Back To The Future: Christmas Edition • Rhode Island Family Photographer
Christmas nowadays is crazy. Decorations come out in stores in what seems like summer time. Black Friday gets earlier and earlier every year. The pressure to get everyone the perfect gift is strong, especially with all the electronics that are out nowadays. iPad, iPhone, i-everything! Giving your kids the perfect holiday is a wonderful aspiration and can also be a huge stressor.
Let's take a break from that stress. Let's go back in time to the days when there was no Amazon, there wasn't an internet, and the highlight of your fall was when the Sears Wish Book (or JC Penney Christmas Catalog) came in the mail. Admit it. You'd circle what you wanted, or fold the corners of the pages, so that your parents would know all of the 487 toys you wanted. Because let's face it. You only cared about the toy section.
We're going back in time to 1976. Don't ask why I have the Sears Wish Book from that year. Let's just go with it. And let's look at the gifts of the time. Get your DeLorean, your flux capacitor, and everything else you might need. We're going back to simpler times and it's going to be fun.
FOR THE LITTLE GUY IN YOUR LIFE
Because nothing says good times like corduroy leisure outfits. Large belt? Check. Bell bottoms? Check. Collars so large that your child might take flight if he runs too fast? Double check. If you wanted your guy to be the height of fashion, look no further.
FOR THE LITTLE GIRL IN YOUR LIFE
These dresses are really versatile. They can be worn to school, for a special occasion, or to a Little House On The Prairie reenactment. Most think they are very fashionable, although the young lady on the far left appears to be on the fence.
FOR YOUR GUY
I really don't think there are adequate words to talk about these shirts. Or maybe I have no words. Other than I'm not really sure which one I'd choose first. And they're built for action. Need to perform some MacGyver-type moves while wearing a super fly shirt? Yeah, this is what you need.
FOR YOU OR THE LADIES ON YOUR LIST
We can gather the following from this photo:
- Stripes were big in 1976
- So were bright, largely primary colors
- Apparently dressing like you were auditioning for a Lord Of The Rings movie was completely acceptable
FOR YOUR VAN
Don't deny that you had a van in '76. It's fine. If you wanted to pimp your ride, Sears had your back. Airbrush? Wood-look accessories? Accent lights (because who doesn't need accent lights in their vehicle?) Yes, they've got that.
FOR THE HOME
Look at that! Those '76-er's were modern (or we're pretty ancient these days). They were using slow cookers back then, just as so many of us love to do today. Put ingredients in the pot in the morning, turn it on, and magically have dinner when you come home. Thirty nine years ago, your slow cooker came in several beautiful color choices. I'm not sure about you, but I'm really loving the one with the leaf design.
TOYS. BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
Toys are really what the Wish Book was all about. The other section never really mattered. It was all about the toys. Forget Wii U, Pong was where it was at. The toy section took up a majority of these catalogs, and the choices were vast. Need a disco for your Barbie? Some Bionic Man toys? A play kitchen in Harvest Gold? All of these, and so much more, were available. Who needed the internet? The Sears catalog had everything you could ever need. What's your favorite old-school Christmas gift? Let me know in the comments!