In the harsh fluorescent toy store lights, Barbie glowed — her luscious blonde hair, thin cinched waist, and perfectly tanned skin created one of the first beauty standards I was ever aware of seeing.

My parents never let me have Bratz when the pop culture-inspired dolls were all anyone under the age of 13 wanted in the early '00s. (The name, a reference to “bratty teens,” didn’t sit well with them ...