In 2016, there was a lot of hype over the new Fashionistas line. This was because of the new body types introduced: Curvy, Petite, and Tall. I was also very excited for these new dolls, they were going to add a lot of diversity to the Barbie lineup.

Not long after they came out, I bought one of the new dolls whilst on a trip to the US. The one I picked was called "Sweetheart Stripes", and she used the curvy body type. I named her Griselda. I don't know why I chose that name, it just seemed like it would fit.



I just realised that she also came with a pair of purple sunglasses, which are not shown in the image. The reason why I chose this doll was because of the hair. It was unique, because before that most of the dolls that had dyed hair were usually part of one of the fantasy lines. Most of my collection, and the dolls released before that, often had boring natural blonde or brown colours. Griselda's hair is a lot thinner and greasier than it looks in the promotional photos, but if you brush it enough it can still look nice.





Her skirt is nice; the top is unfortunately rather cheap feeling. Griselda's body plastic makes it easier to put clothes on, however her articulation is poor. They did release curvy Made to Move dolls, but I haven't seen them on shelves for a while.

The shoes that came with her are nice. This body type has flat feet. A positive of this is that the doll can sometimes stand on her own. On the other hand, she cannot fit most of my other Barbie shoes. Her body shape also means that she can't wear a lot of my older outfits, meaning that her clothes choices are limited to the two shirts, two bottoms, and one dress that I have which fit. It's nice having different body types, it's just a pain that you have to get new clothes so that the dolls can have a varied wardrobe. I've seen some criticism that the new fashion packs that fit the curvy body aren't that exciting, they're usually just the same t-shirt dresses. It seems that they haven't released anything like a bikini or a ball gown, just the same sack dresses. If you want interesting clothes, you have to either make them yourself or buy them from someone on Etsy.





I will say that I do like the Powerpuff Girls dress. My only other curvy doll is Dreamhouse Adventures Daisy. I also bought her mainly because of her hair.