Barbie on a diet?

I had planned to make clothes to fit the Barbies my 2.75 yo inherited from her 5 yo sister. But then I discovered that for just $10, we could get an entire wardrobe with enough outfits plus a spare for all the dolls. I decided my time would be better spent knitting. Like a true girl, the 2 yo could hardly wait to get the new clothes on the dolls. I have been playing with Barbies my whole life, so you can imagine my surprise to find that the outfit doesn't fit! Perhaps something is wrong with the pattern. That couldn't be it - they've been making these clothes for decades, it's not like the dimensions have changed. Or have they? Has Barbie gained weight? A few too many cookies at the tea party? A little too much cake while sitting around the pool? Has it come to this, must even Barbie go on a diet?

Seriously, how hard is it to make clothes that fit the doll? It's not like they haven't had a lot of practice.

Maybe it was intentional. Maybe in this era of rising gas costs and recession Mattel is trying to reduce its use of fabric. "Just trim an eighth of an inch off the tops, the kids will never notice," the factory manager says. I'm sure they've shortened the skirts by at least a quarter of an inch too. "They'll just figure it's the fashion," the bean counters say.

Of course this bothers me more than the 2.75 yo - she's just happy the dolls are dressed so they can ride around in the back of her dump truck.

Me? I guess I better start hunting for teeny tiny patterns...