Welcome back to our exploration of Amanda’s outfits in seasons one and two. In this post, we leave behind our fantasies of accompanying Lee in a tux to an embassy party, looking as good as Amanda in one of her evening gowns, and focus on the less formal wear. Fortunately, even Amanda can
make some bad fashion choices 
. The hair don’t will be touched on (mercifully) briefly as well.
Good
IMO, Amanda spend a lot of time in OK but not great non-formal outfits (unlike Francine and Lee who can look spectacularly bad or amazingly good), so this is a very subjective selection according to Learjet (because I can 
) . Amanda does seem to favour pink so we’ll start there.
Casual:
Let’s face it, Amanda looks fabulous in a pair of jeans. You may not like the high waistline (v. eighties) but, unlike some of the shapeless sacks she wears, they make the most of her slim figure. Some might say that Lee could learn a thing about snug jeans from Amanda. 
Moving on before I descend so far into the gutter that I can’t climb out later, I love this pale pink blouse (not too fussy) with jeans in (The Long Christmas Eve).
And I think it reappears (when the mystery book appears) in Fearless Dotty.
Amanda may look very awkward here (or maybe she’s overwhelmed by the sight of Lee in his black polo neck – The Artful Dodger) 
but Amanda looks sweet (sorry, couldn’t resist it) in this candy striped jumper.
Before Amanda got whisked away to the Cumberland (Weekend), she was looking good in this black and white plaid shirt. The dreaded high-waisted jeans are in evidence, but when you consider what other people were wearing in the 80s….(pauses to gag 
).
Yes, she could have been wearing these….
This is possibly may time favourite Amanda casual look (yes, ladies, Lee wasn’t the only person to look good in Europe – The Times they are a Changin’). The colours are just lovely on her especially that graduated blue scarf. And she hasn’t folded her jacket sleeves higher than her blouse.
A tad shapeless – yes – but gorgeous light aquamarine colour makes up for that (Double Agent)
My favourite fluffy jumper (The Legend of Das Geisterschloss). Soft enough to show some of Amanda’s great figure and not too fluffy. I won’t say I love it though.
Yup, I love red. And I love it when Amanda makes a colour statement instead of sticking with pastels: A Class Act – pity about the rest of the episode.
Professional Amanda
I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking that often Amanda looks better at home than when she changes into her “work” clothes. Especially those granny white heels
. She looks nice (I won’t go further than that) in this creamy suit in the Bullpen (Fearless Dotty).
She kind of looks like Lee’s twin in this outfit while she waits for her Chili Dog (I am Not Now Nor Will I Ever Be a Spy) Like the colours; not so sure about the suit-matching handkerchief (à la Lee in a tux) but I like the red. She does look like she has a party hat on the right side of her head though 
.
And back to Europe (To Catch a Mongoose). She wears this outfit a few times. One of the rare occasions that we see Amanda in navy. I would prefer something a little more tailored but it’s very tasteful for the time…
My favourite “business” outfit of Amanda’s (Spiderweb) – the coral/salmon looks great on Amanda especially with the cream textured scarf. Pity about the visitor’s badge 
This is a great full length coat (A Relative Situation) which Amanda wears to meet “the Colonel” as Lee’s “girlfriend”. Being of a practical turn of mind, I find myself wondering how she kept a creamy, white coat like that clean in a house with two rumbustious young boys (but, when it comes to Amanda’s evening wear, SMK requires suspension of disbelief.)
Finally, a moment to try to find a silver lining about the hair don’t (Vigilante Mothers).
1) Her hair is growing out.
2) The ear-buttons are discreet and less button-like.
3) The white heels are largely hidden by the lectern
4) The gilet isn’t fluffy.
5) That green is a good colour.
Five reasons why this outfit isn’t too bad.
BAD
And on with Amanda’s less tasteful, but more memorable, fashion moments
The head
One of our first sightings of the dreaded Amanda Band is when Princess Penny visits Amanda and Dotty for tea.Princess Penny is such a lady that she maintains her polite smile despite this snake-like accessory:
This is a – um – good example of why the Amanda Band should never have passed editing (Remembrance of Things Past). It has the additional (dubious) merit of showcasing a personal bugbear of mine – the polo neck with the blouse (or jacket) folded shorter than the blouse. The fact that I have a bit of a weakness for gingham 
doesn’t overcome my dislike of this nonsemble. 
And a similar band, but at least the pink top not a chargeable offence (I Am Not Now, Nor Have I Ever Been a Spy).
And the red one (The Three Faces of Emily) 
with the formal black one (Dead Ringer). It’s not a look that grows on me.
And a late addition to the collection: it’s a purple one. For some reason, this one doesn’t bother me as much. Must be the matching eye shadow and top
.
Next in “the head” we have (brace yourselves, SMK fans) that double whammy that hit us late in the second season: the hair don’t and the ear-buttons. 
It appears that KJ had a holiday in the sun before this was filmed (or the make-up artist went a bit heavy on the bronzer!). 
Two examples of this double disaster from A Little Sex, a Little Scandal.
Evidently it was a popular look at the time (Rita, the baddie from the same episode shared the style)
The body
Now on to the garments that went wrong:
Firstly: the fluffy granny cardigan. A prime example of fluffiness – with the added crime of being a mishmash of nondescript colours – is on display in Car Wars .
Another example (Murder Between Friends)
– a bit of cable knitting on display and another yucky “colour”.
Some oversized 80’s lapels were on display in The Three Faces of Emily.
Then two examples of the oversized warm jacket which makes a moderately busted woman look flat-chested. First one from DOA – the over supply of powder doesn’t help the jacket.
And the white one, with the pale but enormous ear-buttons (You Only Die Twice) .
Next is Amanda’s answer to Lee’s strange necklined cream shirts from season one – and it’s quilted (shudder)
IMO, Francine’s season three example will always win the woman’s tasteless tie competition, but this early example from Amanda is made worse because it’s cream.so…you don’t realise she’s wearing it…and then….it hits you (Burn Out and Vigilante Mothers).
The sight of this shoulder-padded monstrosity from Murder Between Friends drew this (blunt) comment comment from Minijet number two: “She looks disgusting in that”. She also wore it 
under this overlarge jacket (with matchy-matchy ear-buttons) in A Little Sex, A little Scandal.
The last bad jacket is from Vigilante Mothers qualifies as awful on several counts: 
the shoulder pads and puffed sleeves (they may have worked for Anne Shirley, but they don’t do it for me), the strangely rolled cuffs, the pale blue colour/bronzer clash. Fortunately, Lee probably couldn’t see her very well, and was probably more worried about his sprinkler system than her jacket.
Amanda’s fashion felonies tend to be repeat offences. I invite you to vote on your particular unfavourite:
Do you like Amanda’s casual outfits? Do you think she looks good in pastels? Or do you think she should wear darker colours? Do tell….!
"Just walk with me.." 
My favorite ultimate casual look is Amanda’s baby blue and baby pink Georgetown sweatshirts in Season 1. I also think she has excellent taste in nightgowns (First Time and A Lovely Little Affair) but I’m biased because I love old-fashioned nightgowns like that too!
For work, I love her skirt and blouse combos. In fact, of everything she wears, that’s my favorite style period. My favorites are the pink and the pale blue and grey she wore on Eyes Have It. Also the red and black with a skirt on I think Night Crawler. And she had a cute plaid one I think on James Brand? But the two from Eyes Have It are my best favorites.
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I like the red jacket in Class Act, but she wore a blue jacket lined with plaid flannel in Savior and a few other episodes that I really liked. Both of these jackets were Eddie Bauer and I was able to find both of these jackets on Etsy and EBay.
As for her head bands, it was the 80’s for Pete’s sake. Olivia Newton John and all that. No fashion conscious woman (not a clothes horse like Francine) of that time would be caught dead without a trendy head band on.
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Hi DeEtta, I’ve been meaning to get back and respond to your comment. Sorry for the delay.
good work finding the jackets at Eddie Bauer and on Etsy and Ebay!
I prefer the red one but not so great for hiding from baddies no?!
Yes.. as for head bands ‘It was the 80’s for Pete’s sake’ – this reads like you are saying we are not taking the 80’s context into consideration?? Please correct me if I’m wrong here DeEtta??
I’m pretty sure most smk fans who stop by here know when we are paying out on Amanda’s headbands we are having a laugh at the 80’s and having a laugh at ourselves while we are at it.
I think most of us are well aware of the popularity of headbands in the 80’s… but it doesn’t stop me from having gun with it 🙂
I’m pretty sure I too have referred to Olivia Newton-John and getting physical 🙂
I love Amanda’s character, and I love to have fun laughing at 80’s fashions.. the point of this blog? we don’t take the show too serious, and this blog aims to have fun while enjoying the characters we love. Learjet’s posts were written in this spirit – and I enjoyed the walk down 80’s fashions lane Learjet 🙂
I agree with you – it was a good costuming choice that Amanda was given headbands to wear – very appropriate to the context (and I enjoy laughing at them anyway!).
You’re very welcome to join in the fun here DeEtta! Byee!
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Agreed! I get that the hair bands were an 80’s thing, but they really don’t flatter her. I even remember thinking this when I first watched the show. Maybe they worked for Olivia Newton-John, but there are just better styles and choices for Amanda.
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I think Amanda’s Amanda-band use should be confined to “Fitness with Dave” 😉
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Hi guys! I’m in a rush!!! But just gotta squeeze in a bit of smk fun with you guys!
Hey learjet, check this out!!!
Is the hand Dave?
I’m pretty sure there’s another image from this photo shoot of her eating a hamburger in that outfit – anyone know what this shoot was about?! lol..
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😀 – if so , Dave has quite a small hand…
That hair with band is definitely more SMK than Charlie’s Angels! And Amanda-band just sounds so much better than Sabrina-band 🙂
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The informal collection…much more my speed and within my capability to have a chance at pulling off….
Love how this starts out! And I do love Amanda’s hair in the first two pics. Oh – really like her up do in the Weekend picture – and the outfit.
And I think I may have had a pair of those weird jeans with the pleats that are set on a scalloped line. Never again!
I like that outfit from TTTAAC, but I think my favorite casual outfit is in the tag of OMIT.
Ah, yes, Amanda’s work clothes look decidedly frumpy and homemade. I’m guessing she may have knitted some of her sweaters. ROFL on the party hat! It does!
I do like her navy Mongoose outfit – then again, navy is my favorite color.
Oh my gosh – those wardrobe people should have been fired!!! That Amandaband!!!
I feel really badly bashing Amanda’s clothes here – my only consolation is that someone else picked them for her. Oh gosh – that animal fur sweater in CW! Maybe this is why it took Lee so long to fall for her and see her as beautiful…all these awful outfits and hairdos!
I totally agree with Minijet number two! Disgusting! Isn’t that white one the one that looks like she could fit three of her in it after she untucks it?
Oh gosh – and I don’t think those puffy sleeves really worked for Anny Shirley either, but everyone else was wearing them, so it was her pretty face and hair that made her look good to Gilbert. It was Gilbert, right?
I do like the casual outfits better on Amanda in general, but the worst outfits ever are casual. And that hair! And those ear buttons! Darker color definitely suit her better IMHO.
Thanks for the fun post, Learjet!!
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It is Gilbert and I think he loved her for her mind (and her slate-breaking abilities) rather than her puff sleeves and ‘homely’ face.
And yes it is a profound relief that even someone blessed with beautiful features like Amanda can look decidedly frumpy when dressed badly.
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Anne Shirley’s face was considered ‘homely’? Was that in the book? I thought the actress was always quite cute and even sometimes pretty. Agree – it always is good to remember that even those who are more genetically blessed can look like the rest of us. Well, that may be overstating it, but you get my meaning 😉
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I wow, now I am going back in time to remember the books — I think Anne always described herself as plain and too skinny and, if I recall correctly – one of the neighbors (Mrs. Lynde?) had made negative comments about Anne’s appearance when she arrived. In my head canon, I never thought her as homely but she saw herself as that way.
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(quote from the book “Well, they didn’t pick you for your looks, that’s sure and certain,” was Mrs. Rachel Lynde’s emphatic comment. Mrs. Rachel was one of those delightful and popular people who pride themselves on speaking their mind without fear or favor. “She’s terrible skinny and homely, Marilla. Come here, child, and let me have a look at you. Lawful heart, did any one ever see such freckles? And hair as red as carrots! Come here, child, I say.”)
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I think my favorite work outfit of Amanda‘s is that scene in Our Man in Tegernsee where they do the pinky thing. She’s wearing a blazer that she belted and has medium shoulder pads. It I is the most fitted pretty much of all her work outfits. and shows off her lovely trim figure. I know there were some absolutely hideous styles in the 80s, especially the late 80s (I know because I wore many of them ROLF!) but they managed to dress Laura in Remington Steele in lovely suits and quite flattering outfits. I know it’s a different character but they definitely could have used the RS wardrobe person for Amanda and still kept her in character. Just saying…
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Oh good call Jule! I love that outfit too!!! 🙂
Can’t comment on the RS fashions in great detail sorry.. lol.. the one thing I remember (maybe wrongly?!) about RS is that it had a bit of an old film noir/PI movie vibe – which calls for more classic fashions- maybe? [Laura in that fedora is iconic.. even I remember it]
Whereas in SMK- Amanda is your everyday woman of that time..
and I like to tell myself that KJ was putting her energies into championing for good scripts and no more dumb Amanda – so she didn’t have the resources left to fight the 80s fashions too whahahahaa.. how is that? does that work at all? 🙂
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I’ve had another look at the pinky scne in OMIT – I like the outfit except for the brown belt. Why brown???? (So glad no-one can see how badly I dress in RL 😀 )
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Oh gosh, you and me both! My standard daily outfit is jeans and a cotton short-sleeved shirt. When I get “dressed up”, I wear a dark wash jean with a “nicer” shirt. hahaha. The thought of having to wear a dress puts my stomach in knots.
And I really like that OMIT outfit too – but I don’t get the brown either – although I guess it’s a neutral color? I would not ever wear a belt like – talk about uncomfortable and fussy – but it does make for a pretty profile on Amanda given that she is so thin and it helps show her waist. I like her hair there too.
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That brown belt was completely an ’80s thing.’ I did the same back in the day. Brown leather belt over the waist (which I really didn’t have as a teen, by the way). My neon hair ties (not to be confused with the neon bows) also doubled as belts for some of my outfits. They were those neon-netted belts. I can blame my fashion mistakes on being a kid during most of the 1980s. 😉
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lol Learjet – I love that cow emoticon!!! Great find!!
Agreed. Amanda looks great in jeans.. especially Lee jeans 😉 whahahaaaa..
I think Amanda looks lovely in pink. I like it! And it is realistic that she would be wearing casual at home.. I would have been complaining if she wasn’t 🙂
I love that pink and white striped polo top!!! she looks so pretty in that!
Whoa! those jeans with the pleats are hideous!!! Oh thank you smk for not putting Amanda in those!!!! And thanks for reminding us of this Learjet!
Yes she looks lovely in that munich outfit.. that one is kind of dressy casual .. aka european casual!
Agreed love Amanda in Aquamarine.. shame we didn’t see it more often.
Yeah not a fan of the white heels.. meh!
I hope you had lots of fun collecting all these images and outfits Learjet 🙂 It’s fun to read about it!
Yep I like that navy outfit she wore in europe, wish she hadn’t left it in europe!
oh rofl ‘Pity about the visitor’s badge’ – sooo funny!!! I love it!!!
Yeah I find Amanda’s hair don’t an abomination..
the ear buttons too.. thus my many memes letting out all my nark at their expense!
The green that cardy is a lovely colour.. and by vigilante mothers her hair is starting to grow out and the ear buttons are getting smaller.. so I don’t mind it so much.
I was watching an Ava Gardner movie a few months ago called ‘Mogambo’ anyone seen it? well.. her haircut and style struck me- it reminded me of the hair don’t! but she looks gorgeous!!! and she looked very stylish in the wilds of africa.
See:
I like to think this is the look KJ was going for.. and maybe without the ear buttons and mammoth shoulder pads it might have looked fine. Imagine Amanda in that pink and white polo top – except she has the hair don’t – I think she would have looked pretty..
Also, the hair don’t needed to be matched with more feminine outfits.. often, the outfits of that time were pretty masculine with all the 80s power shoulder pads and outfits..
Here’s a link to a series of clips from Mogambo with Ava Gardner sporting Amanda’s hair don’t (IMHO) – I think she’s gorgeous.. what do you think?
[I hate Grace Kelly’s character in this movie!! but.. nuff said on that. if anyone’s interested in talking about it over at Neds I’ll join ya – a fab movie!]
Lots of big skirts.. not unlike Amanda.. but the tops were much more feminine.. (and unprofessional 🙂 )
Poor KJ. I blame a combination of factors for turning her cut into a nightmare.. but.. I comfort myself with all the fun laughs and memes it created 😉 and that Lee managed to fall in love with Amanda while she was sporting that haircut is testimony to how deeply he had fallen for her.. whahahahaa!
Double disaster?? Well put Learjet!
Now, the Amandaband? Words escape me.. stripes?? too??!! speechless!!!
Okay.. I’ll reframe it.. Yet again – the Amanda bands have led to many fun gags and I’ve had fun making a few memes making fun of them 🙂
The purple/mauve is such a pretty colour on Amanda. I wish we’d seen her in that colour again!
I think that oversized 80s lapel was not 3FOE, rather it’s ship of spies.. and Amanda saying ‘you could have told me on the plane, you could have told me in the taxi.. rah rah..’
Yeah that quilted weird top is hideous!!!
Ohhh noooo the ties!!!! grrrr..
rofl true! this white one catches us off guard
– hey that outfit’s not bad.. what…. the…. heck is that around her neck? oh nooo! this outfit’s hideous!
One particularly hideous Amanda tie has never ever left my memory – I’ll have a vent when we get to it on the walk 🙂 whooo some memes could be needed to cope!
rofl loved the minijet’s comments.. what’s with the shirt with all the labels.. ugh!
Oh that vigilante mother’s jacket I don’t mind! Lovelycolour.. and it’s just a rather sporty look.. okay the shoulder pads are massive.. Anne Shirley?! whahahahaaa!!!
Oh boy.. I’ve gotta pick one? hmm.. hmm.. hm.. Okay, I’ll go ear buttons!
I love Amanda any non-muted colour – dark or light I don’t mind.. but enough of the white or muted colours already.. now in season 3 there’s lots of muted greys or pinks.. ugh.. is this series based on seasons 1 and 2 only? oopsie.. sorry if I’m getting ahead of your exploration learjet!
Oh I see the hairdon’t is getting the most votes – fair enough!
Thanks for such a fun diversion Learjet!! 🙂
You’ve done the fashion police proud 🙂
byee all!!
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Thanks for your attention to detail, Iwsod 😉
I think the reason the hair don’t works on Ava Gardner is that she is, shall I say, very curvy, built on a magnificent scale, voluptuous, well-endowed etc. Amanda (and KJ) is more petite and fairy-like. More Keira Knightley than JLo. Which is also why those shoulder pads are not good on her…
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True they are err built differently.. but.. Amanda has curves…she has a waist.. I think better dressed and accessorised she could have pulled it off 🙂
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I immediately thought the same thing. Curves and endowments.
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Hmm… To me, the fluffy cardigans are probably the least bothersome compared to the hair-don’ts and that Amanda-band. Not a fan of those button earrings, but I mentioned that in the last post. I can’t decide if the hair-don’ts make some of those outfits look worse. She’s so pretty, and like you said LearJet, she’s got a great figure for a lot of things.
I totally agree about the, “The Times They Are A Changin'” ensemble. Also like that black and white plaid shirt. There’s another similar black and white plaid in Season 4 (I think it’s “Need to know”…? She’s wearing a white Henley shirt under it and Lee is also wearing a small checkered shirt). I do like her in jeans. Also like that red jacket (“A Class Act”) and I think it’s in a few episodes. Of the business casual group, I like the “Spiderweb” best. The “I’m Not Now….Spy” would have worked without the handkerchief. Not sure she needs a turtleneck, (unless Lee’s been giving her hickey’s. 😉 A little too soon in the series, but we can overlook it, right?) 😀 I like dresses on her better than the tops/skirts. Amanda also had some shirt-dresses that I prefer over those white blouse-pencil skirt-vest/cardigan ensembles.
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Sorry, those aren’t ‘pencil skirts’, they’re just the ones that fall below her knees.
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Very true about the dress vs skirt and blouse looks. It’s probably something to do with her proportions…..
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Hickeys?!? Bwa ha ha ha ha! That one made me wipe diet coke off my screen.
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Oops, so sorry. I’ve done that myself from reading lots of comments here. 🙂
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Hickeys would definitely have added some interest to the wardrobe choices. 😉
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And Francine couldn’t resist a comment or two once she took notice. 😉
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I voted for the ear-buttons – I don’t even like that kind of ear adornment with long hair, not on Amanda, not on Francine, not on anyone. The hair don’t on the other side, well, they wisely removed that one … But we still got glimpses of ear-buttons after that …
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You can put a bad haircut down to a single unfortunate (if far-reaching) mistake. But those ear-buttons were represented an ongoing set of bad fashion decisions…
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The hair-don’t is the ultimate bad Amanda look for me. It not only made her look more severe but about 10 years older too! And, since it couldn’t be changed in a hurry, we had to live with it for a while which just made it seems so much worse. The other fashion don’ts were stylish at the time and short-lived.
I had a big pink jacket similar to the one she wore in DOA, only mine had bat wing style arms as well, and huge shoulder pads of course. I loved that jacket. It was so comfy. I wore it for years until it literally wore out. 🙂
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Yes, I think the hair don’t makes her delicate features look harsh.
You paint a vivid image of that batwing pink jacket, kiwismh. I’m feeling a bit faint….
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Awesome. And I won’t admit to how many similar outfits I had in the 80s.
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😀
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So did I… I have pictures of me traveling in Europe in pants just like those hideous jeans, floating around somewhere which of course my girls love to make fun of 😉
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I’m not too picky about fashion (with the possible exception of political candidates who look like bad clones of each other :P), but those headbands and button earrings are definitely no good for Amanda. I don’t care as much about the cardigans as I do the headbands. The hair-don’t looks like the biggest mistake to me.
I like Amanda in pink, blue, red, and sometimes green (like the outfit she wore in Vigilante Mothers), but I’m not too fond her in beige. I think she looks best in the brighter, bolder colors.
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Totally agree with you Jestress. Don’t like Amanda in those pastels. If you look that good in black and bright blues, don’t wear baby pink and powder blue (and this from someone who isn’t exactly stylish herself 😀 )
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Makes me wonder if she borrowed some of those items from Dottie’s closet. Dottie doesn’t look too bad in pastels.
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whoo hooo!
Reading this post will be my reward for getting done today all that I need to (when I would rather be reading this post and responding )
thanks Learjet for sharing your fun hunt for Amanda fashions with us all 🙂
bye all!
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