“Barbie always represented the fact that a woman has choices.” ~Ruth Handler, creator of the Barbie doll Like many girls in the 1960s, I owned Mattel’s Barbie and Ken dolls and their vast miniature empire of accessories. The dolls inspired countless hours of creative play — and I’d even go so far as to say that Barbie influenced my writing career as well as my lifelong passion for shoes and clothing. Unlike other dolls of my era, Barbie had options beyond housekeeping and motherhood. The sky was the limit for Barbie. Don’t forget that Mattel launched Astronaut Barbie in 1965 — years before there was a real female in NASA’s…