Chic lessons from my mom

my fav lady ever

My mom and I have a close relationship, but this year Mother’s Day is a painful reminder of the thousands of miles between us. We spend a couple hours on the phone each week staying touch, and text back and fourth, but it can still be hard to be apart from family, especially on the days we want to celebrate them and express our gratitude!

I am not a mom yet, but I pray to be half as kind and lovely as mine someday. And half as chic. She is quite an elegant lady! I’ve been reflecting on all of the *chic* things I’ve observed her doing all my life that I’d love to emulate. Below are some takeaway’s.

Leopard print is always in, whether the masses agree or not

Little me with matching leopard ballet flats to my mom. We could easily recreate this picture now with other matching leopard items!

I’ve never known my mom to not have some leopard in her closet- it is a neutral in our book.

She isn’t on social media a lot, or if she is she’s on the gardening side of Instagram, which I know nothing about. It is so fun to see the things she is drawn to unaffected by the algorithm’s influence. She truly has fabulous taste.

I’d put this in notes a while back, but it is the perfect illustration of liking what you like because you like it! I have an affinity for rockstuds thanks to her.

Keep your pajamas as your pajamas

For me, the line between pajamas and loungewear is quite blurry. There are certainly some pieces that work doubles from sleep to working from home. This is not the case for my mom, she has several matching sets she rotates through, all of which she would never dream of keeping on all day.

if I was going to start a designated pajama collection, I’d start with these. But they’re so cute I’d still be tempted to wear them all day??

Always have your toes painted

In all my years of life, I have never never seen my mom without red polish on her toes. This is the level of mystery I aspire to… what do her bare toes look like? Even as her daughter, I haven’t the faintest idea.

Wear perfume to bed

One of my mom’s favorite products is the Gisou hair perfume, which she told me she puts a spritz of on every night. She does not save her nice things just for special occasions. Why shouldn’t we go to bed smelling extra nice?

her two beauty favs <3

Wear a hat in the sun

Firstly, because you’ll look fabulous. Secondly, because of the sun protection.

Exhibit A for the looking fabulous part

Never buy the dupe

My mom is the OG who taught me the ‘fewer but better’ mindset. Her wardrobe is a testament to this. She has never been one to buy a lot of clothes, an entire season could easily pass before she gets one new thing, but over the years she has built such a beautiful collection of timeless pieces. She’s been rocking denim on denim, polka dots, stripes, lots of red, and maxi dresses for as long as I can remember. All pieces I’m looking to add to my own closet now!

denim on denim is always a look!

polka dot dresses forever

Every shower is an everything shower

If she is reading at this point I think she is mortified I am about to discuss her shower habits online. Don’t worry mom, I don’t know all the details anyways, but what I do know is she would be baffled if you explained the concept of an ‘everything shower’ to her. “Isn’t that the type of care you should be taking of yourself every day?” she would say.

Put yourself together everyday

Similarly, I can only imagine the eye roll if I explained what ‘rotting’ is to my mom. She is truly a ‘look good, feel good’ kind of lady. Even during the covid lockdowns I don’t remember a day she didn’t put an outfit on, fix her hair, and wear mascara.

I remember as a little girl sitting in her bathroom watching her get ready and asking, “when am I going to be allowed to wear eye liner like you?”

Although I am not someone who puts myself together every. single. day. (I think I’ve made that clear very here???) I look back and smile at the effort my mom consistently put in for herself and the people around her. When you show up well for the people in your life, you never know the impact it will have on them. It is a gift to think of her so highly, even as I don’t get to see her often.

If you are a mom, happy mother’s day to you! Sending all the love this weekend and hoping it is a relaxing one <3.

If you feel so inclined I’d love to hear lessons from you or your mom!

Xx, elle