Units & Multiples 80s Fashions

Multiples or Units by Sandra Garratt were cool
mix and match fashions from the '80s.

The other day, my coworkers and I were at lunch. I told them about my blog and they insisted that I write something about Multiples or Units, the 1980s clothing line founded by Texas fashion designer Sandra Garratt.

I'll be honest, I vaguely really remember this cool mix and match concept of dressing. The photos of the comfy-looking fashions do look familiar, but for some reason, I missed the boat. Sandra's Units came out in 1979 and her Multiples line was launched in 1989.

Multiples for men and women.

Sandra Garratt's story behind Units and Multiples is an awesome rags-to-riches tale. A broke, single mom trying to make a living as a designer, Sandra used her last $38 (from an unemployment check!) to purchase some fabric. She fashioned a few simple cotton skirts, tops and pants, which were to be worn tied and layered. She called them modulars and sold them in a small local boutique. 

Sandra's modulars took off like wildfire and soon 600 shops opened in malls across the U.S. and women of all ages were smitten by the easy-to-wear Units and Multiples styles. Ladies loved Units for their comfort -- some say they loved how five pieces could be mixed, matched and layered to create a week's worth of styles. 

Today, Sandra Garratt is living in LA and still busy creating different looks for women, men and children with MODBOX, SilvrLining and more. 

Did you own Multiples or Units? My coworkers admitted they still have one or two of Sandra's simplistic, timeless pieces. 

Adidas Stan Smiths Sneakers

Stan Smiths sneakers by Adidas were
 the coolest in the 1980s

In the mid 1980s, my crush and best friend, Danny always wore white Adidas Stan Smiths sneakers. These tennis shoes were called Stan Smiths after the famous 1960s / 1970s American tennis star. They were simple white leather Adidas sneakers, only they were designed without the telltale Adidas stripes. Instead, there were three row rows of small air vent type holes where the brand's lines usually appear. 

An image or sketch of the famous Stan Smith tennis player appeared on the tongue in green. The detailing colors on the pair Danny owned, was a Kelly green. Though the sneakers also came in white with navy blue (maybe this was later on), the green and white were the most popular Stan Smiths Adidas sneakers. I myself had a pair and thought I was the coolest, hippest kid on my Long Island block. 

Did you once sport a pair of sneakers that made you feel especially fashionable, hip or cool?

Camp Beverly Hills Clothing

What girl didn't own a Camp Beverly Hills
shirt back in the 1980s? Me :(

As a young girl growing up in the 1980s, you had to own something from Camp Beverly Hills. Unfortunately, as you know, I was a bit of a chubster and their shirts were too small for me. However, I did own Camp Beverly Hills slouchy socks. 

Back in the 80s, Camp Beverly Hills was everywhere. Even teen stars like Drew Barrymore wore the brand! The cool California brand had been around since 1977, but became all the rage in the mid 1980s. Right now, there's an original Camp Beverly Hills t-shirt on eBay going for $107. Wow!

Camp Beverly Hills recently relaunched and came back from retirement. The stylish, fresh, young brand is satisfying the nostalgia crazed kids of today, for sure. Shirts, hoodies and more can be purchased from campbeverlyhills.com or in upscale department stores. 

Honestly, if I was a skinny girl, I just might order one of those cute t-shirts. Camp Beverly Hills designers, if you happen to stumble upon this blog post, perhaps you could hook us plus sized gals up one day, ya know? :-)

Remember?

VUARNET FRANCE 80s Style

Yesterday I went for a swim in our condo pool and noticed an older gentleman wearing a Vuarnet France hat. I haven't seen that logo or brand since high school. I'm quite sure I have never owned anything Vuarnet, the boys in school wore Vuarnet hats, sunglasses and Vuarnet shirts. I didn't ski and I wasn't into French shiz, so the allure was never there for me.

Vuarnet France shirt found at: http://lolslater.tumblr.com/

Anyone remember this brand?

'80s Vintage Benetton Green & White Shirt

Benetton 1980s green and white rugby.

If you were a teen in the late 1980s, you most likely owned this shirt. This vintage Benetton rugby came in green and white or blue and white and I believe sold for like $40.

I loved Benetton Colors perfume and socks because at a size 14, Benetton clothing didn't really fit the "bigger" girl. However, this one particular green and white three-button rugby style shirt fit! I have no idea how or why, but it fit. 

Wearing this Benetton shirt made me feel special. I can't explain it. I felt so "cool" wearing this stupid shirt. Looking back now, I am ashamed that I needed to resort to an overpriced shirt to feel special. 

*Image from http://www.80scasualclassics.co.uk/

1980s Bopper, Deely Bopper & Antenna Headbands

Posing in my '80s headgear with my silly younger
brother at his McDonald's birthday party

I've covered wonderful '80s fashions including plastic charm bracelets, gummy bracelets, parachute pants and more. Now here's one wacky fashion accessory I'm hoping some other 1980s kids remember. Back in like 1981/1982, I loved what I called my "antennas"  -- I wouldn't leave home without them. I was a weird kid, I know. These antennas were basically a plastic headband with springs attached to glittery hearts, stars and other strange objects. 

Newspaper story from  80sactual.com

I loved my 1980's headgear which were professionally referred to as "Deely Boppers" and "Head Boppers."  I wore these wacky antennas to the mall, babysitting, birthday parties, Friendly's and even to Disneyland in California. My folks were so cool, they never questioned my outlandish styles even at the tender age of 10. 

If you were an '80s kid, did you own a pair of these wacky antennas?

1980s Plastic Charms | Necklaces & Bracelets

Image from 80smuseum.com

As a preteen in the mid 1980s I was all about trendy accessories. From Banana Clips, to Mood Rings to Parachute Pants and more, I had to have it. One accessory I couldn't resist, were colorful charms. These cute plastic charms or trinkets included sweet irresistible items such as tennis rackets, hot dogs, cupcakes, rainbows, ice cream cones, lipsticks, toothbrushes, smiley faces and even Care Bears -- you name it!

I collected dozens and dozens of these sweet plastic charms. They were a 1980s fashion must for teen girls! Most charms had small silver bell attached to them so everyone knew you were near by draped in your adorable charms. Typically these charms would dangle from colorful plastic chains which allowed the charms to easily hook on.

We'd get creative and wear the charms on our sneakers, attach them to our spiral notebooks, book bags, bike baskets and more. I still have my charms in a trunk at my mom's. I should really sport those suckers, but I guess as a woman approaching 40, I'd look a bit off, no?

Original, vintage 1980s Charms can be found on eBay and Etsy.

Keith Haring, the King of 1980s Pop Art

Pop art has always been very hip with young people. Kids from the 1960s had Andy Warhol. Children of the 1970s had Peter Max (I had a Peter Max bed sheet set and loved it!) and we 1980s kids had Keith Haring.

Danny, my BFF in 7th grade (1985), first introduced me to cool Keith Haring designs. He had several Keith Haring Swatch watches, which we thought were totally awesome. I remember posters, t-shirts, stickers and other collectibles could be purchased at Pop Shop on NYC's Lafayette Street in SoHo. The stuff wasn't cheap of course, but it was so rad, you had to have something Keith Haring if you were truly hip and new wave.
  
Fast Facts About Keith Haring

• Keith Haring was born in Reading, Pennsylvania and grew up in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.
• He studied graphic design at The Ivy School of Professional Art in Pittsburgh between 1976-78.
• Keith Haring moved to NYC at age 19 and studied at SVA, School of Visual Arts.
• Keith Haring died on February 16, 1990 of AIDS-related complications.  
• All ticket proceeds of Madonna's first New York date of her Blond Ambition World Tour went towards AIDS charities including AIDS Project Los Angeles and amfAR.  
• Keith Haring's work was included in the song "Into the Groove" during Madonna's live performances on her 2008 tour and during the U2 performance on the 1997/1998 PopMart Tour.

Parachute Pants | 80s Fashions Gone Wrong

It's no big shocker that everything old becomes new again. It's hip to wear old-school gear. I'll admit I still love me some bell bottom jeans from the 1970s. 1980s neon colored fashions, ballet slippers, gummy bracelets and accessories can easily be purchased at any mall in America today. There is, however, one '80s fashion or clothing item I truly never want to wear again. I'd even take leg warmers over these suckers!

Parachute Pants

Yes, I owned several pairs. No, I'd never be caught dead in parachute pants ever again! I don't care if the grand prize at an '80s costume party was a real-live date with Corey Feldman or Jason Bateman. Okay, well maybe in that case, I'd squeeze into a pair for those two, but seriously...

Okay, for the younger readers who have no idea what I'm talking about... Parachute pants were made of nylon material and featured crap-loads of zippers perfectly positioned along the leg and backside. Parachute pants became really popular with break dancers because the nylon material made spinning on cardboard much easier than denim.

Gummy Bracelets vs Silly Bandz

Gummy bracelets rocked in the '80s and are cool even today!

In my sleep-away summer camp diary posts, I mentioned having a love of gummy bracelets in the 1980s and one of my readers questioned this. I'm sorry to out her, but I just had to. She's a super cool chick from the UK and goes by the name, Girl Interrupted. Maybe you've been to her blog, A World So Small.


Girl Interrupted mentioned having never heard of gummy bracelets. Now, I'm cutting her some slack for two reasons. One she's seven years younger than me. This means, while I was sporting my armload of gummy bracelets in seventh grade, she was just a little five-year-old girl in kindergarten or something. Then there's the UK factor. Maybe gummy bracelets weren't big in the UK, although I'm sure they are -- those Brits are usually way ahead of us!

Gummy bracelets are plastic, stretchy bands which were very popular with girls around 1985/1986. They made a comeback in 2000 and are still cool today. Until recently, I was still wearing a few black gummy bracelets but they broke. I also loved gummy rings. Gummy rings were the same concept, only scaled down to fit your fingers. I would stack them and wear one or two.

These gummy bracelets are barbed wire, I loved 'em!

Please note gummy bracelets are not to be confused with gel bracelets which I'm quite sure are those bands which say LIVESTRONG and are cause-related. They are also not the same as friendship bracelets which were woven bracelets friends made and gave to friends. I'll blog about that another day.

Not a fan of the shapes. Even if I was 11, this wouldn't appeal to me.

Today, rubbery gummy bracelets have been replaced by silicone bands known as Silly Bandz which I'm personally not a fan of. I don't like the thinness of the bands nor do I like that they are grouped together in corny genres. Kids love them, don't get me wrong. I just don't dig the idea of dinosaur, sea creatures or pet shaped bracelets. For example, the only Silly Bandz I like are star-shaped. I would want to own a few of these but only 1 star comes in a 12 pack for $2.99. I would need to stock up on several packages of Silly Bandz just to get a few star bracelets. Not cool.

Today's kid has replaced the gummy bracelet with Silly Bandz.

Months ago, my bloggie Facebook buddy Rainy Day Saver tweeted me asking when I would blog about the Silly Bandz craze compared to gummy bracelets, so there you go. My opinionated 2 cents.