the TV series Charlie's Angels.

In the 1980s, Barbie sported even bluer eyes and colourful eye shadows while her nose became much rounder and her forehead higher.

Barbie got into heavier makeup in the 80s. Photo / Tumblr
Barbie got into heavier makeup in the 80s. Photo / Tumblr

By 1985, her lips were a strong candy pink and her tan was the darkest it had ever been.

Discover more

Lifestyle

Barbie ad features a boy for the first time (+video)

18 Nov 11:00 PM
Lifestyle

Is Barbie eavesdropping on your children?

06 Dec 06:03 PM

1990s - 2000s

90s Barbie's long hair was a selling point. Photo / Tumblr
90s Barbie's long hair was a selling point. Photo / Tumblr

Big eyes are still a focus in the 90s for Barbie and by the middle of the decade her jaw is more square. She's still a fan of heavy, bright eye makeup.

While 1990 saw Barbie work a fringe and a shaggy bob, a selling point by the end of the decade was her long hair and accessories to style it.

In 2000, a much subtler application of makeup was seen and her face became narrower. Commentators suggest this was an attempt to reflect the waif-like icons of the late 90s such as Kate Moss.

A much more realistic face was presented for Barbie in the early 2000s. Photo / Tumblr
A much more realistic face was presented for Barbie in the early 2000s. Photo / Tumblr

Her eye shape changed from round to more almond, her lips were fuller and her hair went from peroxide blonde to warmer tones.

2010s

In 2011, Barble was all about gloss, lighter hair and another heavy display of her signature blue eye shadow.

Barbie loved gloss in the early 2010s. Photo / Tumblr
Barbie loved gloss in the early 2010s. Photo / Tumblr
Today's Barbie is vastly different from the original. Photo / Tumblr
Today's Barbie is vastly different from the original. Photo / Tumblr

But four years on, she's reverted to a natural look with a more realistic facial structure.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

- nzherald.co.nz

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Lifestyle

New Zealand

Crusading broadcaster unmasks alleged driver in car incident

11 May 07:12 PM
Lifestyle

Which NZ winery came out on top in 2025's best of the year awards?

11 May 05:00 PM
Lifestyle

'You're the best': Jacinda Ardern, NZ leaders celebrate Mother's Day with tributes

11 May 08:09 AM

Sponsored: How much is too much?

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Lifestyle

Crusading broadcaster unmasks alleged driver in car incident

Crusading broadcaster unmasks alleged driver in car incident

11 May 07:12 PM

She used her skills as a broadcaster to search for a resolution to the incident.

Which NZ winery came out on top in 2025's best of the year awards?

Which NZ winery came out on top in 2025's best of the year awards?

11 May 05:00 PM
'You're the best': Jacinda Ardern, NZ leaders celebrate Mother's Day with tributes

'You're the best': Jacinda Ardern, NZ leaders celebrate Mother's Day with tributes

11 May 08:09 AM
Premium
The complex emotions surrounding Mother's Day for many Kiwis

The complex emotions surrounding Mother's Day for many Kiwis

11 May 03:19 AM
Sponsored: Cosy up to colour all year
sponsored

Sponsored: Cosy up to colour all year

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP