Parents' Guide to

Barbie Fashionistas

By Amanda Bindel, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 6+

Limitless dress-up options, heavy consumerism.

App iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire Free Kids' Games
Barbie Fashionistas Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

  • Barbie Fashionistas App: Screenshot #1
  • Barbie Fashionistas App: Screenshot #2
  • Barbie Fashionistas App: Screenshot #3
  • Barbie Fashionistas App: Screenshot #4
  • Barbie Fashionistas App: Screenshot #5

Community Reviews

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age 4+

Based on 1 parent review

Chicken B.
Chicken B. Adult
July 27, 2017
age 4+

Consumerism and accidental racism

This app has the rampant consumerism one would expect of Barbie, so that's a given. But they programmed in the message, likely by accident, that if you want to be pretty you have to be white. One can choose skin tone to be black, multiracial, Asian, etc... but by adding makeup or changing hair (eg long pink hair), the brown skin disappears and the model is replaced by white skin. I guess coding for hair separate from face was too much work, and coding for makeup on several different skin tones was too hard? I'm not claiming the developers did this on purpose, but that they are unprofessional - theys hould have done a great more careful check. But they're still teaching vulnerable children that brown skin is ugly and white skin is pretty. Awesome, thanks Mattel.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
Too much consumerism
1 person found this helpful.
See all 1 parent review

What’s It About?

Entering Barbie's endless closet's elevator, kids choose their destination: the closet or the design studio. In the closet, kids choose a Barbie and change her outfit, hair, and accessories simply by swiping. They can change the doll, too, by swiping her head. They can take pictures of favorite designs or use a fingertip or Fashionista ring to see their designs transform more, changing colors or sleeve styles. In the design studio, kids choose from blank designs and customize fabric options and have the dolls model their original designs.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

Barbie lovers or kids who enjoy dressing up will have a blast creating designs and changing the dolls and their clothes. Barbie's closet is truly endless here, giving kids more outfits to choose from than any playroom could handle. The design options give kids some creative options but are limited to changing fabrics and patterns; you can't change the actual design of the outfit. The controls are very easy to use, so even preschoolers can pick them up with no problem. There's typical Barbie diversity here, with dolls featuring diverse skin tones and facial features but all the same tall, slender body type and "perfect" hair.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about fashion. For older kids interested in fashion design, provide them with sewing materials to create their own designs.

  • For younger kids interested in dressing up Barbie, encourage them to play hands-on with dressing up real dolls to develop fine motor skills and social skills.

  • Read our article Boys, Girls, and Media Messages for thoughts on how to combat gender stereotypes (such as those that emphasize the importance of how girls look and dress).

App Details

  • Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android, Kindle Fire
  • Pricing structure: Free (More fashion collections can be purchased in-app, ranging from $1.99 for one collection to $10.99 for all collections.)
  • Release date: June 13, 2014
  • Category: Kids' Games
  • Publisher: Mattel, Inc.
  • Version: 4.2.3
  • Minimum software requirements: iOS 5.0 or later
  • Last updated: July 12, 2020

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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