Eastland uniforms

[RetroGuy2000]

As far as I can tell, Eastland has four uniforms:

1. Red vest, blue tie

2. Blue sweater, red tie

3. Gym: Yellow t-shirts or sweatshirts, yellow shorts or blue track pants

4. Blue blazer

As far as I can recall, only Blair has ever worn the blue blazer. She wore it in "Dope" and again one other time. But what's the sense of having a "uniform" that no-one else has? [Edit: it's been shown that Natalie wore it in "Bus Stop", her graduation episode].

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

As far as I can recall, only Blair has ever worn the blue blazer. She wore it in "Dope" and again one other time. But what's the sense of having a "uniform" that no-one else has?

Being Blair Warner, apart from the pack. lol

I kind of always got the sense that the blue sweaters were for underclassmen (sorry Molly, "underclasswomen" ) since we, IIRC, only ever saw Natalie and Tootie wear them. I kind of liked those, and the yellow/blue gym outfits.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Being Blair Warner, apart from the pack. lol

I kind of always got the sense that the blue sweaters were for underclassmen (sorry Molly, "underclasswomen" ) since we, IIRC, only ever saw Natalie and Tootie wear them. I kind of liked those, and the yellow/blue gym outfits.

For years, I thought this was the case, but in fact, I think there was no real difference in uniform between the upperclass(wo)men and lowerclass(wo)men. In Seasons 2 and 3, Nancy wears a blue sweater in most or all of her episodes, and surely she is one of the older students. Molly, who is obviously younger, wears the red vest in her only Season Two episode, but wore it as well throughout Season One. Tootie, youngest of all, alternates between the red vest and the blue sweater throughout those first four seasons. I've even seen Jo in a blue sweater (episode "Cousin Geri", for example). Later, Alex and Miko wear red vests, too, and surely they are younger than Blair and Jo.

The only girl I don't recall ever seeing in a blue sweater is Blair, and the only girl I don't recall in a red vest (after Season One) is Natalie. Mindy Cohn later said that they kept her in baggy sweaters to make her look fatter during seasons when she had lost weight. Lisa says they always wanted her to look thin, so I guess that's why they kept her out of the blue sweaters.

Edit: Incidentally, I just found another episode of Blair in the blue blazer: "Bought and Sold". The rule appears to be 'blue tie with blue blazer'.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

In Seasons 2 and 3, Nancy wears a blue sweater in most or all of her episodes

"Oh but Tootie, the play needs you!" That's what I immediately think of when I think of Nancy in a blue sweater, lol.

I think of the red vests/skirts as "all class(wo)men", while thinking of the blue sweaters as generaly for "underclass(wo)men". Like you say, that may not be the case, particularly if the exceptions were purposefully meant to showcase otherwise, but that's just how I've always classified it to myself when watching.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

"Oh but Tootie, the play needs you!" That's what I immediately think of when I think of Nancy in a blue sweater, lol.

Why? Aren't all of Nancy's Season Two and Three episodes in the blue sweater?

I think of the red vests/skirts as "all class(wo)men", while thinking of the blue sweaters as generaly for "underclass(wo)men". Like you say, that may not be the case, particularly if the exceptions were purposefully meant to showcase otherwise, but that's just how I've always classified it to myself when watching.

Yeah, "Cousin Geri" is a good example of Jo in a blue sweater. I edited my post above, to make that more clear, and add a second example of Blair in the blue blazer, which I never saw any other Eastland girl wear, that I ever recall.

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Why? Aren't all of Nancy's Season Two and Three episodes in the blue sweater?

Well now that I think of it she does appear in it in the closing scene of "Gossip", and yes, in "Pretty Babies" and "Dear Me". It's just when you sand "Nancy" and "blue sweater" that was the first image that came to my mind: "Oh Tootie, the play needs you!" lol.

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Yeah, "Cousin Geri" is a good example of Jo in a blue sweater. I edited my post above, to make that more clear, and add a second example of Blair in the blue blazer, which I never saw any other Eastland girl wear, that I ever recall.

Ah yes, "Bought and Sold". I didn't think of "Dope", but I knew she wore it in a "classic cafeteria" era (lol) episode.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

Well now that I think of it she does appear in it in the closing scene of "Gossip", and yes, in "Pretty Babies" and "Dear Me". It's just when you sand "Nancy" and "blue sweater" that was the first image that came to my mind: "Oh Tootie, the play needs you!" lol.

Apparently, Tootie's acting abilities surpassed Nancy's some time between Seasons One and Three.

Ah yes, "Bought and Sold". I didn't think of "Dope", but I knew she wore it in a "classic cafeteria" era (lol) episode.

Yep. Took me a while to find it. There may be other examples as well.

When I was a boy in elementary school, around the time of FOL's Eastland years, boys had white shirts and brown corduroy pants, with the choice of a brown sweater or a brown jacket on cold days. The girls had brown and yellow plaid jumpers, with white shirts underneath. I don't recall any other options; those Eastland girls were very lucky to have more color choices.

(By junior high, uniforms were gone).

['80sSitcoms]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Apparently, Tootie's acting abilities surpassed Nancy's some time between Seasons One and Three.

I know, right? It should have been:

Tootie: "Oh but Nancy, the play needs you!"

lol...they gave Nancy's acting and Molly's photography to Tootie, and they gave Molly's feminism to Natalie. And of course we all know about the alchemy of Cindy and Sue Ann, with a dash of Molly, going into Jo. lol

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

Yep. Took me a while to find it. There may be other examples as well.

I want to say there are, but I don't recall for sure. I just vividly remember her wearing it; perhaps because it was so rare?

I never had to do the uniform thing, for which I was very glad!

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by '80sSitcoms

I know, right? It should have been:

Tootie: "Oh but Nancy, the play needs you!"

lol...they gave Nancy's acting and Molly's photography to Tootie, and they gave Molly's feminism to Natalie. And of course we all know about the alchemy of Cindy and Sue Ann, with a dash of Molly, going into Jo. lol

Exactly. All Nancy was left with by Season Two was Roger (and they almost gave him to Blair, too!), and Sue Ann and Cindy were left with... gossiping, really. I can't think of anything else they were interested in, in Season Two or Three. Molly didn't even get the chance to gossip.

I never had to do the uniform thing, for which I was very glad!

It was a pain. (But I still have my brown jacket from Second Grade, hanging in the back of my closet).

[James28]

How come Natalie switched from the red vest to the blue sweater after the initial four episodes of The Facts of Life?

[80s Dude]

Blair probably bought her own designer Eastland uniform.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by 80s Dude

Blair probably bought her own designer Eastland uniform.

[James28]

I just spotted one extremely rare post-season-2-retooling example of Natalie Green wearing the red vest: "The Oldest Living Graduate" (S4 E4). It was during the scene where Eastland holds a luncheon for Marie Thornwell.

[RetroGuy2000]

Originally Posted by James28

I just spotted one extremely rare post-season-2-retooling example of Natalie Green wearing the red vest: "The Oldest Living Graduate" (S4 E4). It was during the scene where Eastland holds a luncheon for Marie Thornwell.

Nice find, James! Good eye!

I was curious to see what you saw, so I watched the episode myself... and not only saw the maroon vest on Natalie (which I think she normally only wore during Season 1), but also another curiosity: in the same episode, in an earlier scene Natalie wearing a blue sweater... with a blue tie!

I think that's a wardrobe mistake. I don't recall seeing that combination, except maybe on Jo.

[TV Guy]

Natalie wears the Eastland blue blazer in “Bus Stop,” the episode where she decides not to go to college.