by Kim on Friday, October 26, 2007

Super Special #5: California Girls!

Bringing out the big guns today - this is one of my all-time favorites. I was ready to claim it was my number one, but then realized that I should NOT be rash about this. However, this outfit makes a strong case for itself.

"You never knew what kind of outfit or hairdo you'll see on Claud. For instance, on the day of this meeting, she was wearing a red shirt with Mexican hats and cactus plants printed on it, and blue-and-white-striped pants held up by polka-dotted suspenders. On her head was what looked like an engineer's cap (it matched her pants), and dangling from her ears were miniature cowboy boots, which she'd made herself."

Take that, Cory Kennedy!

At the airport in LA, Jessi notes that Mr. Schafer is really patient, a trait she is able to observe because they had to wait for "about forty-five minutes" to claim their luggage. " (This is partially because Stacy and Claudia had packed so much.)" That joke's gettin' tired, army of ghostwriters. Just so you know.

And, Claudia's demure date outfit, which sounds too painfully ugly to imagine:

"Ordinarily I would have worn some wild combination of pants and high-topped sneakers and large jewelry. But for this evening I had borrowed a very tame dress from Dawn. I think it might have been a Laura Ashley dress. It was simple - a small-flowered print with half sleeves, a regular old waistline, and a nice lace collar. Then I had borrowed a pair of flat pink shoes from Mary Anne.

I looked like a nine-year-old. Or maybe a grandmother."

Yikes. Yeah ya did.

by Kim on Saturday, October 13, 2007

#44: Dawn and the Big Sleepover

". . . even the way she dresses is artistic. For instance, she walked into school today wearing a bright yellow, oversize man's jacket with rolled-up sleeves; a wide paisley tie right out of the nineteen-sixties; orange stirrup pants; ankle boots; and huge hoop earring - and you know what? [What?!] On her, it looked totally cool."

WHY ISN'T SHE WEARING A SHIRT? I am alarmed.

And now, the outfit you've all been waiting for. Seriously, if I remember my blog comments correctly, multiple folks have reminisced about Claud appropriating some Flintstones-themed style. For those of you that have hazy half-memories of some ludicrous shit, let me bring this gem of an outfit to the forefront of your minds again. You may never be able to forget it. And if you're lacking a Halloween costume, may I suggest going as Claudia's Tribute to a Time When Dinosaurs and Humans Coexisted in Cartoon Harmony?

"Claudia greeted us at the door to her room with her hair in a ponytail on top of her head, held up by a huge barrette in the shape of a bone, like Pebbles in The Flintstones. It made her hair bounce when she moved. She was even wearing a Pebbles-type outfit - a pink, off-the-shoulder blouse with huge polka dots and a ragged bottom over black tights. On anyone else it would have looked dumb or babyish, but on Claudia it looked cool."

Dawn may want to have her eyes checked; I'm not sure even our fictional fashion idol could pull off this one. At least it's not a side ponytail, I guess. The illustrators for this series relied far too much on that particular hairstyle.

by Kim on Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Super Special #4: Baby-sitters Island Adventure

I'm skipping Super Specials #2 and #3 because I don't really remember any outfit stuff going on. In #2 they were at summer camp and wore uniforms (whatever on that one, by the way) and in #3 Claudia was really busy having a crush on that skiing instructor. I'll come back to them at a later date, maybe. I know you're cool with it.

Especially since this is the Super Special in which Claudia loses a race because of fashion.

"The race started off well (for me) since I was ahead. I had dressed properly for sailing - loose, comfortable clothing that I could move around in [California Casual], and that wouldn't get caught in anything. Claudia, on the other hand, couldn't help dressing up just a little. She is a real clotheshorse, and I guess she wanted to look good, since she knew we'd have an audience. So she'd put on a tank top and baggy drawstring pants. Over the top, she was wearing a button-down shirt of her father's. [Mr Kishi: "Dammit Claudia!"] The sleeves were rolled up, but none of the buttons were buttoned. She was also wearing big earrings that she had made herself. Claudia is quite artistic. [News to me!] So the thing is, she looked good but, as it turned out, she was not dressed for sailing.

As soon as we were on the water and had picked up some speed, her shirt started blowing around. She was busier peeling the shirt off her face than she was steering the boat or doing anything else. Then one of her huge earrings got caught on a sail and had to struggle to set it free. With the wind blowing around me, I couldn't hear anything from her boat, but I could see her lips moving and I bet she was saying some things she isn't supposed to say."

Claud is a badass. Also - suck it, Dawn. Kidding! Mostly.

"That morning I dressed sensibly for our rematch. No jewelry at all (I was not about to lose on account of earrings), and a long-sleeved jersey that I could tuck into my jeans. I even pulled my hair back and braided it so it wouldn't blow in my face.

At about ten o'clock my phone rang. I was just finishing putting on my makeup. (I didn't see how I could possibly lose a race on account of makeup.)"


"Luckily, Dawn didn't seem to need a response. She went on talking. "What, um, what are you wearing?" she asked. I could tell she was trying not to laugh.

'Jeans, a polo shirt, sneakers, and a visor. And my hair is braided, and I do not have any jewelry on,' I answered indignantly."

Actually, that part makes me laugh. Dawn, you're off the hook this time.