You love the show, now you can wear it on your sleeve. Under a new licensing agreement with MGM/UA Television Production Group Inc., Apparel Resources International Ltd. is developing a line of ”thirtysomething”
clothes for men and women.
Now young mothers everywhere can dress just like Hope (played by Mel Harris) who favors blue jeans and T-shirts for an all-around J. Crew effect. Melissa and Elliot are the inspiration behind the retro look, and Ellen, finally married at long last, is benefactress of the line`s business/career lineup.
”The show isn`t going to become a quickie TV fashion parade,” says Lenny Heller, president of Apparel Resources in New York. Fans won`t be able to buy every stitch of clothing they see on the show, but several signature styles and items will be part of the lineup.
Take Gary`s baseball jacket, for example. Gary might be dead, but his trademark coat will live on in the closets of the most die-hard
”thirtysomething” fans. Actor Peter Horton was wearing the jacket on the fateful night of Gary`s death in a car accident, and the character`s ghost continues to appear in it periodically.
”That jacket will be in the Smithsonian someday,” says Heller, ”but I have the original piece now. I have to send it back (to the studio) everytime he comes back on the show in the people`s (other character`s) memories.”
In the mood
The line of clothing will capture the ”thirtysomething” mood and attitude, Heller says. Along with Hope`s T-shirts and blue jeans, the line will include casual sportswear jackets that capture Michael`s (Ken Olin)
casual look and several retro pieces a la Melissa (Melanie Mayron) and Elliot (Timothy Busfield).
Heller describes the Ellen (Polly Draper) look as ”novelty-career oriented with good lines and good shapes.” The baggy, hand-knitted sweaters that Nancy loves also are part of the line, but there will not be any hats.
”No hats,” says Heller. ”She had to wear them because of the chemotherapy. We don`t even want to talk about the hats.”
That`s too bad, because chemo or not, Nancy has worn some great hats.
(Nancy is played by Patricia Wettig.)
Heller describes the clothing range as moderate-with prices ranging from $20 for a cotton T-shirt to $600 for a leather bomber jacket. He is negotiating with major department stores nationwide.
Designs for the ”thirtysomething” clothing line are overseen by the TV show`s costume director, Partick Norris. Norris (”Blue Velvet,” ”Wild at Heart”) says he gets 80 percent of his ideas for the show`s costumes from his family`s antique clothing warehouse in Glendale, Calif.
Of his own style, Norris describes himself as a ”combo plate of everyone you see on the show. I just don`t get into women`s wear.”
What if the show is canceled? ”It`s a good show, people like it,”
Norris says. ”So hopefully we`ll get another year out of it.”
