Mother's Day Fashion Lessons with Alexis Martin

Mother’s Day approaches and I’m rummaging through my closet for options. I’m doing what I usually do for an occasion, which is to optimistically approach my wardrobe knowing in the back of my mind that if I get even the slightest bit frustrated I’m headed to my favorite style expert to buy something new. 

I remember Mother’s Day long before I had my own littles, when it was all about my mother. I’m  thinking about what she did when she had a closet full of clothes but nothing to wear, and lacked the convenience of a favorite website with express shipping. The lady had style, so she made it work. Here’s what I learned watching her make it happen with fashion:

1. Boomer Magic

I’m an elder millennial, and my mother is a baby boomer. If you’re thinking Diane Keaton in a suit, socks and sneakers you are not far off of her regular work wardrobe. When I was a kid my mother was what they used to call “plus sized”, so she had a small section of Dana Buchman and Ellen Tracy to choose from. The lady looked fly every damn day though. The mannequins in her section looked like a boxy mess, but my mother accessorized, mixed and matched until she was giving those 80s movie working girls a run for their money. There wasn't a shoulder padded color blocked blazer that a chunky belt, red oval nails, gold jewelry, and 4 inch heels could not improve. 

2. You + New

My mother would never blindly follow trends. Her style evolved with the culture, but she always stayed true to what worked for her. Throughout the 90s the shoulder pads disappeared but the suits stayed. The jewelry was less pronounced but there was still a ring on each hand. The nails were square french tips and the toes matched. Her hair was sleeker but she never committed to the molded up-dos. It was the lux era, and she rocked logos on her bags but not on her clothes. She didn’t stay stuck in an era, but if the “new thing” didn’t work for her, she gave it a miss.

3. Confidence is key

By the 2000s my mom lost a ton of weight. She was able to wear items that had been inaccessible at her previous size. When she started wearing jeans I realized how much availability of the things she liked influenced her style, regardless of size. She felt better physically and her style expanded because she had more options, but her style made the same statement because she always had confidence in her choices and her sense, regardless of her size. 

This last one probably is what hits home the most these days because I am swinging 7-year-old baby weight with drawers full of jeans I’m going to “get back into” but baby, one thing I am going to look is GOOD. Thanks mom 🙂