My old friend Barbie Posted August 6, 2023

My own relationship with Barbie began on (my sister figures) my 8th birthday (see photo). Proudly showing Barbie off to the camera while giving my mother a little “stink eye” for not giving me a more Barbie worthy outfit to mark the special day.

In my early days my mother’s favourite adjective to describe a piece of clothing was “serviceable”. Talk about a dream killing, soul stifling word as well as an affront to everything my precious Barbie represented. She would say it with reverence as if no other descriptor could come close to matching the importance - the gravitas -as SERVICEABLE. Oxford tie up shoes were “serviceable”… they were also ugly… but Mum and I had a meeting of the minds and found common ground with Penny Loafers.

Our cooperation over what I would wear was born in that moment and grew from there. While we never approached the ribbons, bows and gowns that Barbie wore, my mother, not being a ribbons and bows kinda gal, she did her best to indulge me when it came to expressing myself through clothes. Arriving home from the local shops with an armload “on approval” more often than not resulted in a nod and a look that said “hang those up in your closet and don’t tell your father”. (The “spoiled brat” was usually but not always, implied). None the less those were heady times!

My mother would never have described herself as a feminist but she was not deaf to the cultural shifts taking place in the 60s either. Quite often my Barbie(s) would not only get a new outfit at Christmas, but a new career too, and my sister received Barbie's Dream House (Swoon) from Santa one year. (yes ,as a single woman, Barbie owned significant real estate.) Barbie was representative of a changing world.

From an early age my mother encouraged me to be or do , whatever I pleased unencumbered by traditional gender roles. Like Barbie my options were limitless, the husband optional and the future bright. Thanks Mum.

I would highly recommend spending some time with Barbie on Tiny Shoulders: Rethinking Barbie(Crave) I’d love to hear your thoughts.