Beautiful, BUT...

So Mattel has done a thing.

I’d love to show the actual promo photos for this doll, but after another creator I know got smacked with a cease and desist for sharing them, I decided a few impression sketches were the safer, less legally exciting option. You still get the idea, I get to keep practicing drawing, and nobody has to send me scary emails, which feels like a win for everyone involved. If you want to see the official promo shots, you can find them here (this is not an affiliate link)

If you've been following the doll world at all this week, you've probably already seen her: the Barbie Atelier Doll #1. She’s being shared by braver souls than I.  According to Mattel Creations, she has a brand-new Atelier face sculpt, a ‘grand couture Silkstone body,’ and glass eyes. She’s wearing a pink ruffled coat with a big bow, tall pink boots, drop earrings, and underneath all that, an embroidered pink sequin and grey tulle dress. She’s available for preorder and she'll set you back $300.

She is, without question, beautiful.

And I have thoughts.

You already know I love variety.  Made to move, curvy, tall, petite, and I’m genuinely excited about the muscular Barbie launch coming later this year.  So you'd think I'd be thrilled about a new, different body type, right?

Yeah... not so much.  Maybe I’m just feeling contradictory today.

The problem is the height. Standard MtM Barbies stand around 11.5 inches tall. The taller ones — like the volleyball player — come in closer to 12.5–12.75 inches. This doll? 14.5 inches. That's 2–3 inches taller (roughly 5–7.5 cm for those of us who are metrically inclined) than anything else I own. She can't share shoes. She can't share clothes. She can't share any of it.

The AT202 from Worldbox doesn't play nicely with standard Barbie gear either, but that's a completely different company. They have that excuse. This is Mattel. Making a Barbie. A Barbie that can’t wear Barbie clothes. I'm sorry, what?  Why?!  I’m wondering if maybe her proportions will work with curvy barbie packs or not.  If not…I don’t love that.

Sure, she’s different, and that’s great. But starting completely from scratch? Having to build a whole new wardrobe because none of your existing Barbie clothes will fit? And then there’s the diorama issue. If you’ve spent years getting your playscale setups just right, this doll may not work with those either. That feels like a lot to ask. At $300, having to source or sew an entirely new closet and possibly rethink your displays stops feeling like a fun splurge and starts feeling like a second hobby. And this hobby is expensive enough already, or maybe I’m doing it wrong.

Now here's where I get properly frustrated.

This doll has over 23 points of articulation, including — and I need you to sit down for this — articulated fingers and toes. Fingers. And toes. On a Barbie. From Mattel.

Do you know how long I've wanted that on a Made to Move body? Do you know how many times I've ripped the hands off a brand-new MtM doll because the generic ones make me want to cry? I've said it before and I'll say it again: I am not a fan of standard Made to Move hands. And now Mattel proves they can give us articulated hands and feet; they just chose to put them on a doll that exists in its own completely isolated universe where nothing else fits?  Really?

Why couldn't we get this on a standard MtM body? Are the hands and feet just too small? Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like they absolutely have the capability and just decided not to share it with the rest of the lineup. Uhg.

As for her outfit … diplomatically put: it's not my personal aesthetic. I'm not an authority on fashion, I’ve seen plenty of it, I just know what I like and what I don't. I'm not going to gush over a doll just because she's new or because everyone else is excited. I'm sorry, that's just not me. Does that limit my audience? Probably. Does it limit my paid post options? Definitely! I’ve turned down more than one paid promotion because they didn’t want an honest review. They wanted an ad with the downsides ‘softened.’ I won't say what company or product (I don't feel like getting sued), but if you're here, you're here for my actual opinion.

My actual opinion is: she's beautiful, but I genuinely do not understand what Mattel was thinking.  If they come out with just packs of articulated hands and feet for made to move Barbies, I’d order them, though.  But I doubt they’re listening.

Anyway, hope everyone’s weekend is progressing nicely.