The Evolution of Barbie - Barbie Fashionistas

Barbie has always been a part of my life and with each doll Mattel release they seem to evolve, the release of the new Fashionistas dolls has been another interesting development. With dolls of all shapes, sizes, skin colour, eye colour and hair now available, it has been interesting to see some of these dolls up close.

When my daughter examined them as we took them from the box she only saw the different clothes, she didn’t see the different skin colour or sizes, although she did comment on the slighty wider legs of Chambray chic, but it was more of a passing comment than criticism. It certainly makes you look at yourself and think about how the comments we make have an effect on how they see the world.

These dolls are a great addition to our collection and for me epitomise what Barbie has always been about, clothing and fashion. Yes I would have liked to have seen more practical clothing and styles but the new flatter feet mean new shoes that I would have loved for my Barbie as a young girl. I remember my mum making dresses and trousers out of old scraps of material and being able to dress my dolls up in the clothes of the time, these offer just that.

My daughter took to playing with them as she would any doll, making them talk to each other about random stuff from clothes to what they'd done that day. The clothes themselves are almost interchangeable with the slimmer fitting ones struggling to be done up at the back of Chambray Chic, but that didn't really matter as most of the time my daughter doesn't manage to do the clothes up properly anyway, the shoes on the tall and petit dolls don't interchange either but that is fine, you just need to remember whose shoes are who's.

The dolls stick with the signature facial style of the original Barbie so are recognisable, but all have their own look. I really love the curly hair on Crazy for Coral, it reminds me of a perm I had back in the day and I loved it then and even now, I would love curly hair, it is this imagination that Barbie sparks.

Barbie creating these dolls means that children get a chance to see from within their imaginations that everyone is different, that it is normal and there is nothing to be ashamed of. Playing with dolls that are different shapes, sizes and colours helps them to understand that in the real world people are all different and that this is normal.

My daughters favourite doll is Crazy for Coral, she loves the dress "because it's shiny and she likes the pattern". With such a huge selection to chose from I can't wait to see the rest, their are some more wonderful hair colours and clothes and my daughter has already chosen the ones she'd like next.

The new 2016 Barbie Fashionistas doll line includes four body types (the original, petite, curvy and tall) seven skin tones, 22 eye colours, 24 hairstyles and countless on trend fashions and accessories. The RRP is just £9.99 and they are available to order now from Amazon. Mattel have also released a great video all about The Evolution of Barbie, it is a great insight into the changes.

NB We were sent these dolls for the purpose of the review, all words an opinions are my own.

Hotter Shoes - Comfort and Style

My relationship with shoes is one of those love/hate type deals, with size 8 feet I either walk into shop to find the biggest size they've got is a 7, or they pinch, hurt and don't come in bigger sizes.

So when I was invited to find my dream pair of shoes from Hotter, I was both excited and apprehensive.

Firstly, and I am sure this is the same for a few of us, Hotter weren't exactly first on my shoe shop list. Not because I thought they'd be rubbish but because a shop who's philosophy was comfort was probably in my mind for the older generations of a family.

However I could not of been more wrong, with a mix of traditional and modern shoes there is something for all the family (minus the kids). I chose several pairs to try on, why not when I am child and husband free, and with some honest ladies surrounding me I had nothing to lose.

Last year, I had tried on a pair of ankle boots from one of my favourite clothing stores, but the 8 was too small and left me walking like an arthritic giraffe, so I had abandoned all hope of finding such a shoe.

But here I was, faced with a selection of shoes up to a 9!!! This was exciting, this was a hopeful few hours of my life where I might actually find a shoe that fits, out came my choices, the fabulous Shawbury, Lavish and Erica.

And true to their word, the shoes were so comfy, like slipping on a familiar pair of slippers. Each pair felt amazing and my choice came down to which I would wear the most?!

In the end though, I went for the Shawbury, they fit well, looked good with jeans or a dress, and was right on style for autumn.

On Sunday, I went down to London for the day. I was, as with any new shoe, a little dubious about wearing them for such a long day so soon after buying them, but I am glad I did. I had no sores, no blisters, not a single one. I spent a whole 12 hours in those shoes and although my feet ached a little (thank you fibromyalgia) it was nothing to do with the shoes.

The lovely people at Hotter are also offering my readers the chance to win a choice of either a £20 gift voucher or a Delamore Handbag, these bags are the perfect size for a night out and come in four stunning colours.

And if you can't wait to buy some new shoes they have also given me a 10% off plus free delivery with code PLATEN (T&Cs apply -10% off plus FREE delivery is for first orders only. You are entitled to 10% off the total order value of any full priced items in the Hotter range (excluding shoe care products) plus FREE delivery.  This offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional offer or on Sale or Factory Clearance items and gift vouchers.)

T&Cs apply, see the rafflecopter widget for more information.

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