A pair of knee-high white socks with double Cs on the welts, a Louis Vuitton Palm Springs Mini bag, an Adidas coordinated set, a Chanel double flap bag, distressed denim, and a satin tartan night suit set. These items of clothing sound like a 10 but make them all extra small. As pint-sized as they lose their capacity to fit a human’s hand, let alone the body. And now imagine them with a customary—in the shade Barbie pink—background while the track Barbie Girl by Aqua plays at the highest volume.

Ironically, this 1959 Ruth Handler invention and her wardrobe are not only adapting to the newest trends but also flourishing in this digital age. The variety of garments available for this eleven-and-a-half-inch plastic figure would be in any woman’s dream closet, although vastly downsized.

The world of Barbie clothing is fantastic and more than plastic. It’s spandex, buttons, lace, ribbons, cotton, chiffon, beads, brocade, pearls, zipper, plaid, and whatnot. It’s fascinating how Barbie clothing is a rendering of our clothes and vice versa.

“I truly fell in love with Barbie the first moment I created her clothes and accessories,” says Carol Spencer, who for thirty-five years was a member of Mattel’s design team. This quote appears in her book, Dressing Barbie. Spencer is the first Barbie Designer to have her name on the package and the only one whose name is on the back of a doll. “I absolutely loved the process,” claims the incredible woman behind America’s favorite doll clothing. She also explains how her designs were majorly inspired by her own closet. “I had bought a pair of white knee-high boots in a graphic cutout pattern, for example. They really were the height of sixties mod style, and soon I was thinking about how they might look on Barbie.”

The pink aesthetic or “Barbiecore” became a fashion staple throughout last year. The summer of 2023 will celebrate the icon yet again through the “Barbie'' movie, which is expected to be released on July 21st. Millions of views and more than 170,000 likes on the Twitter announcement, the meme, “Barbie is” going viral, which underscores that Barbie never went out of style.

A Diy-tie patterned leotard, solid spandex shorts, a wide crimson headband, neon elbow and knee pads, and hair tied in a high ponytail. Inspired by Margot’s latest look for the movie. Emilie of The Doll Tailor carbon copied this rollerblading outfit for her customers’ Barbie dolls. The Doll Tailor, an online platform based in Florida, considers the sky to be the limit in designing and customizing Barbie apparel. Her collections are inspired by current trends and the most popular streetwear. Emilie, when younger, like most of the other kids, loved to change Barbie’s outfits. At age 35, her passion for sewing synergized with her penchant for these miniature outfits. “I never knew sewing doll clothes was actually a ‘thing’ states Emilie.

Photo by The Doll Tailor Margot as “Barbie”

“I sold my first pair of holographic leggings for Barbie in 2020 and since then my orders have never stopped growing.” Her audience is mostly parents who want to gift these to their kids, adult doll collectors, and toy enthusiasts who need a special outfit made for a photo shoot or often as she custom designs for “mini-me”, and “twin me” projects, where the customer desires to buy a replica of themselves and their sartorial choices.

Margaret Ann, a doll expert, and collector, with 27.1k followers on Instagram got herself one such “mini-me” customized by The Doll Tailor. Suzie, owner of Isla Movement (An activewear line), served as The Doll Tailor’s “Mini-me” customer. She used this Barbie in a campaign advertisement she filmed for her new line last summer.

Photo by The Doll Tailor, Suzie posing with her “mini-me”

“Surprisingly, this is a very profitable niche, ” Emilie notes. “When I first started my company, I wasn’t sure if this would work. While children love to play dress up with their dolls, I noticed that grown-ups collect dolls too. And the idea of adults changing and switching doll clothes seemed odd to me but my biggest audience is adult collectors.” She conveys how the doll community is not only friendly and warm but also a safe space where collectors express feelings and moods through their dolls. “I realized that one is never too old to play with dolls.”

“Miniature sewing is extremely different from sewing for humans, from selecting the right fabric, accessories, sewing notions like buttons, badges, etc. and making sure everything is scale appropriate, which is 1/6 scale for Barbie doll clothes.” tells Emilie.

She uses a Janome to stitch these tiny clothes. Since dolls are stiff and are not capable of figuring out ways to fit into a garment, sewing patterns need to differ. The finishing and fastening, placement of the Velcro and snaps is difficult. For instance, unlike human hoodies, Barbie doll hoodies have an opening in the back on the hood part straight down the back for convenience.

She further explains how finding the right fabric is one of the greatest challenges. “Bulky fabric will never work with Barbie doll clothes. Sometimes we need to buy a fabric that looks like another fabric. For example, if you want to make some jeans for dolls, I wouldn’t recommend cutting the pair hanging in your closet,” she says laughingly.

“My most popular requests are soccer team uniforms, cheerleading uniforms, and wedding gowns. The Chanel hoodie dress has by far been the best-selling item in 2022.” The price of these petite clothes varies vastly, depending on the fabric quality used, the hours of labor, the quality and quantity of sewing notions, the rarity, etcetera. For instance, a pack of 35 handmade doll clothes at Walmart costs $15.75 and a pack of 69 pairs costs merely $5.99 on Amazon. But when you buy them from shops that customize them, the cost is $77 for a hoodie or $56 for sweatpants. There are also Barbie ensembles available for as high as $2,500.

And if one lacks sewing skills and doesn’t want to put in money and buy them from the many stores that sell these teeny clothes. You can just follow instructions available on the internet, you can make the clothes out of material such as socks and balloons. It’s easy, fun, no monetary requests, and an opportunity to personalize.

Oddballengraving, an Etsy store in Hudson, sells fancy scaled-down plastic hangers for fancy scaled-down Barbie clothes and maintains that “although a side business, it’s relatively profitable and extremely rewarding.” The store’s founder, a Barbie clothing lover herself, has worked with a Barbie and Blythe doll collector, which helped her decide that 2.75 inches as a size for her hangers would work best for the minute clothes not to fall off the hangers. She sells to teenagers, but adult doll collectors contribute majorly to her business. The founder says, “Barbie's wardrobe has evolved over the years, reflecting the trends and fashions of the times. In the 1960s and 1970s, Barbie's clothing was often bold and colorful, with psychedelic prints and bold patterns. In the 1980s and 1990s, Barbie's clothing became more subdued, with pastels and neutrals.” “Barbie enthusiasts of all ages express their personal style through their dolls. From casual wear to formal attire, Barbie's clothing options are endless,” she adds.

Melva Mallison, a great-grandmother, still owns a military Barbie. She notes, “I never took it out of the box. It represents my career in the military.” she says with pride.

Forbes, In a recent article, elucidates why does the Barbie obsession lives on. “And as long as that’s the case, her clothing will live on. Will it ever not be the right place, the right time, the right moment, and the right people for Barbie and her clothing to be loved?”

In recent years, Barbie's clothing has become even more diverse, with a greater focus on inclusivity and representation. Barbie now has a range of dolls with different body types, skin tones, and hair textures, and her clothing options reflect this diversity. The world of Barbie clothing is a vibrant and exciting one, offering endless possibilities for expression and creativity. Reflecting the changing fashions and values of society. Barbie remains an iconic figure in the world of fashion and continues to inspire generations of children and collectors alike.

Article by Palak Godara, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine
Tearsheets by Summer Safi, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine

Inside the World of Barbie Clothing