The YA (Movie) Character I Wanted to Be

There were book characters I related to, and even one that I wanted to be like, but there is one character that I still remember trying to model myself after as I was growing up...

Daphne Zuniga as Alison Bradbury in The Sure Thing.

First of all I was obsessed with The Official Preppy Handbook (the 80's) version.  And this character was, to me, the epitome of prep.  The fair isle sweaters, the Ciao bag, the leather organizer, corduroys, penny loafers, she had it all!  I loved her because she had her stuff together.  I was not an izod kind of prep, I was a Land's End 80's kind of prep and so was she! 

I probably went through 10 pairs of penny loafers in high school (black or brown only, and never with a tassel).

I loved my fair isle sweaters from Land's End and my cords. (I am sure I have pictures of me dressing like this somewhere, but I am not in the mood to get up and look for them...)

I didn't have a Ciao bag, but I did have one of these: (yes, it was also from Land's End)(I went through probably 6 of these throughout high school and college--it had some many wonderful pockets for organizing things!!)(Actually, I did try it with a Ciao bag once, my mom had one like hers in the movie, but I didn't like the lack of inside pockets.)

Thinking back on this, I dressed this way all through middle school & junior high.  I am sure I stuck out like a sore thumb in NW Montana, but I don't recall ever feeling out of place.  I dressed how I wanted and wore what I liked!  High school was a little less dressed up, more jeans and penny loafers, but I was still prep.  

The Sure Thing came out when I was in 8th grade and it just struck a huge chord with me.  It showed me that I could be prep and still be cool.  She was one of my very favorite movie characters when I was growing up.

Do you have a character that you recall with such fondness?  

(And yes, there is a book character I am equally fond of from my youth, 10 points to the one who guesses who it is?)