The Olsen twins’ ex-stylist reveals what it was like dressing our favorite pair as tweens
It’s Thursday, which means we’re allowed to reminisce. Today’s decade of choice? The ’90s, when the skies were bluer, the internet was slower, and the fashion was… denim-ier.
Today’s style flashback is in special thanks to Judy Swartz, better known as Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen’s OG stylist. You know, from the days when the twins were starring in their hit movies like Passport to Paris and Our Lips Are Sealed and wearing the coolest coordinating spaghetti strap tops and matching colored sunglasses. And in an interview with Refinery29, Judy opens up about what it was like to dress the tweens, so prepare yourself for the most epic #tbt yet.
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It’s important to say that if you were ever inspired by the twins’ tween style, you have Judy to thank. She was responsible for everything from styling every movie to each red carpet event. And she didn’t just go to one designer to get the looks, she went to many, creating and customizing looks for the teens.
The most surprising part of the interview? We learned that many designers didn’t want to dress Mary-Kate and Ashley. In the exclusive interview she says,
"I’d call up a [fashion] company and try to get accessories; I'd go, 'Mary-Kate and Ashley are doing…' But, hey, they were young. It’s ironic to me that those are the [industry names] they’re hanging out with now. People were coming around and lending them clothes when I stopped working with them, when they were 16 or 17 years old. But when they were tweens, no [designers] were interested [in lending]; I don’t blame them. But I went and bought [those designers' clothes] anyway."
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And since each movie had a theme, there were extra barriers for what the aesthetic of each girl looked like. Whether it was customizing Dolce & Gabbana or a pashmina skirt, everything was intentional and everything was tailored. Each look had three separate fittings, and there was a tailor that worked with Judy and the girls regularly.
Now, although Judy was the stylist, both Mary-Kate and Ashley were involved, working alongside their stylist to define their own look. But not even Judy would have guessed that the sisters’ would start their line The Row and become so successful with it.
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Since Judy was in charge of Mark-Kate and Ashley’s line at Walmart, she eventually had to let go of styling them when they were 16 or 17. But those major boho layers the girls wore through their college days? They have Judy to thank for that, and so do we.
The glow up is real.
