Remember When Looney Tunes Were Cool!

Do you all remember when looney tunes t-shirts were cool. I went to a Catholic elementary school so we couldn't wear the shirts to school. But on the last day of school we had a field day and were allowed to wear our "street clothes" to school. I am pretty sure that on field day everyone was wearing a looney tunes shirt. Now remember this was over a decade ago. Well my husband's Aunt apparently still thinks that its cool to wear Looney Tunes. Last Christmas she bought my husband a Tazmanian devil t-shirt. The t-shirt was brown and TAZ was three dimensional and furry. Yah I know sounds like a joke gift but she was serious. I don't know where she found it but I have a couple of good guesses (eh ehm..can you say flea market).

by Sara

I'm a Barbie Girl......

How I love her. Despite arguments of anatomical enhancement, Barbie is a role model for all girls. She has been an astronaut, lifeguard, veterinarian, business woman, ball room dancer, and rock star (with way more talent than Jem!). Not to mention the Dreamhouse and the hot boyfriend! She does it all while wearing stilettos with ease and maintaining a perfect blonde coiffe.

Designers have lined up to dress her. She has been spotted wearing Vera Wang, Kate Spade, Christian Dior, and of course her favorite, Bob Mackie. She’s even being honored this week at Fashion Week in NYC with her very own runway show! http://barbiemedia.com/?vid=94

My loyalty to her outlasted any other childhood memento. At high school parties I was the picture of cool, posing in my brightly colored denim and trying not to choke on my cigarette. “Let’s hang out tomorrow,” I would say to my friend, then whisper, “bring your Barbies!” She would reply, “I will,” and then hiss, “DON’T TELL ANYONE!” We would die if anyone knew we still played with dolls. But my devotion to Barbie outweighed the fear of being discovered by my peers.

Years later I got engaged on Christmas Eve. The next morning, my mother handed me a wrapped box in a familiar shape: Wedding Day Barbie. She sits on a shelf in my closet where I can see her…a daily reminder to be a good wife, a loving mother, a strong woman. I know I would have turned out okay without her, but I wonder what would be different had I never been given that first doll.

Although she never seems to age, this year Barbie turns 50. Happy birthday to a woman who does it all…always in perfect fashion.

by Sarah

Toys of Yesterday...Fashion Plates!

Since I have been on a kick of reminiscing about the 80's lately... I have to mention Fashion Plates. They had to be one of my favorite toys in the 1980's. I played with them all through elementary school. My older sister had the original set and then later my grandmother bought me the Barbie set since we were always arguing over who would get to play with them first.

I think fashion plates were a great toy. They inspired creativity and made us feel like great designers and artists. Each set (as there were a variety) could be used interchangeably since the necks and waists from each tile lined up. Then there were textures you could apply to the clothing designs as well.

Both my sister and I loved playing with them and hanging our designs up in our room.  I remember I always used one particular head the most often because I thought she looked like me... or at least we had the same hairstyle!  For awhile I thought I would become a great fashion designer!  

Here at metrostyle, the art directors use what we call "renderings" on the catalog layouts. These sketches are placed on the catalog layouts before a book is photographed so the creative team can refer to them  during a photo shoot to recall how to shoot a product and position the models.   When I first began working here-- I immediately thought these renderings looked like my childhood Fashion Plates drawings.

I would love to get my hands on another set of  Fashion Plates...just for nostalgia--really!  But until then,  I am fortunate to have a job where while doing my everyday work I am reminded of being a kid again!

by Gabby