FashionPlatesBoOne of my favorite toys as a child of the ’80s was Fashion Plates. So simple, yet so fun, Fashion Plates lets kids design their own outfit combinations, add fresh patterns and colors, and show them off to family and friends. Anyone could be a fashion designer, and there were so many colors and patterns to mix and match.

So imagine my delight at being re-introduced to Fashion Plates, which was recently re-launched by Kahootz Toys. For anyone who played with Fashion Plates as a child, this product will not disappoint. The fashion themselves have been updated (thankfully), but it works exactly as you remember.

Place the two or three fashion plates (depending on whether you choose a top piece and a bottom piece, or top, middle, and bottom pieces) into the drawing tablet, put a piece of blank paper over it, and close the frame. Hold the frame in place with one hand while rubbing over it with the black crayon with the other to create the outline of your fashion design.

FashionPlates_OpenThen, it’s time to add patterns. You don’t have to just flip over the plates and use the patterns on those same plates. Choose any pattern from the back of any plate, place it into the frame, and put your fashion outline back over the plates. Use the included colored pencils to color in the outfit however you like. Mix and match patterns on different parts of the outfit—be creative; that’s what it’s all about!

My favorite update to this product from the original is that this version comes with a fashion carrying case. All of the pieces fit into this case with a double handle, so it’s a great travel toy as well.

In addition to the Classic Collection that I tested, there is also a Sporty Collection and Glamour Collection available. The more plates, the better for maximum design options!

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About the author

Jackie Breyer

Jackie Breyer

Jackie Breyer is the vice president of Adventure Media & Events, and group publisher of The Toy Book, The Toy Insider, and The Pop Insider. She has been reporting on retail and toy industry trends for more than 20 years. Jackie has been featured in the Netflix series The Toys That Made Us, The History Channel’s The Toys That Built America, and Nat Geo’s The ’80s Top 10: Toys, as well as The TODAY show, CNBC's Power Lunch, NBC News, CNN, MSNBC, Yahoo Finance, Cheddar, and more. Jackie is the 2012 recipient of the Wonder Woman in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment Award in the field of Journalism & Social Media. A true ’80s kid, Jackie is a fan of Back to the Future, Ghostbusters, Super Mario, Care Bears, My Little Pony, and Archie Comics. Her first Cabbage Patch Kid was named Cecily Aretha. She still has her charm necklace, and her Garbage Pail Kid card collection is bigger than yours. Jackie has successfully trained her kids Lena and Henry to be Mario Kart experts. You can follow her on social media @jackiebreyer and connect with her on LinkedIn.

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