The Fashion Files! Friday, January 13th, 2012

9. After making a one-of-a-kind Barbie for 4 year-old cancer patient, Mattel, maker of Barbie, has been increasingly under pressure to mass produce bald Barbie dolls. A Facebook campaign, called Beautiful and Bald Barbie, has reached over 43,000 likes. A petition has also been started at Change.org. The campaign organizer's reason behind the movement is that they,

We would like to see a Beautiful and Bald Barbie made to help young girls who suffer from hair loss due to cancer treatments, Alopecia or Trichotillomania . Also, for young girls who are having trouble coping with their mother's hair loss from chemo. Many children have some difficulty accepting their mother, sister, aunt, grandparent or friend going from a long haired to a bald.

[Photo via] The movement also hopes for head scarves and hats to be produced with the dolls and for a portion of of the profits to be donated to St.Jude's Children's Hospital. Not everyone agrees with the movement, however. A Chicago-based blogger, who goes under the name Mary Tyler Mom, believes the doll does not meet the needs of these patients. The doll simply covers up the problem. She says,

Girls with cancer need a bald doll about as much as women with breast cancer need a pink Kitchen Aid mixer...You know what girls with cancer need? They need money. They need lots and lots and oodles and oodles of dollars for the researchers working on their behalf.

[Huffington Post]