Barbie: A Teenage Fashion Model

Barbie debuted as a teenage fashion model in 1959 and at 11 and a half inches tall Barbie was white complexion but came with either brown or blue eyes. Ruth insisted that the line also include clothes that would enable barbie to participate in more ordinary teenage type activities such as playing tennis going to a school prom, football game or regular job activities. There are a ton of Barbie collector pages out there that detail the trajectory of Barbie's wardrobe over the years.