For as long as most of us can remember, women have been bombarded with images of what they ‘should’ look like.
Long legs, perfect hip to waist ratio, flat tummy, perky breasts. But as the body positivity revolution continues to lash against this ideal, more and more companies are getting on board with the idea that there’s more than one way of being beautiful.
A long term champion for this cause has been Ashley Graham – a plus sized model who has graced the covers of numerous international magazines, taken to catwalks and spoken openly about health at every size.
And now Barbie manufacturers Mattel have taken inspiration from Graham – producing a doll that is to her measurements.
“She’s got a round butt, she’s got round hips, she’s got a round stomach and arms and she’s got my moles and my eyelashes,” says Ashley of the new doll.
Ashley says this is an especially important moment for her, who has spent her life being compared to others.
“As a kid, I was never comparing myself to all different dolls. I think I was comparing myself to humans.
“But I think that if I had a Barbie that looked like me, I beg to ask the question, would my body image be different today? And I think that with the younger generation, their body image will be different because they’re actually looking at somebody that looks like them.”
Speaking to The Huffington Post about the doll, Ashley said her number one prerequisite was that the thighs touched.
“I asked for cellulite but obviously plastic and cellulite don’t go hand in hand,” she said.
In 2015, Mattel expanded the Barbie squad to include curvy, petite and tall types of doll.
