Ribbon Barrettes
By Julie Anderson If you were a crafty girl of the early 80s, you might have produced some ribbon barrettes. Or perhaps you were the lucky recipient of a set, fashioned for you with love by someone with nimble fingers and a little free time. Maybe they were in your school colors. Maybe they were embellished with beads at the bottom. If you had them, I’m betting you wore them with pride. Like me, you probably loved the way the ribbons...
Oscar Time!
By Julie Anderson Yeah, baby! I love the Oscars. Love the winners’ speeches, both the emotional, bumbling, awkward ones and the knew-it-was-coming smooth and vain ones. Love to see all the Hollywood glitterati all seated together like they’re visiting royalty from the Land of Sequins and Cosmetic Surgery. And LOVE to see those gorgeous, artsy dresses float by on the red carpet. The 83rd annual Academy Awards will take place on Sunday,...
Feeling the Burn
By Julie Anderson Aerobics were a big part of my 1980s experience. My parents, like so many others in the 80’s, caught fitness fever. They were enthusiastic charter members of The Prime Health and Racquet Club near our home. In 1986, I got my first job there at the tender age of thirteen. Mom and Dad were friends with the owners, so I had an in. I worked in the juice bar. The Prime is now closed, but back in its day, it was all the...
Popped Collars: Poppin’ Out All Over
By Julie Anderson It’s 1983. You want to look preppy or rebellious or young. You want to look modern. You want to show the world that you’re trendy. What’s the easiest way to do this? Pop your collar, baby! Though I was wildly unaware of it at the time (although I certainly knew the word “preppy” in the eighties) there was a book that got the whole upturned-collar-on-the-polo-shirt ball rolling. It was Lisa Birnbach’s satirical The...
Fierce Fashion and Mad Max
By Julie Anderson In Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek TV shows and movies and George Lucas’s Star Wars films, we saw one version of futuristic style. They offered us future fashions that were sleek, clean, bold, and colorful. Picture Captain Kirk’s gold and black V-neck and Princess Leia’s pristine white gown. Even Han Solo, that scoundrel, had shiny black boots and fresh-looking attire. No holes, patches, or frays on that dashing young...
