This edition of The Eastland 'Ensider', headed by that journalistic team of Molly Parker and Natalie Green, takes a look at a fascinating element of television's The Facts of Life: Mrs. Garrett's legwear!

Have you realized that Mrs. Edna Garrett, in her 7+ seasons on the show, only wore slacks in THREE* episodes?!? Eleswhere she's in her trademark Mrs. Garrett skirts, from the dorm to the '80s shop.

That's right! Mrs. Garrett only ever wore pants in the first three produced episodes of season 2:


The New Girl: Part I (201)
The New Girl: Part II (202)
Shoplifting (203)

[numbers are show production numbers, in order of taping]

*(it could be argued she wore pants in only two episodes, as "The New Girl" was a "to be continued" two-parter, but technically that story was two separate episodes)

After this astounding brief moment of Mrs. Garrett wearing pants, in the fourth episode filmed that season, "Double Standard", she is immediately back in a skirt in the opening scene.

I realize I am in the 0.00000001% population on this, but I find this utterly fascinating. Honestly. This raises so many questions for me:


WHY, after two years of skirts (DS and FOL season 1), did they suddenly put Mrs. Garrett in slacks?
WHO decided Edna should go from skirts to slacks? Was it the costume designer, Lee Smith? Did Charlotte suddenly feel young and "sassy" for a few episodes?
Was it to celebrate her new-found weight loss?
Regardless, WHY did they then go back to putting her in skirts forever after only a couple of episodes later?
Did viewership increase when Mrs. Garrett wore slacks?? Did Eastland's ratings go through the roof?? Was it the most culturally important moment of the 1980s?? (okay so three two questions aren't as sincere, haha)


Now, because she actually begins the season 2 premiere episode in a skirt, and then appears in slacks for the second half of the episode, it makes this mystery (not meat) that much deeper...

But, yes, because they only dressed her in slacks for THREE episodes immediately after her weight loss, it does have me earnestly questioning this moment in television history.

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Well they did draw attention to the fact Mrs G lost weight in the premiere. Maybe they wanted some sex appeal for her newly skinny body. :lol:

Well they did draw attention to the fact Mrs G lost weight in the premiere. Maybe they wanted some sex appeal for her newly skinny body. :lol:

Haha, get those over-50 men tuning in, va-va-va-voooom! ;) :lol:

But, if they wanted to "show off" her weight loss by giving her two complete separate legs (haha), why not continue to do so throughout season 1, instead of only the first 3 episodes?? It's incredible!

Nice find, '80s!

I never noticed that Mrs. Garrett only wears skirts, outside of those three episodes. I echo Lorimar's theory that they must have wanted to highlight Mrs. G's weight loss, befitting her new position as school dietician. After they established that she'd lost weight, they could put her back in her traditional skirts, which she'd worn for two years (one on DS).

Nice find, '80s!

I never noticed that Mrs. Garrett only wears skirts, outside of those three episodes.


I always noticed on a subconscious level. I "sensed" she was outside of her "traditional" Mrs. G look, being in those pants, I just never scrutinized it until now. :lol:


I echo Lorimar's theory that they must have wanted to highlight Mrs. G's weight loss, befitting her new position as school dietician. After they established that she'd lost weight, they could put her back in her traditional skirts, which she'd worn for two years (one on DS).

I find that so interesting! "You've lost half of yourself, so we're gonna show off your legs individually in tailored pants!"---[3 episodes tape]---"Okay, the pants were great, people see how fit you are---now here are some smaller skirts for you!---forever!" lol

I always noticed on a subconscious level. I "sensed" she was outside of her "traditional" Mrs. G look, being in those pants, I just never scrutinized it until now. :lol:

I understand what you mean. Something definitely felt "off", especially in "Shoplifting".


I find that so interesting! "You've lost half of yourself, so we're gonna show off your legs individually in tailored pants!"---[3 episodes tape]---"Okay, the pants were great, people see how fit you are---now here are some smaller skirts for you!---forever!" lol

Haha!

I did actually already find a fourth episode where Mrs. G. wears pants:

I did actually already find a fourth episode where Mrs. G. wears pants:

Oh, good catch! I forgot about her "wogging pants"! :lol:

Also:

Her "flood pants"! WOW, so that's 2 more episodes, like, a "6th and a 1/2" of season 1 episodes! :lol:

Now, granted, these are extenuating wardrobe circumstances, and not her "everyday wear", but still, yeah, it is neat to see, lol.

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Aha! So it's more common than we thought! Still rare, though...

Aha! So it's more common than we thought! Still rare, though...

Yeah, I wouldn't say "common" (except for "room"---ha!), but it "happened" more than we thought---but yes, exceedingly rare!

LOL tbh I never noticed Mrs G's outfits. I didnt keep track of her choice of leggings.

LOL tbh I never noticed Mrs G's outfits. I didnt keep track of her choice of leggings.

Legwear, not "leggings", Lorsie! :lol:

Well, give yourself time---if you watch the show enough, you too might someday notice on some level when she "stands out" in non-skirty slacks! :lol:

Legwear, not "leggings", Lorsie! :lol:

Well, give yourself time---if you watch the show enough, you too might someday notice on some level when she "stands out" in non-skirty slacks! :lol:

Sorry lol I only wear pants ;)

Sorry lol I only wear pants ;)

What?? I never claimed otherwise! :lol:

What?? I never claimed otherwise! :lol:

HAHA! Im saying I don't know any other terms for "leg wear" cuz I wear one type.

HAHA! Im saying I don't know any other terms for "leg wear" cuz I wear one type.

:lol:

Well, "legwear" is a new word I made up to include all of Mrs. Garrett's lower-half outerwear, both skirts and slacks. :lol:

And I have to say, one of my proudest accomplishments is having started a thread about Mrs. Garrett's rare slacks that has gone to 2 pages! Man, this thread's really got "legs"!! :rofl:

I bet we can find another episode where Mrs. G's not wearing a skirt.

:lol:

Well, "legwear" is a new word I made up to include all of Mrs. Garrett's lower-half outerwear, both skirts and slacks. :lol:

And I have to say, one of my proudest accomplishments is having started a thread about Mrs. Garrett's rare slacks that has gone to 2 pages! Man, this thread's really got "legs"!! :rofl:

Haha we can always count on you to come up with a great pun! :lol:

I bet we can find another episode where Mrs. G's not wearing a skirt.

I bet we can, too---"Fear Strikes Back"! You know Mrs. G ain't wearin' no skirt in that self-defense class! lol


Haha we can always count on you to come up with a great pun! :lol:

Well, me and a couple of other "punny" guys around here, lol. :)

Why didn't you just delete your post altogether? Oh, Lorsie! :lol:

You can do that??? Let me try.....

I bet we can, too---"Fear Strikes Back"! You know Mrs. G ain't wearin' no skirt in that self-defense class! lol

Yep! Just checked, and she's wearing a blue... jumpsuit? I guess that's the right word.

Yep! Just checked, and she's wearing a blue... jumpsuit? I guess that's the right word.

This is amazing, we've found 3 more!

But, it looks like there are only TWO episodes where she is not in a skirt at anytime in the entire show: "The New Girl: Part 2", and "Shoplifting".

This is amazing, we've found 3 more!

Yeah, at least six episodes!


But, it looks like there are only TWO episodes where she is not in a skirt at anytime in the entire show: "The New Girl: Part 2", and "Shoplifting".

That's what it looks like to me, although I haven't reviewed any DS episodes.

We could all get Mrs. Garrett nice dressy slacks for Christmas, and then she'd have some more options for her wardrobe! :lol:

We could all get Mrs. Garrett nice dressy slacks for Christmas, and then she'd have some more options for her wardrobe! :lol:

Maybe red and green for the holiday

We could all get Mrs. Garrett nice dressy slacks for Christmas, and then she'd have some more options for her wardrobe! :lol:

Let's not ask Jo to chip in this year... ;)

Let's not ask Jo to chip in this year... ;)

Yeahhhhh unless we want Mrs G to got accosted by security.

A bit off topic (okay, so a lot off topic, lol), since this has nothing to do with Mrs. Garrett's legwear wardrobe :lol:, but I always love that little moment where Mrs. Garrett pretends to be Jo's fairy godmother in "Double Standard", threatening to turn her into a pumpkin, heehee :)

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Of course, now that I called Mrs. Garrett Jo's fairy godmother, I had do a mock-up, lol:

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Haha! Very cute!

Of course, now that I called Mrs. Garrett Jo's fairy godmother, I had do a mock-up, lol:

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"Mrs G, this is kinda hokey for me"
"Go with it or I'll turn you into a frying pan"

Ya know what's funny about the theory that dressed Charlotte in slacks to show off her new slimmed down figure? When the girls point it out in the first scene in TNG Part 1, she's in a skirt! They don't put her in slacks until later that evening, when she has changed outfits (see page 1 for evidence, lol).

Interesting, I watched "Shoplifting" earlier, and I forgot that Mrs. Garrett points out her weight loss---again! So when season 2 started, that was 2 episodes filmed in a row where Mrs. Garrett gets all leggy wearing slacks, and points out her weight loss. Then apparently after this the sensationalism fades, because she goes back to skirts full-time and no more comments about her "recent" weight loss.

I guess so!