Barbie has recently had a makeover, and this time it is not exactly what you would expect.
Nickolay Lamm, artist and designer, has created a Barbie to what is considered “normal standards” and body proportions that would relate to the average 19 year-old girls.
The new style comes with stickers of tattoos, warts, acne, stretch marks and other realistic flaws that many of the average teenage girls face.
This Barbie was created to help young boys and girls feel comfortable with who they are, and not to hold themselves to standards as high as Barbie.
Lammily is 5’4” tall, the same height as the average Barbie, but where the true difference lies is not in their height.
According to Statistics Canada, the average weight of a Canadian woman is 153 lbs., with Barbie sitting way below the average at 110 lbs. with a waist size of 16.”
Another unrealistic thing about Barbie is her shoe size, which sits at 3. The average Canadian woman, which is the same as Lammely, holds a comfortable 7.5.
The doll has hit the market, and is sending a message that everyone is beautiful, flaws and all.
Lammily also has the same accessories as Barbie, with interchangeable shoes and clothes.
Maybe this year instead of picking up the slim waisted, blonde hair, blue eyed Barbie, parents and grandparents will stop and think twice.
Lammily has brown hair, minimal makeup and holds the average body proportions of a 19 year old, and helps young boys and girls think more realistically when it comes to their body image.
Lammily has yet to find a career, unlike Barbie who sent an RCMP officer in an uproar over the RCMP Barbie line.
This Barbie had the hat, boots, and pants, but didn’t share the same proportions as the average officer, and this sent a former constable through the roof of the Barbie mansion.
With Lammily hitting the scene it couldn’t be a more opportune time for young boys and girls to see that it is okay to be an average size.
Even Disney princesses have been given a makeover, with artist adding on an extra few pounds to show kids what they would look like if they weren’t cartoons, with loved characters such as Elsa from Frozen, Belle from Beauty and the Beast, and even Aurora from Sleeping Beauty, all seeing adjustments to the dress size.
With these views coming to life it makes it much easier for children to see the difference between what is “real” and what is “unrealistic”, and gives them a chance to be comfortable in their own skin, all thanks to Lammily.
