The Big Red Bag

The Big Red Bag.

Since 1990 the flagship American Girl store has become as iconic for Chicago as the Hancock Building or Lake Michigan.  Red bags in the hands of little girls bounce down city streets declaring, "Welcome to Chicago, folks.  Yep, you're in America now."

I'm not sure how we've lived here a year and a half and not darkened the door of the place. A year and a half ago my girls had little knowledge of these dolls.  When a very generous teenager in our church decided to pass on her dolls to my girls... the love affair began.  They've listened to the entire series (on library listening tapes) of almost every historical doll from Native American Kaya living in the 18th c. American West to Jewish American Samantha living in turn of the century New York.  They are hooked.

We decide to treat our own little American girls to some birthday fun 

this week by visiting the famous store. To quote Rynn,

"Daddy, this is an experience of a lifetime."

Want to go inside the store?  Read on...

The American Doll marketing giant began by a woman who thought it would be interesting to teach girls about history by creating dolls from different American time periods and cultures.  The first dolls appeared in 1986, and I guess you could say they 'went viral.'  With all the books and stories based on various nine year old girls, they are a little girl's dream world.  Unlike Barbi, whose toes never cease to point, these girls run, jump, play sports, read books, and face real problems. 

 The Chicago store, which until 2006 was the only place you could actually visit the dolls, is immense.

There is a museum of every historical doll where you have plenty of opportunities to drop a lot of cash.  You can also learn about the historical periods in which each doll lived.
 (History+Cute Doll Clothes= Me, a Sucker)  

If History ain't your thing, you can make your own story history

 by choosing a doll that looks just like you.

You can ride the escalator to the second floor

and down again

and back up again

and down again

and up again

and down again

and maybe back up again...

...to indulge in all kinds of pink and cuteness.

There is a salon where your doll can get her ears pierced and hair done.

 And a whole village of opportunity to spend money.

Your doll can have her own little spa treatment with a pink bubble bath.

Or, if she's feeling a little self conscious about her head gear,

 she can see other dolls wearing it too. HILARIOUS.

 Yes, you scoff, as did I, but then you look up and see this question in bright letters on the wall.

And you think, "How many companies marketed to girls are asking this question?."

Not many.  

And despite the overwhelming conspicuous consumption that all this represents,

 part of you smiles that these little chubby cheeked, solidly built dolls 

(that actually look like little girls) 

have made it in a market that tells girls they should be anything but that.

 No detail is spared.

Even in the bathroom there are places to leave your doll while you wipe.

 Hungry? Your doll can join you for brunch in her own little pink chair.

 There are plenty of books to read.

And even red bags filled with bourbon for well behaved Daddies.