My mother passed on so much to me in terms of fashion, in the form of advice and physical pieces. My mother gave me one of my favorite tops– her old Ralph Lauren boatneck piece– as well as the nicest piece of jewelry I’ve ever owned– an opal necklace. I wear these all the time.
Because of that, even with the oversaturation of celebrity brands I am fascinated by Gigi Hadid’s new brand, Guest in Residence because of its focus on heirlooms. Reading about the new brand got me thinking about fashion being passed through generations. Besides the physical pieces of my mother’s I carry with me, I also carry all the lessons she’s taught me.
By looking at the fashion of women of other generations, it can be a lot easier to create a timeless wardrobe that will lend a sustainable closet of pieces that will be stylish forever, reducing the need to always buy new clothes and overconsume. I’ve consolidated these thoughts into 3 quick fashion tips based on things I’ve learned from my mother.
Tip #1: Building Your Dress Collection
My mother’s closet has one wall lined with just dresses. While it is easy when shopping for something like a sorority formal to buy a cheaply made fast fashion dress for one time use, it is better to invest in creating a collection of quality and versatile dresses. Find dresses that are well made, elegant and classy. Try not to lean into fleeting trends when composing this collection and even look at dresses worn by fashion icons of the past to get an idea of what a timelessly elegant and iconic dress could look like.
Dresses are the kind of piece that can truly make your personal wardrobe special so do not be afraid to have a little fun with it. My mother has dresses of essentially every color and material, so throw on a sparkly or silky dress every now and then, as long as it’s good quality. Timeless certainly does not have to be boring. Some of my favorite places to buy dresses are Reformation, J. Crew and Free People.
Tip #2: Where to Shop
When my mom met my dad, she was wearing a top from her favorite store Mango. She even wore a Mango dress when he proposed. During my whole childhood, she shopped there and has been raving about it for years. It is certainly a bit of a hidden gem of a clothing brand. I would highly recommend Mango if you are looking for a brand that sells fashionable, classic pieces that are of good quality. My mom has kept her Mango pieces from the days of her dating my dad and they still hold up.
Generally though, it is a good idea to explore brands to expand your shopping repertoire, with some of my favorites being & Other Stories for classic swimsuits, Outdoor Voices for athletic wear or Gorjana for jewelry. While I love popular brands like Lululemon, I am always looking for new brands to shop from. My secret to achieving this is that I keep a list in my phone every time I find a new brand that intrigues me.
Tip #3: Leaning into Favorites
It is okay to stick to your favorites when you have figured out what fashion works best for you. There are some styles, colors or materials that you will just come to love and if you have plenty of them in your closet that is completely fine. My mother has loads of black in her closet and wears the color almost all the time. She loves leather pieces as well and never has really stopped buying them over the years. As for me, I have copious amounts of cream and pink colored clothing and gravitate towards knit and soft materials. I own so many sweaters yet I keep reaching for them when I go shopping.
Do not be afraid to repeat outfits. Making fun of outfit repeaters is the thing that is truly out of style. If you have a favorite, then lean into it. This will also be a very individualized process, as what you love for your own person will be different for anyone. The fun part of this is that it can help solidify a signature style. Having favorites can be the building blocks to having your own style, and whatever you feel most comfortable in will undoubtedly be what looks best.
Celebrities are starting to re-wear old pieces from past collections on red carpets, fashion influencers like Matilda Djerf are encouraging timeless and classic outfits and trends like the capsule wardrobe are gaining traction on social media. There’s so much to learn about modern fashion, but also so much to learn about fashion from the past.
While I have learned a lot about fashion from poring over paparazzi photos, reading fashion magazines, following fashion influencers and watching runway shows, I know that my greatest fashion inspiration has always been and will always be my mother.