Barbie gets 'real' with latest makeover: New body types

A Barbie doll for you, you and you - no matter what you look like.

The world's best-selling doll just got a major makeover. Mattel is expanding its iconic Barbie line to reflect different body sizes and ethnic diversity.

Now, girls everywhere will see three new body types on store shelves; petite, tall and curvy.

And it's not just about body shape. The new collection, set to debut in major retailers this spring, represents diversity on every scale.

Barbie dolls will come in seven skin tones, 22 eye colors, 24 hairstyles, and even a flat foot.

"Her ability to evolve and grow with the times, while staying true to her spirit, is central to why Barbie is the number one fashion doll in the world."

The launch comes as Mattel works to boost sales of the doll, one of its most profitable brands, which rakes in $1 billion in global sales each year.

Barbie was unveiled during New York Toy Fair on March 9, 1959, and has held the number one spot for dolls in the US

But with Barbie's overall sales dropping 14 per cent worldwide in the third quarter, the doll franchise marked its eighth consecutive period of a more than 10 per cent decline.

Some parents have criticised the doll for promoting an unrealistic body image to girls - a criticism Mattel has long deflected. The company has argued that Barbie's career choices, which have included an astronaut, a computer engineer and president, have made her a positive role model for girls.

El Segundo, California-based Mattel is scheduled to report its fiscal fourth-quarter results on Monday after the closing bell.

"Barbie reflects the world girls see around them," Mattel COO Richard Dickson explained.