Old School TV Style: Fashion Inspired by Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years

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Written by Chelsea - University of Oklahoma

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You knew this one was coming. One of my all-time favorite old school TV shows is The Wonder Years, the hit ’80s and ’90s series starring Fred Savage and Danica McKellar.

By the way, the dates above? They’re not typos. This show ran from 1988 to 1993, although the series itself was set exactly 20 years earlier. The Wonder Years did such an amazing job at recreating the feel of the ’60s and ’70s that many of us who saw it years later mistook it for a show filmed in the era!

Although this show featured many stylish characters sixties and seventies characters — hippies, housewives, preppy students, and more — this post will focus on Winnie Cooper, the sweetheart of The Wonder Years. Interested in stealing some of her innocent, mod style for yourself? Read on!

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The Wonder Years tells the story of a typical suburban boy from the ages 11 through 17 growing up in the late ’60s and early ’70s. Kevin Arnold, the protagonist of the series, faces hurdles in school, his dating life, and his life at home, and also encounters larger issues of the time, like the Vietnam war, counter-culture, and more. The series is narrated by an adult Kevin, who lends additional insight and humor to the events that unfold.

Kevin lives with his parents and older siblings, and mainly socializes with his best friend Paul and his neighbor Winnie Cooper. Winnie, the show’s heroine, is kind, thoughtful, wholesome, independent, and intelligent. She embodies the perfect “girl next door” archetype and serves as Kevin’s enduring on-again, off-again love interest throughout the series.

Despite its popularity, The Wonder Years was never released on DVD due to issues with licensing all of the amazing ’60s and ’70s music that the show featured. The Wonder Years is now available on Netflix Instant Watch – although it should be noted that the opening credits’ song “With A Little Help From My Friends” is not the Joe Cocker version featured in the show’s original airing and even syndication.

Winnie Cooper’s style is a unique mix of preppy, varsity schoolgirl looks and hints of ’60s mod. Even though she is very young, Winnie dresses almost like a “little woman,” in child-size versions of popular adult fashions. Winnie’s outfits somehow manage to look fresh and youthful, while at the same time mature. Crazy, I know.

For example, Winnie is often seen wearing mod-style dresses with tights while rocking blunt-cut bangs and a headband. She usually balances this “grown up” sort of look with youthful flat mary-jane slippers and a clean face.

Winnie’s style is also a great example of the preppy, wholesome, old school suburban teen looks seen on Happy Days, Grease, and The Brady Bunch. Varsity jackets and cardigans, rolled-up jeans, collared shirts, thin turtlenecks, pleated skirts, canvas sneakers, and more are her staples, and are a perfect match for her “girl next door” image.

Dress, Shoes, Headband, Bag, Tights

This first look has a colorful, fun, almost Boogie Nights-esque vibe to it! A colorblocked dress like the one above has a striking mod vibe to it, but is still sweet and wholesome enough to work for a girl like Winnie. Spice it up a bit with a pair of colorful mary-jane platforms and some polka dot tights. Finish the ensemble with a thin headband and a cross-body purse.

Shirt, Jeans, Shoes, Belt | Hair Photo Courtesy of Elle

This outfit is a great example of a casual, after-school look that Winnie might have worn while exploring the neighborhood or taking walks with Kevin. Plaid shirts were very popular during the ’60s and ’70s (as they are today!), and Winnie would have paired one with a relaxed-fit pair of jeans. Add classic white sneakers and a belt, and finish with foxy ’70s center-part hair.

Jacket, Turtleneck, Skirt, Shoes, Headband, Necklace

When Winnie wasn’t dating Kevin, she was usually on the arm of the school’s most popular athlete. Start with girly, studious staples like a turtleneck shirt and a pleated skirt, then add a varsity jacket and Converse sneakers for a fun and stylish outfit remix. Finish the look with a headband and a vintage camera necklace.

What do you think about The Wonder Years? What is your favorite episode? Favorite character? What other retro TV shows do you love? How do you feel about Winnie’s style? Leave a comment and tell us what you think!

Posted on on January 31, 2013 / Filed Under: Inspiration / Tags: 1960s, 1970s, Inspiration, mod, Old School TV Style, Preppy, TV, varsity jacket

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N.J. education commissioner upholds decisions to discipline school bullies

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Part of an-anti bullying video made by students in Long Branch, as attention statewide was focused on bullying. File photo/The Star-Ledger  

In the first two cases challenging the merits of New Jersey's tough new anti-bullying law, state education Commissioner Christopher Cerf upheld decisions by school boards in Tenafly and East Brunswick to discipline students found to have bullied classmates.

The Tenafly incident involved a fourth-grader who bullied a classmate in September 2011, less than a month after the law took effect, when he said the child dyed her hair because she had head lice, officials said.

"He was old enough and bright enough to have realized that pointing out head lice to others could hurt ... feelings," Administrative Law Judge Ellen S. Bass said in an earlier ruling in the case. "Cruel words will not be tolerated in New Jersey public schools."

In the East Brunswick case, one boy bullied another in a sixth-grade gym class, saying he "danced like a girl" and was "gay," according to documents in the case.

Both cases involve the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights which took effect in New Jersey schools in the fall of 2011.

"These cases show schools are taking the issue of bullying very seriously," said Mike Yaple, a spokesman for the New Jersey School Boards Association. "The rulings also noted the schools handed down an appropriate level of discipline, taking into account the child’s age and lack of past discipline issues."

In both cases, the students' parents appealed to the education commissioner after the school districts found their children had bullied other students. Both cases were heard by Administrative Law judges, and the judge's decisions went to Cerf to uphold, modify or deny.

In Tenafly, school officials found the 9-year-old boy violated the law when he told another student that a classmate had head lice. The boy was given an assignment to "encourage greater sensitivity to the feelings of others," and his parents were notified in writing.

No other discipline was imposed and the matter was not put in school records, according to legal documents in the case.

The child's parents, however, sought to have the case dismissed. They also asked for a written apology from school officials, $50,000 in damages for emotional distress to their child and attorney's fees. In addition, they wanted any reference to the incident stricken from school records.

The boy said he was simply telling the truth and "had not intended to hurt her feelings," according to legal documents but Bass, the Administrative Law judge, found the boy's actions constituted bullying. Cerf concurred.

In East Brunswick, the sixth-grader found to have bullied a classmate was given three days of detention "to redirect (his) behavior," according to legal documents. The boy's father filed a challenge asking that charges be dropped. He also sought punitive damages and legal expenses and asked that the accuser also be given a three-day detention.

Both an Administrative Law judge and Cerf sided with the board and the petition was dismissed.

The children involved were identified only by initials in legal documents, to protect confidentiality.

Parents in both cases have 45 days to appeal to the state Appellate Division.

The anti-bullying law, which set strict new time frames and rules for schools to report and investigate bullying, has been subject of considerable debate. An interim report issued by a state task force within the past week recommended some fine-tuning, including giving principals more latitude to drop cases if they feel the behavior doesn't fit the definition of bullying.

But overall, the report supported the law.

"Feedback, survey responses and data revealed a positive response to the intent of the law, particularly related to promoting respectful behavior and a positive school climate," the report said.

• 6 months into N.J. law to halt bullying, a survey takes a look at how it's working

• Bullying in N.J. schools spikes over previous school year, new stats show

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