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Friday, October 12, 2012

The Star Quality Of A Hello Kitty Watch

By Jennifer S.


She's been featuring in girls' schoolbags, bedrooms and closets for more than three decades. Kitty White's image has not only stood the test of time, though. It's also stood the test of aging. Many a little girl from the Seventies and Eighties has grown up to become an adult woman who now wears her Hello Kitty watch, bag, necklace or T-shirt with aplomb.

The Japanese company Sanrio created the character of a white cat wearing a bow on her left ear in 1974. Two years later this character, officially named Kitty White, made her appearance in the United States. Since then she has become one of the best-known global brands, appearing on everything from clothing to stationery and laptops, even an Airbus. She also has her own television series and theme parks.

Kitty's biography states that she was born on November 1 in a London suburb, even though she is modeled on a Japanese bobtail cat. She has a twin sister, Mimmy. Unlike Kitty, who sports her bow on her left ear, Mimmy has hers on her right ear. The twins' father is called George and their mother is Mary.

While Sanrio originally marketed the adorable kitten to little girls, in the Nineties they started creating products aimed at an older target market. Teenage girls and young women jumped at the chance to keep wearing their favorite childhood character's image into adulthood and still be fashionable. Today there are items like wristwatches in child-sized varieties as well as bigger sizes for grown-ups.

The Japanese word 'kawaii' refers to a focus on cuteness and this is the main theme of Sanrio's products. Many of the timepieces that feature their famous creation also feature a lot of pink. You can get analogue and digital wristwatches with pink straps and pink faces. Pink rhinestones feature on some designs while others incorporate flowers and hearts.

A few years ago the designs have started moving away from the pink and overly girly to include more elegance and minimalism. White features more prominently in simpler designs, as do silver and gold. Black and red are popular color choices too.

Another recent trend that has been gaining in popularity is adding diamonds to the timepieces. Designer Kimora Lee Simmons is responsible for a collection sold at Neiman Marcus, one of the most upmarket of department stores. Celebrities and others who can afford it have been flocking to wear one of these glamorous pieces.

Simmons' designs feature diamonds, but other gemstones feature too, for instance in the form of sapphire insets to form flowers. Mother-of-pearl or stainless steel are often the material of choice for the background, with the cat's image in enamel. The straps are either in leather, alligator skin or in the form of a stainless-steel bracelet.

While not everybody can afford to buy a diamond Hello Kitty watch, the more basic versions are within most people's budget. If you want, you can even buy a few different designs. There is such a variety that you will always have an accessory matching your chosen outfit for the day.




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