Urban Mommies: Style scene?

[pinksatin]

I love fashion as much as anyone on this board but I have to say I love my mom a lot more. She is the most beautiful woman in the world and I will always love her more than anyone else. She isn't perfect and stepford-like but it would be tragic if she was. I love her just the way she is and I hope when I have babies sometime they'll hold me to the same standard and not appreciate my highlights and waist measurement and wardrobe more than my lap and lessons and love.

My mommy doesn't dress that stylishly unless she's going to a ball/function thing or going "out" (theater, ballet, dinner, getaway, etc.). She isn't a frump though either. Just casual, practical, and comfortable which is appropriate for a 53 y.o. in a small midwestern town. Mostly she wears basics like J.Crew sweaters or tees and jeans. She isn't necessarily stylish but she never wears anything that is dingy or worn-out. Very basic, but very neat.

 

[nycmom]

thank you for sharing that, i'm sure your mother would love to read this too. i really hope my daughter feels that way about me when she's your age...

I love fashion as much as anyone on this board but I have to say I love my mom a lot more. She is the most beautiful woman in the world and I will always love her more than anyone else. She isn't perfect and stepford-like but it would be tragic if she was. I love her just the way she is and I hope when I have babies sometime they'll hold me to the same standard and not appreciate my highlights and waist measurement and wardrobe more than my lap and lessons and love.

 

[HiHeels]

I love fashion as much as anyone on this board but I have to say I love my mom a lot more. She is the most beautiful woman in the world and I will always love her more than anyone else. She isn't perfect and stepford-like but it would be tragic if she was. I love her just the way she is and I hope when I have babies sometime they'll hold me to the same standard and not appreciate my highlights and waist measurement and wardrobe more than my lap and lessons and love.

My mommy doesn't dress that stylishly unless she's going to a ball/function thing or going "out" (theater, ballet, dinner, getaway, etc.). She isn't a frump though either. Just casual, practical, and comfortable which is appropriate for a 53 y.o. in a small midwestern town. Mostly she wears basics like J.Crew sweaters or tees and jeans. She isn't necessarily stylish but she never wears anything that is dingy or worn-out. Very basic, but very neat.

i have to say, your mom doesn't sound like she needs to be defended. she sounds perfectly classic. that IS style. there are a lot of different styles, hip or cool is just one category.

 

[HiHeels]

thank you for sharing that, i'm sure your mother would love to read this too. i really hope my daughter feels that way about me when she's your age...

so funny, you made me remember that my daughter has already defended my style, and she's only 2 and a half. her art teacher complimented me on my coat, saying it was funky, and then my daughter was very concerned, insisting to me that it wasn't funky, that it was nice and that she liked it. i've used 'funky' usually for negative things, you know, like, "don't pick that up, it's gross and funky." or, "we have to throw that away because it's funky [from sitting in our fridge for too long]"

 

[pinksatin]

HiHeels - That is an adorable story. Your daughter is in art classes at 2 1/2? What a cool toddler! And yeah, I guess my mom isn't the kind we're addressing in this thread. I just started thinking about what my mommy style will be like and what my own mother's style is like and decided it doesn't matter to me so much. As long as you feel good about how you look and take care of yourself. I can judge anonymous moms' style but not my own mommy's.

 

[cammie]

when i first saw that on snl it just made me sad.
i would rather this thread be about moms WITH style, than making fun of moms without it. there are loads of people who are fashion-clueless, and when they have kids, big surprise, they stay that way. i would rather not take shots at them.

I only posted the clip because there seemed to be questions as to what exactly stereotypical "mom jeans" were, and the clip demonstrates the style quite well. The fact that it happens to also make fun of the style was not my reason for posting it; the fact that it was the best demonstration of the style that I could find is why I posted it.

eta: I did call them dreaded though, in the original post, but not to make fun of those who wear them... I'm simply not a fan of the cut.

 

[tinymama]

It makes me so sad when mom's I know think of style and motherhood as completely incompatible! I mean, yes, your style may go through a few changes, but you can love your kids with all your and still leave the house looking decent

Angelina Jolie
from tfs jolie thread

Reese Witherspoon
from tfs reese thread

Sarah Jessica Parker
from tfs sjp thread

 

[Lena]

tiny mama, excuse me BUT crediting pics at tFS threads is not proper credit, so i need to delete...
kindly add valid source when posting pics and check tFS posting guidelines

 

[tinymama]

^^re-posting pics, with credits

Angelina Jolie

(Photo by Arnaldo Magnani/Getty Images)

(people.com)

Reese Witherspoon

(clasos)

(clasos)

Sarah Jessica Parker

(wenn)

(clasos)

 

[Lena]

you are an angel, Karma for tinymama

on topic, i understand moms as women first, so i'm not sure i can see them 'segment-ated' as in followin a 'specific' mom's-trend style, a mom's wardrobe is as anyone else's no?

best dressed from the ones posted above, must be Angelina, but wearing what she does, she would be welldressed even if she wasnt carrying her kid.

 

[HiHeels]

you are an angel, Karma for tinymama

on topic, i understand moms as women first, so i'm not sure i can see them 'segment-ated' as in followin a 'specific' mom's-trend style, a mom's wardrobe is as anyone else's no?

best dressed from the ones posted above, must be Angelina, but wearing what she does, she would be welldressed even if she wasnt carrying her kid.

very subjective of course, but hands down my vote goes to reese witherspoon. she lookes like a woman while being a mom. tinymama you did such a good thing for posting those candids. sometimes people refer to these stars as style moms and use their on-duty pics as evidence. (i really don't look at angelina's style as influential or appealing). i suppose, lena, it isn't that a mom's style is necessarily different from any other woman's, but the effort/struggle to achieve style does change very much, to either maintain it or redefine it (if your life changes from going to the office to staying at home, wardrobes do change, or become less relevant and need updating from a new perspective), with new considerations: comfort, washability (did i just make that word up?), etc. not to mention the time, the time available to dedicate to style. also, lithe bodies, which look cute in anything (see sjp - why do we think she looks great in a t, jeans and thongs? but she does.) either change or can't be maintained, and that's another obstacle. i would say that any mom who looks good gets extra points over someone without kids.
i saw julianne moore in person once, at the playground with her daughter. jeans and a vintage rock t, baseball cap. the jeans were cut to flatter, the t was punk and the hat was practical. she looked hip but more importantly, she wasn't thinking about it - she was thinking about her daughter.

 

[tinymama]

(From celebrity-babies.com)

Celebrity Mom: Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts
Babies: Phinnaeus Walter Moder and Hazel Patricia Moder
Born: Nov. 28, 2004
Hospital: Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles, CA
Pregnancy Style: Julia went for the more comfortable look during pregnancy, sporting mainly jeans, baggy pants, t-shirts, and big coats. This is understandable of course, she was having two babies!
Nanny or No: She's already fired two, so lets go with no!

What she really owns: Thumblina Snuggle Sack, Zooper Twin Stroller, Kee-Ka clothing, Shabby Chic Rocker, Lil' Goat's EssentialsWhere she really shops: A small baby store in Taos, NM which remains unknown but she bought a blue and pink onesie there, babystyle in Santa Monica, Polkadots and Moonbeams Maternity in LA
Why we love her: Julia waited until the right time in her career to have a child and didn't try and juggle it all at once. She found a great man after many bad choices, and then settled down outside of Hollywood. Julia went through a bad pregnancy and several months of bed rest before giving birth early to her twins. She is a great role model for moms everywhere with her courage and strength during difficult times.

 

[Bel]

On the subject of mom jeans, has anyone seen that brand, Not Your Daughter's Jeans? Not only pretentious, they're also very unflattering.

One the tv show What Not To Wear, nearly every other person featured is a mother who's given up. They can get very snobby, seeming to think they're better people because they're slobs. As if you can't possibly be a good mother if you put any thought into your own clothing. It bothers me.

 

[LaurieAnn]

Hi Ladies!

I'm a mom with a 9 year old special needs son. When I'm shlepping (sp?) him around to school and/or appointments I wear a mix of the following (not all at the same time ankle length slim black or grey pants with quality flats, cashmere sweaters, black or grey skirts with boots or tights and pumps, jeans and suit jacket with heeled shoes; in summer lots of light cotton skirts with flats and white jeans. I always have on at least a little bit of makeup. On mornings when things aren't going well I have the luxury of just dropping him off at school without getting out of the car!

I attend quite a few meetings and doctors appointments on my son's behalf and have learned that dressing with style gives me a sense of confidence and authority I need to advocte for him with lots of different people. It also sends the message that I'm not someone who can be pushed around.

 

[blackman]

It is def much more of a choice and effort to get 'dressed' in the morning when you have small children. I know I have made some good choices and some bad (ie, stuff that slips off of the shoulder when your 1 year old pulls on it, and too short is bad, trying to pick your kid up off the floor while staying modest can be a trick)

I think one of the best things you can do is edit your wardrobe, make eveything chic, and easy to co-ordinate. (like LaurieAnn). Embracing prints can be a life saver, and dark jean - hides the messes.

Funniest outfit ever, cream cotton pants and gold silk shirt to go on a daytrip to the Detroit AutoShow in January. Pants got splashed by sleet, silk shirt got juice stained, and the light colour hid nothing. I looked a right mess by the end of the day.

I think what it comes down to is that in any moment of distress, your children are going to come first so your clothes are going to get wrecked!

 

[HiHeels]

One the tv show What Not To Wear, nearly every other person featured is a mother who's given up. They can get very snobby, seeming to think they're better people because they're slobs. As if you can't possibly be a good mother if you put any thought into your own clothing. It bothers me.

you might not even know how very very true this is irl. i encounter it all the time.
thanks for posting. karma.