Kudos to Stacey McBride-Irby, a mother of two, and 12-year Barbie designer. She’s behind Mattel’s new “So In Style” (S.I.S.), a line of dolls that has my grown ass thoroughly excited.
There’s been some buzz about these dolls for a while, and Mattel just announced the line’s official launch. McBride-Irby wanted to create a line of dolls that her daughter could see herself in and the result is definitely more than just a black Barbie doll.
I always hated how black Barbie was just Barbie dipped in chocolate. Same. Exact. Face. The S.I.S. dolls have fuller lips, wider noses, and different skin tones and hair textures. Grace, the main S.I.S. doll, is brown, while her besties Trichelle and Kara are light and dark-skinned. The girls each have a little sister who looks up to them. Each of their sisters is also another shade of black (gasp!) with the line representing all the beautiful colors we come in.
There’s even a Kara hair doll made with curly hair that can be straightened, a salon chair and yes – some extra hair!
I think the dolls look a little Ghetto. If McBride-Irby wanted the dolls to be career-minded and inspirational she should have dressed them for professional careers or gave them better outfits. I hate Grace’s outfit! Why does she have to have to be half-naked? But, I must say although I dislike like the outfits I cannot deny that this is a vest improvement from the days of the Christie. Hopefully this is just the start of things to come.