In one of the final scenes of Barbie, Margot Robbie’s Stereotypical Barbie is grappling with a choice: to stay in Barbieland or become a real human.
She decides to leave—while wearing a custom pale yellow dress that has a deeper meaning. The dress Barbie wears is meant to represent change, Barbie’s costume designer Jacqueline Durran explains. “The Barbies have gone through all of that stuff and they’re now the most fulfilled versions of themselves,” Durran tells Variety. “And that sets the scene for what’s happening to Margot’s Barbie as she’s becoming human.”
She adds, “I was keen to track the history of Mattel in the costumes. I asked them what was the most popular costume in the last 5 to 10 years. It turns out it’s a yellow dress. I was going to copy that dress, but it wouldn’t really be recognizable enough.”
