Google searches turn up about half a dozen different answers to the question: “What are Barbie’s real-life measurements?” Is this question even answerable? It seems to me that one could make her measurements whatever you wanted, based on how tall you wanted to make her. How tall is Barbie supposed to be? Is there any “one body part to another body part” ratio that lends some clue, or can we only guess as to how tall she might be, and multiply everything else accordingly?
btw, I really have no motive at all, just curious.
Yeah, that was one of the many different and (obviously) contradictory answers that I had found on the web. I was hoping that someone would offer up information on why Barbie should be 5 ft 6 (or any other height), or accurately measure the doll, as there seems to be alot of different answers currently circulating.
I’m guessing that the 5’ 6" was just picked out of a hat as a happy medium between the average size of the American female (5’ 4") and the average size of the American female fashion model (5’ 9"). Barbie was originally billed as a “fashion model” doll, but there’s no way anybody with a chest measurement like that could be a modern-day fashion model.
Barbie’s curves are exaggerated. The reason is that doll clothes don’t scale down as well as the dolls themselves do. A t-shirt scaled down to Barbie size would be thinner than tissue paper. If you scaled up one of Barbie’s shirts to full size, it would probably be as thick as a heavy winter coat. Since the clothes are so heavy, they have to exaggerate Barbie’s figure so she won’t look flat-chested with her clothes on.
I get the impression that the poster is interested in whether there’s a real, physiological, answer to this question.
That is, could you take different measurements of the doll, say and arm and a leg, and compute out a ‘real’ height for her if she were human?
At least that’s how I’m reading this question (Unfortunately, or fortunately, if you ask some people, I try and stay away from things both mathmatical and medical).
I recently read something about Barbie being six feet tall. Sorry, I have no idea where I saw that, but adjusting DDG’s numbers would give 42 1/2-23-36. Sounds about right.
While you all are measuring your dolls, can anyone tell me what the leg to total height ratio would be for Barbie and an actual average human female? I am guessing Barbie’s legs are as exaggerated in relative length as the rest of her.
FWIW, in 1993 (IIRC), I read an article about a woman in CA who claimed to be able to “channel” Barbie.
Well, this sounds like alot of feminist rhetoric. There are plenty of women that are rail thin, with 38DD breast implants, that don’t seem to have any trouble getting around. Unless she’s implying that the small shoe size would impede balance - again, I think this is faux.
It 's the enormous eyes that would frighten me. Huge bulging orbs with pupils the size of dimes. Light gathering power for night vision would be great, but sunglasses during the day would be a must.
astro: It’s carnivorous Barbie beasts! Able to see in the dark and crush heads with their massive 38DD breasts! Run, run for your lives, before they all tip over and die of starvation!
A parent’s job is to deny their children things that are bad for them for reasons that are incomprehensible to them. If children understood what was good and bad for them, then they wouldn’t need parental guidance.
