Caboodles then and now: How this beauty kit started with Vanna White
Caboodles were popular beauty organization cases from the '80s and '90s. As soon as Caboodles hit the scene, women and girls became obsessed.
For a generation of women, the Caboodle was the must-have organizer to tote and store makeup. However, some may not know the unique backstory of how the product came to be -- a story that involves "Wheel of Fortune" co-host Vanna White.
When a photo of White using a Plano fishing tackle box to stow and organize her makeup surfaced in 1987, it sparked an innovative idea at Plano.
"The folks at Plano saw this and thought, 'Wow we can pivot from a very masculine, outdoorsy company into the beauty space'," director of marketing and brand management at Caboodles, Khadeja Salley, told "Good Morning America."
From there, the first On-The-Go Girl Caboodle kit was born. The irony is that White said she had no idea that she, in fact, was the muse behind it all.
"I did not know I was the one who started the Caboodle," White told "Good Morning America." "I didn't know how, but I'm glad."
"I feel very good about being the inspiration behind the Caboodle because many years before that I went fishing with my dad every weekend, and of course he had a tackle box," says White.
While White had seen tackle boxes since she was an 8-year-old girl out fishing with her father, she said she first saw it being used by her makeup artist and was inspired to get her own.
"I am such an organized person and it was the perfect box to organize all of my makeup," she said.
"I did not turn [my father’s] tackle box into it because it kind of smelled like fish -- no -- I got a new one."
Caboodles now
Caboodles offers a wide variety of everything from classic cases to bags and totes. There are also five different categories of products from which to choose: travel, cosmetics, nails, jewelry and hair tools.
In 2018, Caboodles approached communications and events teams DKC as well as HangarFour, to help with a brand refresh. The company was looking to create an updated logo and brand aesthetic while staying true to its retro roots.
That same year, Caboodles also tapped Olympic gymnast Simone Biles to be the face of their active line, which includes items such as a sports cosmetics bag.
In September, the brand collaborated with another iconic brand, Mattel's Barbie.
Tapping into the nostalgia trend, Barbie-inspired Caboodles are an ode to an earlier version from the early '90s.
"Through our partnership with Caboodles, we are thrilled to bring back a fan favorite item reminiscent of those early days of a girl trying on new roles and imagining the possibilities of what she can become, yet still practical and appealing for women of today," Mattel's vice president of global strategy and consumer products, Diane Reichenberger, said in a statement.
Caboodles hopes the brand will still resonate with a new generation of women. They remain great options for anyone looking to organize their favorite beauty products or for those looking for retro collectibles.
"[Caboodles] take you back to a time that is colorful and carefree, and that's exactly what we're all about," Salley said.
For White, all these years later, the Caboodle will always remind her of her dad’s fishing box.
"I always called it a tackle box," she said.
