Once upon a time, there lived a children’s clothing brand called Garanimals. The concept of this line of matching separates was simple yet genius. Each color-coordinated article of clothing had a sewn-in tag with a picture of an animal and a large number. Children, or their fashion-challenged parents, could learn to dress by pairing tops and bottoms having the same animal tag. Shopping for kids’ clothes was a piece of cake because the animal/number tag sewn inside was duplicated on a large outside hang tag visible from several feet away. Plus, the clothes were reasonably priced. For a childless favorite aunt/step-grandmother like me with an assortment of kids to buy for, Garanimals was a godsend. The brand weathered the 1970s and 1980s, declined some time in the ’90s, was resurrected in 2008, and is sold exclusively at Walmart.

Now, I suppose I could end here, but I feel a little guilty after “cheating” with yesterday’s reblog. So I did a little research to see what else I could learn about Garanimals. Here’s what I found out:

1. “Garanimal” has been used as a slang term for an adult who still dresses “matchy-matchy.”
2. Novice roadies have also been called garanimals. (Roadies are the people who do the heavy lifting backstage at rock concerts.)
3. Kids who grew up dressing with Garanimals yearn for the good old days, wishing someone would make Garanimals for adults.
4. One of those wistful kids has a Pinterest site called “Garanimals for Adults — Capsule Wardrobes.” Wikipedia defines a capsule wardrobe as a “small collection of garments designed to be worn together which harmonize[s] in color and line.” Doesn’t that sound just like Garanimals?
5. (Saving the best for last) “Garanimal” is a marijuana strain touted for its ability to deal with symptoms of anxiety and stress.