Watch out — there’s a new girl in town and her name is Curvy Barbie.

Growing up I had a huge collection of Barbie dolls. I had Beach Barbie, Sporty Barbie, Ice Skater Barbie, Supermodel Barbie, etc. My two sisters and I had more Barbie dolls than you could count. We would play with them every day, and they were a huge part of our childhood.

I loved Barbie, and I looked up to her as my role model. She was everything I wanted to be, and I often acted out my hopes and dreams through her imaginary life: becoming either an Olympic ice skater or “America’s Next Top Model.” She was perfect, and I wanted to be perfect.

But age has left me bitter towards Barbie. I now blame her for making me feel inadequate; for making me think I had to be tall, thin and tiny-waisted to be beautiful. I now understand that these are unrealistic standards. However, I had to go through a lot of pain and suffering to learn this. I know that Barbie didn’t mean to hurt me, but unfortunately, her perfect body did.

Growing up I struggled with a distorted view of beauty, and I have the battle scars to prove it. I believed that being beautiful meant being perfect, and I have always been the furthest thing from perfect.

But times are changing, and Barbie is too. She is no longer “perfect.” The creators of Barbie have just released a new line of Barbie dolls called the “Fashionistas” that come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Women come in all shapes and sizes, so shouldn’t Barbie?

The new Barbie is an “evolving doll” that comes in a variety of shapes, skin tones, eye colors and hairstyles. She is meant to stand for female empowerment, to prove to girls everywhere that no matter what shape you are, anything is possible.

I applaud the designers at Barbie. I am proud that they have finally decided to change their doll’s shape in order to build girls up, rather than break them down. Even though this change is long overdue, it’s better late than never.

According to a British study conducted in 2006, “girls exposed to Barbie reported lower body esteem and greater desire for a thinner shape than those who had been given dolls reflecting larger body types or no dolls at all.” I hope that these new dolls can change this statistic and teach girls to love themselves, rather than harm themselves.

Curvy Barbie is more than just a doll; she’s a symbol of women empowerment and true beauty.