‘That Girl’ DVDs recall groovy fashion scene

Long before “Project Runway,” ages before “Sex and the City” and light years away from any of the celebrity cable channels that obsessively follow red carpet fashion, there was “That Girl.”

That girl was Marlo Thomas. And her show, “That Girl,” was every 1960s-era budding fashionista’s not-so-guilty pleasure. The series was a full-fledged fashion show masquerading as a sitcom.

Now the first season (1966-67) is out on DVD ($39.98 from Shout! Factory). It’s sure to resonate with any girl who ever drooled over Marlo’s mod A-line skirts or dreamed about strutting down Fifth Avenue in her white go-go boots.

The show made Thomas a star, and Thomas helped make a star of fashion. The iconic opening credits that show her in one groovy outfit after another only underscored the show’s obsession with clothing, accessories, hairstyles and makeup. The wardrobe included trendsetting outfits from some of the leading designers and fashion houses at the time, including Cardinali, Halston, Courreges and Oscar de la Renta.

One nagging thing, though: How on Earth did the character -- a poor, wannabe actress -- afford such slick duds? It couldn’t have been boyfriend Donald Hollinger; he wasn’t that well off. Perhaps Daddy in the suburbs? Nah, he was too stern and a bit of a tightwad.

Let’s just chalk up that fabulous wardrobe to the magic of television.