After being reunited with an old Bratz doll from my childhood (who is now sitting proudly on my dressing table with my make-up), it got me thinking about how similar she looked to the girls of today.
Bratz dolls came after the Barbie phenomenon and were known for having an edgier style, they were an incredibly successful product from MGA Entertainment. The brand branched out into movies, TV Shows, games and music, before eventually discontinuing in 2016. But they weren’t gone for long as they made multiple comebacks. Most notably in 2018, in collaboration with fashion illustrator and designer Hayden Williams.
Since most of us grew up playing with Bratz dolls, I believe subconsciously we have taken inspiration from the fashion icons of our younger days, and it has helped form our own personal style.
Let’s begin with the makeup painted onto the dolls’ faces and now ours. Bratz were known for full, glossy lips, something most of us are trying to achieve with either a plumping lipgloss, such as Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme, or filler. Heavy, thick eyelashes, glittering eyeshadow and cut creases were done by the Bratz dolls way before we even experimented with make-up.
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You know that trend of bleaching the front of your hair that we thought was new in lockdown? Bratz did it first. They were the original E-girls and that is specifically showcased in the Rock Angelz edition of Bratz dolls which were released in 2005.
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Plaid miniskirts, ripped jeans, thigh high boots…everything that is now a firm staple in our wardrobes, can be seen on the original Bratz dolls.
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It’s clear Bratz were well ahead of their time, but also since Y2K fashion has come back around, it’s no surprise that the ‘Instagram baddies’ we all follow, are incredibly reminiscent of the dolls of our childhoods.
