Every little girl grows up with her favorite Barbie doll in hand. Whether it be Swimsuit Barbie or Super Star Barbie, little girls emulate these dolls whether we like to admit it or not. In fact, girls ages 3-to-10 years old in the United States have on average eight Barbie dolls. But these dolls that are marketed to young girls truly create a negative body image for them. Every Barbie doll comes complete with a full face of makeup and perfectly pointed feet to slide into her heels. If she were human, her waist would be 39% smaller than one of an anorexic patient and her body weight so low she could not menstruate. These are unachievable and unhealthy expectations to live up to. And while our generation grew up with this false perception of perfection, there’s a new doll in town created to look like a normal girl, just like you or me.
Meet Lammily, a fully jointed, full bodied doll for young girls. She was created with the proportions of the average 19-year-old girl with bendable joints and flat feet. Her makeup is natural and rests on her pensive face. She has a normal sized bust, waist and rear. Instead of promiscuous ball gowns and swim suits like her competitor Barbie, Lammily wears normal everyday t-shirts and jean shorts. She stays active but also knows how to class it up.
The creator of this doll, Nickolay Lamm, noticed the discrepancies between the everyday woman and the Barbie dolls that were created. He wanted to create a doll that represented the everyday woman rather that the divas, princesses and mermaids portrayed by other dolls.
He tells readers of his blog, “The foundation of Lammily is built on being true to yourself in a world that pressures you to conform to standards.” He wants young girls to learn to walk to the beat of their own drum by finding their own path or calling, whether it be reading books and playing instruments or discovering the world of planting and gardening.
It is these types of creators that our world needs right now. Young girls need to be reminded that being “you” is beautiful. This new doll will open the doors to future creators by proving that we don’t need to conform to the “perfections” that our media tells us to be. The perceptions we form of ourselves begin at a young age and how great would it be to teach young girls the values of careers, athletics and natural beauty. Let's come together as a society and make the world a better place for those who come after us.
