Although you’d never know it by looking at her, Barbie turns 50 this year.

To mark the anniversary more than 500 of the dolls went on show yesterday at the Salone dei Cinquecento, in Florence, Italy. According to the Daily Mail, makers Mattel are backing the exhibition, which is the work of Italian designer Eliana Lorena.

Company director of Laird Assessors from The Wirral, Cheshire, thinks the burkha barbie is a good idea.

‘I think this is really important for girls, wherever they are from they should have the opportunity to play with a Barbie that they feel represents them.

Really?

According to Forever Barbie: The Unauthorized Biography of a Real Doll (as reprinted on the Barbie entry in Wikipedia), “Barbie’s vital statistics have been estimated at 36 inches (chest), 18 inches (waist) and 33 inches (hips).” And, according to research by the University Central Hospital in Helsinki, Finland, in real life Barbie would lack the 17-to-22 percent body fat required for a woman to menstruate.

The article doesn’t mention how Europe’s Muslim community is reacting to their newest convert.

[Via: Daily Mail]