How old is Barbie? A look at the history of the Mattel doll as anticipation builds for Margot Robbie film

Since Greta Gerwig announced her 2023 film ‘Barbie’ starring the likes of Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling and Will Ferrell to name a few of the star-studded cast, the Mattel company has been re-born. 

Although Mattel is nearly 70-years-old and Barbie herself has never aged past her 19th birthday (oh the wonders of immortality in the Barbie world), searches and demand for Barbie-core fashion and products have skyrocketed in addition to the company creating a more diverse and inclusive line of dolls, therefore giving it a new age feel.

It has come a long way since the first release in 1959 and as anticipation builds further ahead of Margot Robbie’s film hitting screens in July 2023, PeopleWorld takes a walk down the plastic and fantastic memory lane:

How did Mattel start?

Before becoming the world’s second largest toy maker in terms of revenue, Mattel Inc was established in January 1945 by Harold Mattson, Ruth Handler and Elliot Handler in their Los Angeles garage.

Initially selling picture frames and dollhouse furniture, the company had its first hit toy with a Ukulele in 1947 called the ‘Uke-a-Doodle’ ahead of sponsoring the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on TV and releasing a Xylophone product.

However, Mattel hit the big time on 9 March 1959 when the ‘Barbie doll’ was released triggering a whole franchise of Barbie-related toys including the Barbie Dreamhouse, Ken and other family and friends.

While the name Barbie has become known worldwide, the doll’s actual name is Barbara Millicent Roberts accounting for the 11th most popular girl’s name in America at the time of the doll’s creation.

Who created Barbie?

Although Harold started the Mattel company with Elliot Handler, the entrepreneur sold his share and stake in 1946 due to poor health, leaving Elliot’s wife Ruth to take over where he left off.

This turned out to be a historic move as it was Ruth Handler who was the principal architect behind the Barbie doll after seeing her daughter (ironically called Barbara) play with paper dolls. 

Ruth designed Barbie using a German comic strip character called Bild Lilli as inspiration and gave the first doll a striped, strapless swimsuit with gold hoops and a high blonde ponytail. The doll, which initially stood at 11.5 inches tall, would be around 5’9 in height.

A couple of years later, Mattel released Barbie’s boyfriend Ken, who was named after Ruth and Elliot’s son.

How has Barbie changed over the years?

Throughout the six decades of Barbie’s life, she has picked up over 200 jobs as an astronaut, a vet and a presidential candidate making her quite the feminist icon…however due to backlash surrounding the doll’s measurements, the initial Barbie doll has been altered over the years to become more inclusive.

It wasn’t until 2016 that Mattel introduced dolls of differing sizes to the original 18 inch waist sculpt, with the Fashionista line providing alternative body types and skin colours. 

Three years later, Barbies with varying disabilities were made available so more people could connect to the historic and iconic doll.

This year, the first doll with Down’s Syndrome hit the market with British model Ellie Goldstein celebrating the milestone.