Barbie may be fifty but she doesn’t look her age. (Being plastic, she hasn’t had to resort to plastic surgery to look young). She has had many transformations during her half-century and Bloomingdale’s has pulled together a collection of dolls to document her journey.

Venture up to the store’s third floor and take a walk down memory lane with America’s number one doll. There are celebrity Barbies, including Priscilla Presley and Elvis. Dolls dressed in designer clothing, everything from Burberry to Versace. Barbies from the movies, including two Eliza Doolittles from My Fair Lady. And many Barbies dressed in ethnic costumes from many lands.

Barbie seemed an unlikely candidate to illustrate women’s advancement on the career front, but that’s just what she did. There are Barbies dressed as doctors, lawyers, veterinarians, even a Presidential candidate. Of course, Mattel, the manufacturer, hoped to sell lots of dolls. But along the way the company may have inspired little girls to dream big. And that’s something to celebrate.