Barbie mania comes to Joliet area

Those seeing more pink in Will and Grundy counties than usual will soon know why.

Jennifer Joho, owner of J.Joho Boutique in Plainfield, said her store has “all our pinks pulled up front for Barbie-inspired looks” in advance of the new “Barbie” movie that premieres in theaters today.

“Barbie is the newest, exciting thing out,” Joho said.

Any clothing and accessories with a Barbie feel are now near the front of the store so shoppers can assemble that perfect Barbie look, she said, including some fuchsia-colored dresses and pink tops with “cute little white shorts, big hoop earrings and cute accessories.”

“We’ve had a lot of people calling us because they’re taking their daughter to the Barbie Café in Chicago and they want that perfect Barbie look for themselves,” too,” she said. “We like people to feel good about the events they go to.”

Barbie hair

Makiah Wilson, a hairstylist at Champagne Joy Blow Dry Bar & Salon in Morris, said the salon is receiving a lot of calls for “Barbie hair.” The calls are mainly coming from teens and women asking for their daughters.

What is “Barbie hair?”

“It’s a very creamy, buttery blonde with usually no dimension in the hair,” Wilson said.

This means just one solid color is applied to the hair, without shades or highlights. It’s for anyone who wants a what Wilson calls a higher-maintenance blonde, and is for those who don’t mind coming into the salon often.

Everything is customizable depending on a client’s shade, style and budget, Wilson said.

“We do have ‘tinsels,’ too, a few different shades of pink we can add to really give it that Barbie feel,” she said.

Some adults call the tinsels “fairy hair” when they request it for their daughters. So clients can “put their own twist on it,” Wilson said.

“Barbie is so much fun – just her personality – and everyone loves pink,” Wilson said. “It’s just something super fun for summer.”

Think Barbie pink

So why is pink associated with Barbie? Holly Hogg of Wilmington said because pink is such a “girlie” color.

“It’s such a bright, happy color,” Hogg said.

Hogg is thrilled Barbie is making a comeback. She thinks the ease of technology for entertainment has dampened Barbie’s popularity with kids, which Hogg can’t understand.

“I love anything Barbie,” she said.

Hogg said she is a member of the rock cover band called Warning Shot. She has posed for professional pinup photos in the past to help her “step out of her comfort zone” as a performer and create a character that doesn’t exist in real life, she said.

She recently had a Barbie photo shoot at Cici Bean Photography in Morris, an exciting event for someone who said she played with Barbies through junior high school.

“I’ve always loved Barbie,” Hogg said. “I loved the ability to change her clothes, dress her up and go to different places in my imagination.”

You can be any Barbie

Lori Cora, who founded Cards by Lori in 1995, is currently offering Barbie shoots in her Braceville home studio. People can dress up in whatever Barbie they like – doctor Barbie, stewardess Barbie, workout Barbie – and then be photographed inside a “Barbie box.”

One client is planning to dress up as Barbie and then pose with her daughter who will dress as Skipper, Barbie’s little sister, Cora said. Others can’t wait to wear pink high heels or experience the childlike thrill of dressing up, she added.

“It’s going to be fun,” Cora said.

Book a photo shoot by visiting Cards by Lori on Facebook.

To find movie showings of “Barbie” near you, visit fandango.com.

How to dress up as Barbie:

Here are 12 suggestions from boohoo clothing website for assembling your Barbie fashion look:

1. Pink cowboy hat

2. A handbag in every color to pair with every outfit

3. A statement bag in bright colors or sparkles

4. One or two pairs of heels

5. “Cute, comfy” trainers to add height without wearing heels

6. Sandals for summer dresses

7. Western-style boots in solid colors or metallics for festivals or parties

8. A feathery top for jeans or trousers or feathery top with a mini skirt

9. Play with styles and fabrics to move out of your comfort zone

10. Ruffled skirts with denim jackets and Western boots

11. Denim in contrasting shades

12. Anything pink that complements your skin tone and other outfits.