Earrings of the ’80s: happy and plaid
Okay. Confession time. I still own clothing that I had in high school (although it’s all vintage finds from my teen thrifting days). I also have records and books from before high school. This might qualify me a little crazy. But as kooky as my collecting can be, I would never have held onto a pierced earrings catalog from Fall-Winter 1986.
Why would you keep this around for so long? Well, someone did … until last year, when I found it at a yard sale.
The Crown Collection by ADCO — Created by Rhonda Jennings. (I googled the crap out of that in many, many combinations.) In the opener Rhonda explains that this is the most dazzling collection she’s ever come up with. She also uses not just “P.S.,” but also “P.P.S.” Haven’t seen that one in a while.
The most amazing thing are the names of some of the collections …
For Happy Days. (Um, you mean when you come out to your parents?)
Plaid Pizzazz. (I would have loved these in 1983, but by 1986? No.)
Soap Opera Favorites. (Um. What?)
Your Favorite Symbols. (Class of ’90! WOOT!)
Some others (I shit you not) are Gleaming Glamor, Look of Success, Pastel Power, and my personal favorite: Bits of Whimsy.
The kicker? Rhonda also published two books in response to the many, many requests she received from customers (or so she claims): “Looking Good On The Job” and “What Color Can Do for You.” I wonder how many copies of those are still lurking around? Seems like something that will probably show up on Awful Library Books at some point.
Maria said,
April 27, 2010 @ 1:59 pm
yay! i love it when great crafts get published
and what’s with the little foot in the bottom right?
Jules @ Lovely Las Vegas said,
April 27, 2010 @ 3:44 pm
some crazy styles, but kind of fun to look back at styles from the past…. there are a few that i still see around, whether it be to evoke the 1980s vibe or otherwise.
Grunge-Queen said,
April 27, 2010 @ 5:18 pm
hee hee, I can just see Alexis and Crystal duking it out wearing earrings from the Soap Opera Favourites – actually they’d be wearing huge diamonds wouldn’t they?
eddieboyky said,
April 28, 2010 @ 1:42 am
1986 may have been the last time anyone could wear those rainbow earrings without someone assuming they were coming out.
Bethany said,
April 28, 2010 @ 6:43 am
I’m a bit embarrassed to say I would totally wear most of those earrings…especially the little scissors!
Suzette said,
April 29, 2010 @ 8:14 am
I heart plaid. Those are wicked Awesome.
I owned a pair of the tiny hoops from the “For Happy Days” page – only mine were in Bright Yellow.
I also own a pair of scissors earrings that I got from a vendor at Maker Faire, just last year. (she has an etsy.com web site, too.) But the ones I got are in silver tone, not gold tone.
Thank you for this – it’s so inspiring!
–Suzette
cindy dulong said,
May 4, 2010 @ 12:53 pm
oh god i remember those things.. and WOOT WOOT to the class of ’90 as well. damn i’m getting old.
Susan Powers said,
May 5, 2010 @ 9:08 am
I swear I remember getting that catalog and coveting everything. I loved wild earring like that back in the day.
Ultra Dee said,
May 6, 2010 @ 5:27 pm
I need all of these earrings!!!!!! PLEASE!!!! Soap Opera Favorites? I am dying!!!!
Kristina said,
May 18, 2010 @ 4:55 am
I do not recall anyone’s favorite symbol being a wishbone, but maybe I was too young to remember some really important cultural event centered around turkeys.
Lynn said,
May 18, 2010 @ 5:56 pm
I remember a lot of these earrings. The best part, though, was that so many girls had double and triple pierced ears that they would wear multiple pairs at one time – a dangly one, perhaps a hoop, and a stud. Radical!
Bruce said,
May 19, 2010 @ 5:41 am
I’m a bit embarrassed to say I would totally wear most of those earrings…especially the little scissors!
MontanaMama said,
May 26, 2010 @ 12:50 pm
OMG…I seriously had, like, almost ALL of those earrings when I was a teen in the ’80s! Totally! (I’m chomping my gum and my bangs are sprayed stiff and as tall as my house.)