New Bratz Doll Make-Unders + What Hyper-Feminized Dolls Are Really Selling

"This little ex-Bratz girl has had a major make-under," says the artist behind Tree Change Dolls. "She has been repainted, and restyled and refooted." (Photo: Courtesy of TreeChangeDolls | Tumblr)

From the superslim waistlines of Barbies to the oversized facial features of Bratz, dolls aimed at young girls have long been controversial for their oversexualization and unrealistic beauty standards.

Now, an Australian doll maker is aiming to change the way you look at dolls. A Tumblr project titled Tree Change Movement is revitalizing second-hand dolls like Bratz with less makeup, fewer body-hugging clothes, and more reasonable features. Although the make-unders are simply shown on the blog right now, the owner promises that an Etsy shop is in the works.

(Photo: Courtesy of TreeChangeDolls | Tumblr)

These milder dolls are a welcome change to the mass market’s offerings — they look like real girls, and the artist has photographed them doing activities that actual little girls partake in, such as climbing trees and running outside.

But we all know that sex sells. And ultimately, that’s exactly what sexualized dolls like Bratz, along with Barbie, Monster High dolls, and Fairy Tale High dolls, are doling out.

The hyperfemininity of dolls over the years has always played up the biological factors of beauty, according to John Marshall Townsend, PhD, a professor of anthropology at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, who studies the science of human attraction and behavior.

(Photo: Courtesy of TreeChangeDolls | Tumblr)

“We are always trying to look younger and healthier, which is more attractive because it indicates a woman can carry children to term,” he tells Yahoo Health.

When gauging attractiveness, humans look to specific features that show signs of youth and vitality,  ultimately indications that good genes will be effectively passed from parent to offspring.

Related: The Science of a Sexy Face

Facial symmetry is important in both sexes, suggesting healthy development and good gene selection. Townsend also says that prominent bright eyes, full lips, shiny hair and clear skin are all hallmarks of feminine beauty, because they are visible indicators of whether a woman is young, fertile and healthy.

This is why you’ll see blemish-free dolls with long hair, big eyes and plump lips lining store shelves. They’re playing on what we generally find attractive.

(Photo: Courtesy of TreeChangeDolls | Tumblr)

Body shape is another major factor in human attraction that we also see on dolls. If a woman appears to have gone through puberty, she’ll be of higher value to a potential mate, biologically-speaking. “Before puberty and after menopause, women have no curves,” Townsend says. “Developing a waist and hips is an indicator she has is most fertile.”

This is why women with a frame like Marilyn Monroe’s, Kim Kardashian’s, or Scarlett Johansson’s are so prized, especially by men — and why we almost expect to see smaller waists and hourglass shapes on dolls like Barbie. “Once those preferences are internalized, there’s no going back,” Townsend says.

And through the years, a lot of dolls have seemed, well, eerily similar. Sure, there are new incarnations with each generation, but their structures are usually critiqued in the same way — eyes too big, waist too small, lips too full, and so on.

Related: How To Be OK With Saying ‘No’ 

Playing up specific features emphasizes places where humans look for health and attractiveness, but in the end, it’s about math, proportions and averages, too. On the whole, “cookie cutter” is the safest, most universally-accepted standard for attractiveness. “In the population, average tends to do better than the extreme and tends to be more attractive,” Townsend says, “rather than features like prominent noses or long chins.”

Doll makers are probably banking on this law of averages, which research has verified. A 2009 University of Toronto study showed that a “perfect” face corresponds closely to the averages of all female profiles — interestingly, proportions similar to the conventionally stunning Jessica Alba.

Some things never change, but maybe there’s hope for the toy industry.

Tree Change Movement’s dressed-down dolls came after Mattel recently admitted that Barbie has been struggling. In October, the company reported a 14 percent decline in sales for three consecutive quarters last year, mostly due to lagging sales of its signature doll, which contributed to an $11.2 million net loss overall.

Both psychological and social factors are important in determining attractiveness, says Townsend. So maybe over time we’ll start to see more types of dolls hit the market as society becomes more accepting of all different shapes, sizes, features and looks.

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