LBYR Gets Dressed!
Playing dress-up is an integral part of many of our childhoods. It opens up whole worlds of imagination and gives us the freedom to explore our identities. One of my favorite memories from growing up is of playing Pretty, Pretty Princess with my dad—he always looked so nice in jewels. In award-winning author, Peter Brown’s picture book, FRED GETS DRESSED we meet Fred, a rambunctious kid who prefers the freedom of running around naked. That is… until he discovers his parents’ closet and all the outfit possibilities contained within!
Here are just a few adorable dress-up memories from the staff at LBYR:
Stefanie Hoffman, Senior Marketing Manager
There are few things I loved more as a kid than my easel and this shirt. It was covered in mirrors, jewels, beads, ribbons and every other bauble you could think of. I was also definitely of the mindset “more is more” since I accessorized with a neon bag, sunglasses and more ribbons on a headband. I loved dressing up, and to this day, have an obsession with all things sparkly and bright. Whenever I see this picture I have to laugh because I think I still make that face, and definitely strike that pose, and 100% wish I still had that bag. Plus leggings and a bold t-shirt became my go-to style once again, since 2020 was the year of comfy clothes. I felt so awesome in this shirt, and it was such a favorite, that my family still talks about it and remembers it. Now THAT is a fashion statement that has stood the test of time.
Liz Kossnar, Senior Editor
I also loved playing dress up as a kid, clearly, and also loved Disney princesses. Though Cinderella was never particularly my favorite, the color blue was! I don’t even think this was Halloween, probably just a day after going to the mall where I finally conned either my aunt (whose living room this is) or my mom to finally get me this full costume from the Disney store at the big mall nearby. I do remember my feet being too big for the slippers, but maybe that’s because I couldn’t yet imagine wearing shoes without socks. I think this was the only day I wore the full get-up but if I remember correctly, I wore those ill-fitting shoes the most. I’m so jealous of my lustrous bangs. HOW.
Mara Brashem, Digital Marketing Assistant
I loved playing dress-up as a kid (honestly, I still love playing dress-up!). I found this photo years ago and it made me giggle, so I posted it to Instagram. To get more context, I asked my mom where it was taken, but she had no idea. (That’s my mom standing behind me.) We also had no clue who the man in the photo was. Shortly after I shared the photo to IG, one of my sorority sisters messaged me, “HEY! That’s my dad!” After a bit of sleuthing, we discovered we had a mutual close childhood friend and must have both attended a birthday party of his. This is apparently what I thought was perfect party attire (not surprising AT ALL)!
Savannah Kennelly, Digital Marketing Associate
I’ll be honest with you, I don’t remember taking this photo precisely, but I do remember many times I waddled around our house wearing my dad’s boots and hats! I think I just really liked the clunking noise they made as they clacked across the tile. That familiar clunk was always a sign my dad had come home from work, and now that I think about it, it’s probably the reason I still have a boot obsession! Seriously, it’s a struggle not to spend my whole paycheck on cowboy boots every month. Fun fact: my parents were actually introduced to each other by their mutual friends because they both wear cowboys boots. Really, it was destiny.
Bill Grace, Marketing Manager
My sister and I in our Nana’s furs, naturally.
Learn more about FRED GETS DRESSED:
From a New York Times bestselling author and Caldecott-honor winning artist comes an exuberant illustrated story about playing dress up, having fun, and feeling free.