Our Hot (Pink) Take on
the Barbiecore Aesthetic
We’re embracing all things pink in the name of Barbiecore, the trend everyone is talking about in celebration of Greta Gerwig’s new highly anticipated film, Barbie. Now we’re not sure about you, but we’ve certainly fallen victim to the hype on this one. We almost can’t remember a time before our world’s turned pink at S&S HQ. The outfits, the feminist discussions and the total powerhouse women involved, we’re absolutely living for it and we cannot wait to see the movie.
As a female-founded and led company, we’re totally inspired by the conversations Gerwig and Robbie have sparked. Their culturally relevant take on the controversial legacy of Barbie explores the complexities of societal pressures, or Barbie Land pressures, highlighting the progression of women in the face of adversity.
Life is plastic, it’s (not always) fantastic
Barbie’s controversial history has sparked many a debate, with issues of body image and feminism at the forefront of the conversation. Barbie’s creator, Ruth Handler, based her body on German doll Lilli, a prostitute gag gift handed out at bachelor parties - wow. Source. Her 5 ft 9 figure, elongated limbs and F cup breasts meant that if Barbie were a real person, she wouldn’t actually be able to stand up! An original “influencer”, the Barbie image had a powerful effect on her audience. With studies showing that girls exposed to Barbie at a young age expressed greater concern with being thin, compared with those exposed to other dolls. Source.
Barbie has also been hounded for misogynistic messaging. Like when Computer Engineer Barbie downloads a virus and relies on a couple of boys to do the actual tech work - eek. Source.
In the words of Barbie, there is always hope
Mattel argues that the criticism around Barbie is misplaced. “Our brand represents female empowerment, it’s about choices. Barbie had careers at a time when women were restricted to being just housewives. Ironically, our critics are the very people who should embrace us.” Source.
In 1962 Barbie bought the Barbie Dream House, a time before women could even open their own bank account! As a result, some argue Barbie represented women in new ways, a symbol of independence and empowerment at the time. Souce.
The Modern Day Barbie
The evolution of Barbie has seen the introduction of more skin tones, more body types, less make-up, different facial shapes, eye and hair colors, and we’re here for this new phase of her legacy. The new movie brings to light a much-needed conversation around representation, societal pressures and the need for a new perspective. Self-aware, relevant and “in on the joke” is how the film has been described with great praise from Margot Robbie.
Stripe & Stare x Barbiecore
You’ll be lucky to catch us wearing anything other than pink for the foreseeable future. Underwear, pajamas, loungewear, clothing - you name it! Our go-to shade as always, the Hot Pink. We’ve put together a Barbiecore inspired collection for those embracing the trend with us. Let’s go shopping!
