My First Style Icons

When I was growing up in the Seventies; my big sister and I used to play with my Mum's two wigs. She wasn't bald. Apparently it was fashionable once to have totally different hair from day to day. (!?!?)

One of the wigs looked a bit like Krystal Carrington hair, from Dynasty, or, if you wore it round the wrong way, which we did; like Farrah Fawcett in Charlies Angels.


The other was a short brunette Pob, like this one ------------------>


You see, this is supposed to be my 99th Post, but fool that I am I didn't realise that the 15 or so drafts that I never finished counted towards the total and I'm still a good few posts from my century.
Never mind. I got to thinking about "99" anyway and was reminded of the gorgeous Barbara Feldon who I now realise, was one of my first style icons.

She always looked so immaculate beside the goofy Max in Get Smart (for those of you who didn't grow up on a diet of American sitcoms) And her outfits probably represented the best designers of the day.
I don't know for sure. I am afraid I lack the skill and finesse of Bronwyn of Fashionability to adequately research and collate a retrospective of Agent 99 and her couture.

My Very first big style influence if I am to be quite honest, was this girl:




Cindy Brady from The Brady Bunch

I clearly remember getting my mum to get up early and do my hair in hot rollers, the kind you plugged in which always had a smell of slightly burned hair. And then try and sculpt these two pigtails, for an excursion to the zoo when I was at kindergarten. So I was 4.

Next up, and I loved this goddess so much that I was allowed to stay up until 7.30 pm (imagine!) to watch the latest episode (latest as in "new" to Australian television)

It was of course: the beautiful Elizabeth Montgomery, and Bewitched.




Curiously, I didn't identify with Tabitha. I really really wanted to be Samantha. And while I loved her outfits, she wasn't quite as "out there" as her bold "cousin" Esmeralda.

Who I am guessing was a lot more fun to play.
To this day when someone refers to "The Good ABA" or "The Good Scissors" even;
I always imagine that "The good" anything is wearing a blonde wig, and the bad is the one in the kooky brunette shag.

A ploy that also worked for this sitcom, which came along slightly later: 



I Dream of Jeannie

I think when Barbara Eden played Jeannie the women's movement had come on some from where Bewitched had started. And Jeannie's costumes when she was out and about pretending to be a normal gal, were a lot more "way out" than Samantha's.

And Larry Hagman didn't seem as bothered by Jeannie's powers as Darren was about Samantha being a witch.

I once took part in a call in radio show (on Triple J) discussing feminism and I argued that Samantha's powers as a witch were an analogy for the emerging power of women in society.
Darren (repressed queen that he turned out to be) went out to work and she stayed home, supposedly repressing her natural abilities and being a house wife.

Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Jeannie, seemed to be a lot less uptight. At least when it came to blinking through her housework. (bliss)
I do seem to recall that she had to keep hiding in a giant pencil tin whenever anyone came over.
But perhaps that was more about the fact that they were living together, without being married.
(at least in the first series).

Enough of the feminist subtext. Jeannie's outfits were a lot more revealing and as I found when I did a little bit of trawling through photobucket, Barbara Eden was no stranger to cheesecake modelling.









However, the only outfit that I really wanted to own and wear was of course this one:




These days I would gladly settle for the bottle!

Anything to get a bit of space on my own. As long as it had WiFi of course.


During the 80's I think I went for which ever female pop icon was in at the time. 
Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Chrissie Hynde and Chrissie Amphlett of The Divinyls were on the charts but I never consciously copied them and I was too old for 80's Kylie.

I think if you asked my GBF from High School Micheal, you would find that my premiere interest music wise was a bald guy by the name of Peter Garrett from Midnight Oil.


We did go through a little stage of trying to be mods:

Circa 1985, Trying to be a mod.
Photo: ImeldaMike 


I even had a fringed leather jacket from "Harley Heaven" in Elizabeth Street Melbourne, until it gave me whiplash. (And it suited Micheal much better than me, annoyingly)
I might see if I can track down those photographs and put them up on another post.

My other real style icon from that time was my cousin from Sydney. And Sydney Style.
I think that's why I like Skylark and Son so much.

The last really significant Icon I had was the delicious Audrey Tatou and of course Amelie!


The inspiration for yet another one of my hair disasters. I went in with a request to look like Audrey Tatou, and came out looking like Phil Oakley of the Human League.



Which brings us to today. I have left out Rachel from Friends (My fashion rep days) and of course Carrie from Sex and the City as it is hard to define which period I really identified with and I think Patricia Field got it a bit wrong sometimes.

My current style icons are the ladies of the blogs I read every day. And I like to think I have finally developed a bit of my own style. Which is nice, at 39.

Have a lovely week.

xx

All photographs are used without the intention of making a profit. If I have used a photo that you wish to be credited for, please let me know.

Comments

Nick McGivney said…
Now WHY would a woman ADD five to seven to her age and then PRINT it as if that gave it some kinda RING of TRUTH?

Down with this sort of thing.

And as for style icons, what list could be complete without featuring Edna Mode from The Incredibles? Major oversight there, Hammima. 'No capes!' Classic advice for all but the Scottish Widows er, widow.
those are ALL wonderful icons!

I would totally get wig versions of all those hair styles and wear them on a rotating basis.

definitely approved!
bronwyn said…
This post brought back so many memories...my mom had a couple of wigs too that I used to play with and the Brady Bunch is one the first TV series I think I ever watched...and loved. Growing up in South Africa on a diet of American TV and culture....to us anything American was cool and fabulous, we wanted to be American. One of the first items of clothing I can remember being attached to was a pair of denim bellbottoms and a pair of red, white and blue bobby socks:)
The Spicers said…
Great style icons! I don't think many women can pull off the Audrey Tatou short bangs.
Cal said…
When I was growing up I tended toward wanting to emulate Disney princesses...ha! Jasmine from Aladin was right there at the top so I can identify with your love of Jeannie's pink gauzy get-up :)
Lisamaree said…
Nick: you are so full of shite! You should work in advertising or somtin? (he he) And I will save capes for when I get a mu-mu.

Marmalade:Thanks but I should add that I had auburn-carrotty hair and freckles when I went through the Cindy phase; rather homely little kid.

Bronwyn: to that I will sigh and add white patent calf boots. And a crocheted dress. My Grandma made it for me and when I outgrew it I remember asking her to crochet on a few more inches!

I heart: I know I know! but it was nice dream. You need that cute as a button face. Chrissie Hynde's fringe is a better bet for my lived in forehead.

Cal: it absolutely breaks my heart when I see little girls wearing Disney costumes as daywear as I would have loved to see my Bratty doing the same. (and I would have lived in them myself given the chance) I got to lavish a little bit of princess love on my aussie neice two years ago. I am hoping she is still into it when I see her again in January. xx
K.Line said…
Fantastic fashion / style post, H. You really have a knack! I loved Samantha tremendously. Jeannie wasn't so much my thing. I never realized the cultural and feminist implications of those shows (that's what happens when you're raised watching reruns, I guess) but you've opened my eyes. I also loved Mary Tyler Moore and That Girl. Hmmm, "good girls" who got to wear the cute clothes and go to work. Not that they rocked any boats. So, it seems you could be a subversive homemaker or a naif on the job. Maybe the only real feminist was Rhoda?? :-)
You know I was sooo all over Jeanie. I'd sit in my make shift bottle for hours blinking myself into harem pants and a blonde switch. I know you've got a few sneaky pic's of Imelda Mike floating around and I say POST 'EM.
Anonymous said…
Ha ha, love the hat, you haven't changed a bit. I double dare ya to dut it off and wear it out again!
OK,I'm ashamed to admit, in the early 70's I thought I was Olga Korbutt. Late 70's I was Joanna Lumley as Purdey in The New Avengers. In the 80's I was Carol Decker (jaysus) or anyone with a beautiful bum length perm. I laugh in the face of Trinny & Suzannah.
Dougal
x
Seeker said…
Oh I remember how I used to like Bewitched. That time I was living at mainland...
So many memories this post brought me...
LOL my sister had a blonde wig and we used to play with it... it was sooooo funny, us being brunettes turning blondes...

As for the 80's I think everybody was impressed by those style icons.

But what I love best in this post is your picture. You look great my dear.

Really a major fashion/style post darling, you have a great talent to write.

xoxo
Elizabeth said…
You and I had all the same icons! Until you got to Chrissie Hynde, then you and I diverged: I thought she was great.

You have great taste, Hammie, and are a beautiful girl.

xx
Anonymous said…
god, you were a beauty early on.

All I ever wanted from my hair was to be blond.
Lisamaree said…
K-line: Definitely a subversive homemaker! Can I start wearing my beret again while I hoover?
Matt: You are much better as a brunette, and remember they were the "bad girls"!
Seeker: Thankyou. I had no idea at the time of course!
enc: I LOVED Chrissie Hynde. I just never tried to pull of her look, untill now. These days I am right into the botox fringe and heavy eyeliner thang.
Sis: Thankyou too. And again I say I had No Idea. I had even forgotten about these photos until ImeldaMike sent them to me after we got back in touch. Youth is truly wasted on the young.
I just wanted to be a blonde booby beach bunny surf goddess. And as for trying to be blonde, hair disaster number 2-7taught me it isn't possible.
Maybe that's a whole other post?
xx
jazzygal said…
Ah now....this brings me back. We are sooo the same era.

Oh yes, "Get Smart", "Brady Bunch" and "Bewitched" were some of my favourites. Never really took to "Jeannie" but I did get to wear that (or similiar) costume....on stage!! I've even worn worse, (or should I say better??) over the years!! xxJ
jazzygal said…
PS..... I also had a crocheted blue dress that my Aunt made for me! And I also loved it sooo.!!
Anonymous said…
How fun to get a lesson in Hammie History! I have SUCH fond memories of watching both Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie, though I never felt influenced by either leading lady. In fact, I wonder if I didn't live in a bit of a fashion vacuum until recently, just emulating girls my age who I admired. What a navel gazer!

Every one of these fine ladies, save Ms. Montgomery, is sporting blunt-cut bangs. Did you see that trend, lady?
Anonymous said…
YES, the Tragedy of Tying to Go Blond is a blog in the making! It is a universal tragedy, and must be addressed.
Skye said…
How did I miss this post until now? Fantasticalness all around!

Although I always liked Endora most (that's because I'm an evil wee beastie).
I used to like Samantha... ohhh, brought so much memories....good ones too!!

Just to let you know that my blog is up & running...Finally.
Feel free to drop by & say hi ok...

Charmed* as always by your insights! hope u like my blog name heee! symbolism hint-hint.
Miss Cavendish said…
Love Midnight Oil! What a ferocious lead singer . . .

Dropped in b/c of your Wagamama comment chez K.Line. I've been to the one in Bloomsbury--are there many in Ireland?
Lisamaree said…
Jazzy, I recently bought a new crocheted dress; will show it when I get my nerve up!

Sal, American sitcoms were my reality in the 70's and early 80's and no, I hadnt picked up on the short bangs. Actually, I have a good photo of moi with perfect Samantha hair, in the 90s! I will dig it out.

Skye: I loved Endora too, and I wanted Samantha to leave Darren and go and live on the clouds in her groovy black gown. Did you know the actress who played Endora was black-listed after appearing in Citizen Kane?

leonore: Thanks for visiting. I never got into charmed believe it or not. But I do still love Sabrina.

And Ms Cavendish: Wow! I'm thrilled that you have dropped in. I was into "early" oils, before they got popular. And I still love them. Peter Garrett is a Member of Parliament in Australia now.

As for Wagamama; we have 2. One in Dublin and one in Cork. We have been going to the Dublin one for 7 years now. Still love it.
xx
Jean said…
my style icon is my mum, who in the early 70's dressed like vivienne westwood threw a tantrum in her wardrobe.
my favourite outfit was the giant jigsaw patterned flares complete with skinny paisley LOUD shirt, with collars you could land a plane on...
ah, the 70's were fab.... XXX