Full blown Rainbow Brite obsession
Posted by Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 94 comments
For years I was absolutely obsessed with everything Rainbow Brite. Wanted to be her, wanted a real Starlite horse and I wanted to be able to fly on a rainbow. Begged my mom to make that Halloween costume. The poofy sleeves and trim were awesome! She made it from a Butterick pattern I think.
I always seemed to be the only one who liked her at the time, as all the other girls were super into Strawberry Shortcake or Holly Hobbie. Were there any others that had this much obsession with Rainbow Brite?
Le_Sadie@reddit
I grabbed the tiny little fashion doll for the anniversary 🌈❤️
special-k-flo@reddit
Yo are you me?? My mom made me the same costume, was also 100% obsessed 🥹
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
Omg you had a wand and everything! AND a sprite, that is so friggin cute!! Spot on too, same exact costume. I wish I would've known all of you back then. Young me really thought I was the only one who liked Rainbow Brite.
special-k-flo@reddit
Our worlds are so small when we are little. It's really cool to be able to look back and find our people, even if we are a few decades late 🥹
HorrFrek@reddit
Omg, the costume your mom made you is amazing.
hobsrulz@reddit
My mom made me this Halloween costume too!
Lindsayr28@reddit
Same! Also all of our moms beat any store bought rainbow bright costume I’ve ever seen by a MILE.
hyperRed13@reddit
Mine too!
Junebug35@reddit
Mine too!!! I played dress up in that costume for years after. It was the only time I was thrilled my mom was a seamstress. She made me wear the most hideous creations in the early 80s. Most of those old Butterick patterns were so ugly!!
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
Yes! I knew there were others!
I kinda want to rock this costume now even. Not the ones I see for adults, but literally this same costume but larger.
thatstwatshesays@reddit
You should!! And it should be exactly like this, with the puffy arms and skirt. What a throwback, you’d be queen of the ‘ween!
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
I think I might have to make this happen because it sounds so fun. And definitely just like this one, not the "adult" ones I've seen online. Another commenter has an awesome version that while it's not poofy, it still looks so cute!
thatstwatshesays@reddit
In mean, hats off to your mom if she made that in the 80s. That’s some quality work
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
The woman could sew! 😂 About 10 years ago she had a whole Etsy shop selling custom Barbie clothes that she would design and sew. She even made them stockings and catsuits.
I, much to her regret, did not get that sewing gene.
thatstwatshesays@reddit
Shut up, I love the idea of custom made Barbie clothes. What a woman 💖
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
This was one of my favorites that she made ❤️
PhiloLibrarian@reddit
Me too! I still have it!!!🌈🦄
Lindsayr28@reddit
Same. My mom made me an almost identical costume!
Jonestown_Juice@reddit
I'm a guy and I loved Rainbow Brite as a very small child. I think she was my first crush.
Alatariel99@reddit
Loved it! Sparked some memories.
As a preteen: divided the clubhouse into Rainbow Land (mine) and Murky Land (brother's) territories. Fortunately we now get along better
As a young adult: watched movies w/friends including Rainbow Brite along with Pippi Longstocking and Jem & the Holograms. Determined Rainbow Brite to be the best female role model
Beginning_Vehicle_16@reddit
I still have the horse toy.
Cherry_Hammer@reddit
Your mom’s amazing ❤️
I had the Rainbow Bright record (vinyl!) and the first song gets stuck in my head from time to time:
Starlight, Rainbow Bright, A little wish in the moonlight! Sunbeam, sparkle and shine, You’ll always be a friend of mine
SwampyFool79@reddit
Same!
Particular-Answer449@reddit
1984- my mom made the entire thing including the wig, by hand!
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
That is fabulous!! Yours has that nice metallic sheen to it ❤️ Well done mom!
ValancyNeverReadsit@reddit
I tried to have my first bike be Rainbow Brite but after we bought the last one in the store and were walking with it back to our car, my dad discovered some apparently unfixable fault with the gears and I had to “settle” for a Strawberry Shortcake one instead.
I wasn’t quite devastated, but that RB bike was just so beautiful. The SSC one was very pink. 🤷♀️
One_Waxed_Wookiee@reddit
Loved Rainbow Brite! I still have my Twink toy 😀
MelancholyRaine@reddit
I had to by myself a Sprite doll as an adult because I didn't have one as a kid.
One_Waxed_Wookiee@reddit
I hear you. For me it was Care Bears 😔
ttw81@reddit
I loved rainbow Brite. My 6th birthday party was rainbow Brite themed.
MelancholyRaine@reddit
Omg, me too! 🌈❤️🩷🩵💙💚
AgentOrange1717@reddit
Me three!! 🌈
library_wench@reddit
I was obsessed. (Still am, a bit.)
And my mom made my costume when I was six and she NAILED IT.
mac117@reddit
Were you from the Bronx/NYC, OP? I remember a classmate wearing that same or very similar costume when I was in pre-k
DJSfromthe1900s@reddit
Back in those early childhood years before things got compartmentalized as for girls or for boys, I loved Rainbow Brite. I never had any toys or anything, but even as a man in my mid 40s I can hear that theme song in my head. I also liked My Little Pony and Strawberry Shortcake at the time, but I don't remember anything about those. Of course a couple years later it was all He-Man, GI Joe, and Heathcliff.
ONROSREPUS@reddit
my sister when thru this stage as well.
Emz423@reddit
The Colorforms!!!
ScreenTricky4257@reddit
I (male) wanted a Rainbow Brite doll, and my mother refused. It wasn't that I was girly and liked dolls; it was that I was color-blind and Rainbow Brite was in such stark colors that I could see them.
Bakingsquared80@reddit
As someone who had to wear the plastic mask and smock rainbow brite costume I’m very jealous
herselfnz@reddit
I had that stripy nightgown!
MetsFan3117@reddit
My mom made that exact same costume for me along with a yellow rag wig I refused to wear. I love this!!
Queen_Of_InnisLear@reddit
Aw the plush Starlite! I had her too and my dog chewed all four of her hooves off 😭 it was a massacre
jpetersell@reddit
Oh I have photos somewhere of me in full rainbow brite clothing. And I know if I open a box I’m going to find a star brite with shredded hooves and braided hair. (Also, who doesn’t have a box of things they refused to get rid of when they were 25 and now they are 45 and haven’t opened the box but know what’s exactly in it? I mean, my husband has so many gaming consoles that aren’t relevant anymore, and 4x the games. We have a 3 bedroom house plus library. And we still have boxes. For our part, none are in an attic.)
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
Omg I feel this so much. My old stuffed animals are all tucked away somewhere but like you said I know exactly what's in there without out opening it.
dustytannens@reddit
I was obsessed. Had the bed sheets to prove it.
weareallmadherealice@reddit
I still have original 1980s birthday cups and I’m saving them for my 50th birthday
MelancholyRaine@reddit
My name is Raine, pronounced like 🌧. I was obsessed with Rainbow Brite!
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
I'm so happy I posted this! I wasn't sure if many others had had the same interests back then and I was feeling a bit lonely and nostalgic.
And, as always, this sub and community has made me feel so seen and you all are so friggin nice ❤️.
I didn't put it in the original post but I was teased back then a lot for liking Rainbow Brite and having not seeing much about her since I've been an adult had me convinced she was not liked now either. I was SO wonderfully wrong!
McGregor_Shrubsole@reddit
I reallllly wanted the Shy Violet doll for Christmas but my parents left it too late and all the colourful friends were sold out! They got me a Murky Dismal doll instead, which was NOT satisfactory. I still feel bad about what a brat I was over it, and it's one of the few toys I kept from my childhood. He sits on a shelf in my bedroom closet now.
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
Murky always reminded me of a Goomba from Mario Bros. Something about his face shape.
Ugh I hate thinking of all the bratty things I did as a kid, makes me feel bad too. Mostly little sister stuff because I wanted to be as cool as my brother. But I still cringe at some especially bratty memories.
Fabulous-South-9551@reddit
me and rainbow
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
I would've cried! Happy tears, I mean. I would've tried to bring her home with me. "You live with me now, Rainbow! Let's go!"
Disneymom7@reddit
She was my favorite!! I would skip around the living room in circles to the record & always chose anything Rainbow Brite at the video store. When I was in my 20's my sister got me the Hallmark ornament & and doll, and just last month, I bought the sparkly special edition Funko pop from Hot topic! My husband also put the little Rainbow brite & friends figures from Five Below in my Christmas stocking! When my daughter was in 2nd or 3rd grade I bought her a rainbow brite dress with a matching headband from Etsy & she rocked that outfit a lot!
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
Yes! This is how you live the Rainbow Brite life! I love that you did that for your daughter. Mine was not impressed with the show, dolls or Ms Brite herself. She was definitely into the new versions of Strawberry Shortcake and MLP Friendship is Magic though.
BlacksmithThink9494@reddit
The costume? Im jealous! I still have the doll and horse. That was my favorite show.
happycheff@reddit
My mom also made me the costume! And I had a canopy bed with the rainbow brite set and all the sprites!
Fabulous-South-9551@reddit
I had the sheet and comfort set. My friend had a canopy bed and I wanted one so bad
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
Omg you had the canopy?! I wanted that so bad. I always showed it to my mom in the Sears Christmas catalog hoping I'd get it. I got the ruffle sheet though.
Astrazigniferi@reddit
My parents must have made sure this catalogue never made it into our house, because if I had seen this, I would have made getting it my entire reason for existing.
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
😂 Seriously! That catalog was dangerous.
allthesamejacketl@reddit
I am late to the thread but I was also completely obsessed with Rainbow Brite! Never understood why she didn’t get the same recognition and there doesn’t seem to be the same nostalgia for her. I used to have recurring dreams that I was her and it rocked haha.
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
That's exactly what I noticed too. I watched Strawberry Shortcake, My Little Pony, Jem and even She-Ra have great revivals. I know Rainbow Brite had a sort of comeback but it just didn't take off like the rest of them.
BornTry5923@reddit
Someone was spoiled!
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
Lol! It appears like it. Made up for a lot of bad things going on around me that I was kept ignorant to. Even now my mom drops some bombs about some things when I show her old pictures "Oh, yeah, we'd just moved into crack alley and you were scared of all the screaming and sirens. So my friend felt bad and got you that doll/your grandma found that toy at a thrift store/I saved for months to make that happen". My mom was an absolute bad-ass trying to raise us while poor in the 80s, when Reagan had essentially eradicated most of her hope for a single mom to get schooling to get out of her low bracket.
HumbleAbbreviations@reddit
You were living my dream.
defiancy@reddit
I wasn't into Rainbow Brite but I loved the Carebears. I used to dream I was flying in a cloud car all the time. I loved both movies
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
That cloud car was pretty awesome though. I didn't start liking care bears until I saw the friends, the lion, elephant, raccoon, etc. I always liked the anamorphic versions of the toys like the animal cabbage patch dolls and the Wuzzles.
sabby55@reddit
I was OBSESSED. It was the only video I would ever choose at Video Update haha. I have remained obsessed since the 80s. I actually dressed up as her again last Halloween for the first time since childhood and it was INCREDIBLE. A rainbow showed up and everything 😭😭😭
Astrazigniferi@reddit
🌈 A M A Z I N G 🌈
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
I'm so happy you dressed up as her again, I've always wanted to have a grown version to wear. And the video, yes! My mom's friend had a VCR and that tape and it was my go-to when we'd visit. I loved how sweet but assertive Rainbow Brite was in it.
sabby55@reddit
I highly recommend it it was so satisfying to wear it haha. It was definitely “off brand” rainbow brite haha but still everyone recognized it. When the rainbow showed up I just about lost my mind haha 🏳️🌈
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
What an incredible picture and moment! So glad you got a picture. You look fabulous!❤️❤️
Astrazigniferi@reddit
Shit, are you me?? My mom also made me this costume, even though she didn’t particularly like to sew. Including the big yellow yarn wig. I wore it 2 halloweens in a row. I had a bunch of the same toys, too.
Mental-Ask8077@reddit
It’s on dvd!?
Astrazigniferi@reddit
https://a.co/d/9Ywycbm
I hate to support Amazon, but that’s where I see it still for sale. When Hallmark was selling it, it was way cheaper. 😆🌈
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
Yes, my people! I couldn't find you all back then but you're all here now ❤️.
ohmeursault@reddit
I had a rainbow brite sheet set and we were kinda poor so I must have really liked it 😂
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
Nice! My mom and grandma practically lived at the thrift stores and would scour for things my brother and i liked, or put it on layaway.
We were pretty poor too, every government assistance, every program, welfare, section 8, food stamps, clothing banks.
But the adults in my life really made sure I didn't feel it. I honestly had no idea I was poor until 3rd grade when some classmates made it their mission to remind me every chance they got.
kristosnikos@reddit
I’ve been a Rainbow Brite girlie my entire life. I own some modern shirts and toys but also some vintage things.
Mental-Ask8077@reddit
I had the whole Rainbow Brite canopy bed set! Loved that show, still get nostalgic over it. Oh and that flying robot unicorn the guy had was awesome.
Ok_Run6015@reddit
I had that same toy! Colorforms? My Aunt gave it to me because my parents refused to buy it. Stick on outfits that were different from her original one, you could peel them off these pages, and swap her and Twinks clothes omg I loved anything I could get my hands on that had rainbows 🌈 on it
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
The colorforms were my jam! That and the Rainbow Brite set of ShrinkyDinks.
Hesmec@reddit
Rainbow Brite was my world.
When I was 5 we had a house fire. When we rebuilt, my mom surprised me with a Rainbow Brite bedroom. Sleeping on scratchy sheets but waking up in Rainbowland was magic.
PS: OP, that costume is everything.
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
Your mom is amazing! What a great moment to see that I bet, from tragedy to rainbows. And I remember those sheets were so itchy. I had the dust ruffle one and would put a blanket on top of it to sleep.
AverageDrafter@reddit
That's a serious power outfit, bet you felt like a badass in it. Good job, Color Kid!
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
I did, I honestly did! Still love rainbows to this day.
Aggressive-Green4592@reddit
I love Rainbow Bright! Who's this Hollie?
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
Lol. I was clumped in with a lot of older girls back then and they all had that Holly Hobbie oven and the soft dolls. Carryover from the 70s. They made fun of my rainbow Brite stuff 😭
sed2017@reddit
I loved Rainbow Brite as a kid, all of the colors!
haminator_22@reddit
My best friend and her sister had matching RB costumes one Halloween and I was SO jealous! We were huge fans. I have all my dolls in storage still and am perusing the various backpacks (like Loungefly) to pick one out that's just right for me. You were definitely not alone!
Golden_Enby@reddit
I loved Rainbow Brite! I loved a lot of 80s kids cartoons. Mom didn't get me a lot of toys from it, especially compared to Care Bears and MLP. But I did have a doll. I badly wanted a figure of On-X and Skydancer. They were so unique in that bright, colorful world. Even my fiance thinks they're pretty cool. :)
oakleafwellness@reddit
I had a few rainbow brite items, but I was one of those obsessed with Strawberry Shortcake and in a twist of fate one of my children is very allergic to strawberries. Looking back I probably should have been all about Rainbow Brite.
Intelligent_Serve_30@reddit (OP)
I did have a lot of fun with the Strawberry Shortcake kids, despite my rainbow obsession. Those dolls smelled sooo good!
What's funny too is how much I got into the Strawberry Shortcake revival in the early 2000s because of my daughter. Strawb-ba-ba-ba-ba-berry....Strawberry Shortcake!
Reasonable-Wave8093@reddit
Wow! Yes! Wish i had that costume! Amazing