Vote for your favorite

My long-time "friend" sent the following composite of my school pictures from 4th grade - 9th grade. Although I ponder why someone would keep these school photos for some 25 odd years, I am glad she did. We had some great laughs commenting about them. I thought I would share the hilarity and subsequent observations.



4th grade: Epitome of preppy period with Izod sweater and loafers. I was obsessed about having my hair pulled back very, very tight. Thus, I had these enormous white plastic clips on each side to hold it all back. In fact, everything had to be tight at that stage - tight belt, tight shoelaces, etc. Must have been a control issue. Not surprising.


5th grade: I look like Lily, I think. Wearing outfit and hair chosen by my mother - I was not thrilled. Did anyone ever think that it was really taken outdoors? What gives with bad photography back drops?


6th grade: What the...? is the only way I describe my choice here. Besides my head looking like it is sitting on a platter with no neck there is a very interesting jewelry choice. I am wearing a gold (use that term loosely) necklace that has a charm on it. The charm is an outline of a cowboy hat. Like I was into western stuff –and I don’t know if I wore it another time. Although maybe I spawned the beginning of that type of charm as being hip and it carried its way into Sex and the City…the "Carrie" necklace? For some reason, I just felt compelled to wear a fake gold cowboy necklace with a turtleneck (now that’s true western wear – in the hot-as hades western prairie sun, herding cattle). And, upon careful inspection, I remembered I am wearing a plaid, grossgrain ribbon tied into bow. Another non-western addition to the freaky adornment choice. Another friend thought it looked artsy - I think it is just bad.


7th grade: This is when I remember trying very hard to be hip and cool. I am wearing a brand-name shirt with Jordache jeans. I accessorized it with red hair bows, my newly pierced ears and a red belt - remember the ones with the changeable gold belt loops in different shapes. Mine were starfish - another out of nowhere choice. I had red espadrilles. This was also my first foray into bangs and experimenting with new hair styles. I was smokin'. Or, at least I really thought I was.


8th grade: Not sure what the deal was with the little white step stool (another gaffe by photographers) but I was beginning to grow out of the preppy era into the Esprit fetish. This photo was a mixture of these two styles and I am pretty sure I am wearing plastic shoes. Bangs are a little longer and I have an official Dutch boy haircut, which spawned one junior high nickname (Dutchy). The other was Spike (I kid you not). Long story. I had discovered a store at Westchester Mall called D. A. Kelly's which carried my beloved Esprit. My relationship with Esprit de Corp pinnacled with an assault to their only outlet (at the time) in San Francisco while on a family vacation. I completely over-dosed and like most over-dosed items in our lives wasn't able to wear much of it after 10th grade.


9th grade: Oh my! This is when Ansley convinced me to lighten my hair at the beach the summer prior to school starting. Does anyone remember Sun-In? Well, my hair actually turned more orange. Writer John Hughes' movies were all the rage (Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles) and I felt the call to combine Molly Ringwald's hair with Anthony Michael Halls'. Throw in a dash of large hoop earrings and matching heather gray skirt and it was close, but not quite. photo of example here

Actually, now that I look at it - that is my 10th grade picture. I had braces on in 9th grade and that pictures is worth saving for the archives. Thanks, friend, for keeping that in the vault. And, hmmm, that photo I have labeled as 5th...maybe 3rd? Hey friend...can you double check the dates and let me know?