Mattel refashioned the doll into a decent, all-American - although with an exaggerated breast size - version and named it after Barbara, who was then a teenager.
What makes this dress look so odd is the fact that the skirt's fullness begins at the garment's waistline, which during this period is right underneath the bust.
He said: " The increases in waist circumference since 1978 show that children have got bigger. However, increases in height and chest size show that children in the UK have grown over the years in many ways."