"My younger years of modeling were really just filled with fun trips. I was doing catalogues for Alexander's and Bloomingdale's"
About this Quote
The specificity of “catalogues for Alexander’s and Bloomingdale’s” lands like a deliberate downgrade from glamour mythology to retail reality. Not Paris runways, not couture mystique - department-store capitalism. That’s the point. Shields is anchoring her origin story in the pre-influencer era when “model” often meant being a face that sold sweaters to middle America. It frames her career as workmanlike and mainstream, which plays well against the more sensational narratives that have long trailed her youth.
Subtext hums underneath the lightness. Shields’ early visibility came with adult projection, scrutiny, and controversy; calling it “fun” subtly pushes back against the idea that she was only ever a cautionary tale. At the same time, the quote doesn’t litigate the darker parts. It sidesteps, choosing a socially acceptable memory: travel, jobs, recognizable stores. The intent feels less like revisionism than boundary-setting - a public figure insisting that her childhood contained more than the headlines, and that success, in its most American form, can start in a catalogue.
Quote Details
| Topic | Nostalgia |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite | Cite this Quote |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Shields, Brooke. (n.d.). My younger years of modeling were really just filled with fun trips. I was doing catalogues for Alexander's and Bloomingdale's. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-younger-years-of-modeling-were-really-just-160116/
Chicago Style
Shields, Brooke. "My younger years of modeling were really just filled with fun trips. I was doing catalogues for Alexander's and Bloomingdale's." FixQuotes. Accessed February 2, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-younger-years-of-modeling-were-really-just-160116/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"My younger years of modeling were really just filled with fun trips. I was doing catalogues for Alexander's and Bloomingdale's." FixQuotes, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/my-younger-years-of-modeling-were-really-just-160116/. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.


