Depending on how you discovered them, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen can be referred to in two ways: either as "the Olsen Twins " or "the designers of luxury label The Row." And which qualifier you choose is a good hint as to how old you are ( er, were). But honestly, none of that matters right now, because we re-discovered the premiere issue of their first magazine — yes, Mary-Kate and Ashley magazine — and, to no one’s surprise, their foresight was remarkable. It holds within it fashion (and life) lessons that are as applicable today as they might've been if we were hypothetically pre-teens when it came out.
Why’d they start a magazine in the first place? Well, they actually let you know in 10 reasons on the first page, which range from, “because we want real talk for real girls,” to “because we’re tired of being talked down to, talked around, or not talked to at all,” to “because we can,” and back. And if that sounds ultra-woke to you, that’s because it is. The language and content was both elevated and essential to young readers, and in some cases it may have flown above the average tween's head. So hey, what better time than, oh, this election cycle, to go through it once more?
In the slideshow ahead, you’ll find everything you need to satisfy your inner tween. Lest we forget it was the Olsen Twins who taught us how to love and accept our bodies, how to talk to boys (they could've been less heteronormative, but okay), and most importantly — how to dress. Reunite with your favorite trends that none other than Mary-Kate and Ashley let you in on, and see which ones are making a comeback today. This may be a long one, but as they assured you in the '90s, any crime can be solved by dinner time.
Behold, your beacon of fashion tweendom.
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Remember these?
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"'I like girls who wear Abercrombie & Fitch.' I'm an Abercrombie kind of gal." Sure, Megan.
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The magazine kept its young readers abreast on happenings around the globe, including this one, in which a gorilla escaped from the Pittsburgh Zoo. Sound familiar?
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Remember when Harry Potter was basically the only road trip reading we had? And the other hunk of British pop culture — the prince — was our royal heartthrob?
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Oh, paisley bandanas...
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If you're like us and can't get enough of these jeans, don't worry. The early aughts are back — and so are the jeans (only better).
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When in doubt — just cinch it! All jokes aside, the rainbow belt steals the show here.
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Those mules are fire.
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Are you? Are you on AOL? Everybody 's on AOL!
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There's just so much happening, we're trying to focus on the skater tees.
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Because not just Kel...
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...but Kenan, too!
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What a boy wants...
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...what a boy needs. We're going to pretend we didn't see this.
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Who's ready for a round of wardrobe malfunctions?
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"One day after school, my sister had excused herself to the bathroom and hadn't realized that her skirt was tucked into her underwear — not to mention she was wearing Tweety Bird panties! Luckily for her, I noticed in time, and no one else saw." Patricia saves the day.
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"My most embarrassing moment was at a dance. This cute boy asked me to dance, so I said, 'Yeah, sure!' Then, I got onto the dance floor, and I tripped over my cloggy four-inch shoes!' I was so embarrassed. Then, at the end of the dance, the cute boy finally came over and said, 'I'm sorry that all the kids laughed at you and called you cloggy-shoe tripper.' I said, 'That's okay,' and he walked me home." Lisa, the cloggy-shoe tripper.
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Did anybody else have these "fashion" dolls?
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We're not sure what this local advertisement is, but bedtime really has never looked so fun. Sue us?
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Contrary to Generation Z 's beliefs, Steve Madden was the shoe king — not Kanye.
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Yes, at some point in time, you liked these. Accept it.
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Talk about comfort (if you could get past the blisters).
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"My personal style is funky, trendy, hip, and casual. I love accesories, purses, necklaces, belts, watches, and rings." My, how the times have changed.
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It's fun! It's funky! She loves shoes!
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Is this what pre-games looked like 15 years ago?
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Oh, those floral pants. It's all too real.
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Funnily enough, this look is trending hard right now.
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Yellow pants, for the win.
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Oh, ya know, just grilling...
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More cutoff raglan tees (and mustard), please.
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Is that a boombox?
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Did David LaChapelle shoot this? (The answer is no, but you see it, too, right?)
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Real fashion for real girls, you know?
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How many '90s trends can you fit into an 8 x 11?
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This feature, penned by Shari Levine, is too woke for its own good.
"Think the media doesn't glam things up? Check out the girl to the right and the girl on the opposite [next] page — she's the same girl. Makeup and hair styling are only two of the techniques used to enhance beauty in photos."
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Glam, indeed.
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Joanne vibes.
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"The media creates dissatisfaction by acting like only one basic body type exists and is worthy of being shown."
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Bare-faced and beautiful.
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Say it with them: "Don't compare yourself to a celebrity or model. Instead, look in the mirror and find the things that you like about yourself. Accept yourself where you are right now, focus on the good and expand it."
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Important: "Not all girls who are concerned with weight develop disorders. Some just linger in a daily prison of doubt, low self-esteem, and feelings of worthlessness."
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"Normalcy is what's often lost in advertising. Almost all of the images you see in the media are altered in some way." Say it again for the people in the back.
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Were the Olsen Twins ahead of the braces trend?
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All they need are a couple of pairs of mukluks and all that knit fringe makes sense.
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The fact that Mary-Kate was listening to Sade and Bob Marley at the age of 14.
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Who knew Ashley was so messy. We're sure things have progressed since then.
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The 2001 version of Twitter: "The girls spent most of March working on their new TV series and fashion line! Their spring break ran from late March (right after a trip to New York to appear on the Today show) until the second week of April."
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For Valentine's Day, your crush:
A. Gave you a card.
B. Gave you a hug.
C. Gave you the silent treatment.
D. Didn't do anything.
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You're trying to save for your very own gold name necklace. You decide to:
A. Ask your mom to put aside some of your allowance each week so you don't screw it up.
B. Buy a bead choker at the mall for $6, you know you'll never save enough for 24 karat.
C. Establish an envelope on your desk to stash a few dollars a week in.
D. Promise yourself you'll cut down on your spending time to buy it.
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News is: J.C. has a girlfriend. You:
A. Rip down all signs of *NSYNC from your room. And plan to destroy this girl.
B. Write him a fan letter telling him you still love him, but are confused.
C. Hold a therapy session for your friends in your bedroom.
D. Trade your *NSYNC CDs for Backstreet albums.
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Reasons you don't need a boyfriend:
Justin Timberlake can be your boyfriend. (Provided he dumps Britney.) (And provided you meet him.)
Ah, yes. Easy.
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Not sure what the messaging is here, but we need that pink denim jacket, stat.
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And finally, Mary-Kate and Ashley's Last Look, the fashion industry's next throwback accessory: Lip Smacker key chains.
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