If you’ve ever tried to transform a straight-haired Barbie into a curly- haired one, you know how tedious and difficult the process is. You need a few hours to dedicate to the transformation, some pipe cleaners and boiling hot water among other things. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy so many Black moms are interested in altering their daughter’s Barbie’s so that the hair is more on the curly side. But it does make you wonder: with the popularity of the natural hair community, why aren’t more dolls already manufactured to reflect the diversity of the consumer who purchases it?! I’ll be beyond ecstatic when the day comes that I run across natural hair dolls at any major outlets like Toys R Us or Walmart. But for now, I can finally rejoice because naturalistas can now purchase ethnic dolls rocking a plethora of natural hairstyles for their kiddos.Karen Byrd of Natural Girls United has created custom ethnic dolls that celebrate the diverse and creative hairstyles worn by people of color. The dolls range in price from $40 – $140 and come in a range styles–corn rows, twist outs, braid outs, curly locs and the options go on and on.
As a mom of three girls who are natural, I’m so happy to now have an option to order these dolls for my girls. They’re a little more costly than buying a
generic doll, but the pride and excitement my girls will have seeing themselves reflected in their unique Barbie’s makes the investment all worth it.
Check out Karen’s site and check out the awesomeness for yourself. Let us know your thoughts: does the hair on the doll even matter?! Comment below.
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