Barbie always had nicer dresses than I did.

It's true, she has and still does. I loved playing with Barbie dolls as a kid. I spent many allowances buying her new outfits for every occasion. One week Barbie has a ball to attend, the next week she needs an outfit to wear while she performs Madonna's Material Girl. Yup, an outfit for every occasion.

2009 has marked Barbie's 50th birthday! And she's had quite a year. She starred in the Barbie Runway Show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion week, where 50 fashion designers created Barbie-inspired fashion. Among them, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Christian Lacroix, and Diane von Furstenber. She's also had multiple spreads in many hot fashion magazines: Allure, Elle, W, American Vogue, Japanese Vogue, Italian Vogue, and it doesn't stop there. For 50 years, she has remained one of the most famous fashion icons.

Over this past weekend, I ventured into Toys'R'Us and was overwhelmed with the Barbie selection. One caught my eye for being so simple and so right! There were these gorgeous dolls wearing the classic Little Black Dress. So, now as an adult, I once again find myself looking to Barbie for style inspiration. Seriously, just check out these LBD's: http://www.barbiecollector.com/barbiebasics/ Just like a Barbie, no girl should be without one.

And I'm sorry Barbie, but these days, I spend my hard earned allowance adding to my closet!

~Sam