STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

TheLovelyLady71 · Hermes

Is your Mother (or parents) Stylish?

theotherjess · Chanel

My mom dresses okay. She's way casual and dresses for comfort though. Her clothes aren't so bad but she does wear mom jeans (even though she has some cute ones, she thinks they are too low and not comfortable enough) and her shoes are usually pretty bad (she will not wear cute flats or heels. Only those Naturalizer type shoes.). But she usually looks okay. I introduced her to Ann Taylor Loft which she likes because it's not revealing and she doesn't feel self conscious in it and it's not terribly expensive. Plus everything in the store usually coordinates so it's easy for her to make outfits.

Edited for grammar.

-- Edited by theotherjess at 16:29, 2006-02-22

Metric · Gucci

My mom dresses really nicely. I influence her in alot of ways and she influences me sometimes, too. She has a beautiful collection of suits and great shoes. She's a bad inluence on me b/c she is not afraid to spend a bit of money. Her casual look needs a bit of help b/c I can't get her to buy cooler jeans, we butt heads in that department.

She likes ON for T shirts, Gap for casual clothes, Cleo for suits and "womens wear" (www.cleo.ca), TJ Maxx and other random places like that.

TheLovelyLady71 · Hermes

Yeah, my Mom MAYBE has 4 or 5 prs. of shoes, so shoes would def. be a must; she won't wear too high of a heel, so COOL! Maybe I should just ASK her what stores she likes???? LOL Thanks for the suggestions, as always.

CarrieS · Marc Jacobs

I have to say no. She's always pulled together though. She loves stores like Christopher Banks and Dress Barn, to give you an idea of her style.

She doesn't look bad, just not up to date at all

bex · Chanel

my mom is granny-chic! she's in her 60s and looks so cute all the time...

she sews so she is constantly making these really neat things for herself. like a chenille coat...

her favorite B&M store is J.Jill...

eta: i really get my clothing addiction from my dad though. as a child, i remember him packing for trips and taking along 3-5 pairs of shoes for a weekend or week trip.

-- Edited by bex at 17:30, 2006-02-22

sfclinevandy · Coach

My mom has great style.

My dad, however, dresses like your typical middle aged man... for casual it's always khakis and a golf shirt. He is really funny because he has a signature color... pale yellow. He has a million polos in that color. He even admits it's his signature, which is amusing and weird.

-- Edited by sfclinevandy at 18:49, 2006-02-22

Ally S · Kate Spade

There was a thread very similiar to this before. Here is the link with several pages of discussion on our mothers influencing, or not how we dress.

As far as your mother goes, what is your price range and where does she like to shop? I would not get her a GC to a place she doesn't frequent. You could suggest that you accompany her if you feel you might influence her dressing.

http://tinyurl.com/mwsmo

NCshopper · Hermes

My mom has great style. She recently bought this dress to wear to a wedding next month:

She's going to look awesome.

Anyway, as far as recommendations for you, why not Nordstrom? They have so many great options and the SAs are always really helpful and could maybe help her find a look that's more "her" ya know?

lilyann · Dooney & Bourke

Yes, My mom is very stylish- always has been. She is a shoe fashionista, and owns so many that you will rarely see her wear the same pair in a single month. She is pushing 60, but looks 20 years younger- the result of her italian blood I would assume. She looks very similar to Sophia Loren in build and bone structure. When we go out shopping together, people always comment on her clothing, jewelry, or if we are at the makeup counter- her beauty. Most of her clothing she buys at Nordstroms, or for shoes a local shoe boutique called Franco Ferini. But, she rarely selects items of clothing on her own- she gets one of their personal shoppers, tells them what she is looking for, and goes from there. On accesories, she has very definative tastes, and looks to no one to help her- they are what put her apart from the crowd. No matter how often I have watched her select jewelry, I am still a dolt in this area- I think mainly because I dont have the confidence to put it on and keep it on.

miss t · Dooney & Bourke

My mom is very stylish, chic and sassy. She always looked good no matter the situation or circumstances. Growing up my mom was a single parent and times were tough for us, but she made sure my brothers and I and herself were very stylish, even though we couldn't afford designer clothes. Mom has taught me many great lessons about style, like fit and look are more important than the designer label and price.

My mom's fav stores are bebe, Banana Republic, The Limited, and BCBG.

Lilykind · Hermes

My mom would have great style if she was willing to put a little more effort. She has it in her, but doesn't take the time to make herself look nice.

In the 70s she was the epitome of collegiate/young single girl chic. Even though she was in her 30s, she still looked and dressed a lot like she was in her early 20s. She wore all the trends, but totally in her own style. I love that she even managed to make a Disneyland hat really cool and chic (she wore it with a striped tee, tailored bell bottoms, and She has uber-cool stuff and I swear Marc Jacobs went through her photos

Now, she's in her 60s, uses $2.49 at home haircolor in a box, and wears clothes that are cheaper (like everything's on clearance). She still has a few really nice pieces, plus a pretty enviable LV and Gucci bag collection. However, she got a lot more practical and boring over the years. She owns ugly Eskimo parkas and wears those windpants that make SWISHING NOISE all the freakin' time. I'm sooooo sad...she still has a really nice figure (and GREAT legs that I'm sooooo jealous of because they are prefectly muscular yet slim enough to wear boots unlike mine ). She's fairly oblivious to trends and tends to wear interesting clothes though in a good way...she has a lot of unique pieces that she carries really well. I would help her out except that I haven't talked to her in almost two years (we don't get along at all).

ILoveChoo · Hermes

she used to be (she also used to be a model in NYC and i will forever be jealous...) and she's not necessarily *bad* now, but she has other priorities. She stayes at home with my 5 younger siblings (ranging from 1-15) so she doesn't really have a lot of money to spend on clothes or a reason to dress up. Plus, there are literally no decent store by her. Her best option is probably Target. The only "fancy" stores in their mall are gap and express (this also made for a much pained teenagerhood for me!). So yeah, I dunno... she always looks OK but she's let the Mom jeans and ugly shoes thing set in.

Cortney1982 · Chanel

Um not really. She has gotten better the past few years though. When I visit her, she sometimes surprises me with a great outfit. She admires my easy laid back style, and I guess that and clothes I give her for birthdays and Christmas inspire her fashion choices.

ico · Dooney & Bourke

Ohhh

I am very ashamed, but I have to admit that my mom is trendier (is this even a word?) than me. Meaning, she manages to buy cute, modern stuff that she mixes with classic pieces, and she does so without looking ridicule! While it took me all my courage to wear skinny jeans tucked into boots, thinking I'd look too trendy for this town...

It's always fun to go shopping with her: we have completely opposite taste for clothes and colors, but she manages to suggest me what's the best piece I should buy, and usually that's something I'll love and wear continuously. On the other side, she loves the perfumes/cosmetics I buy for her, so it's fun to choose gifts for her.

Ah, she really tought me how to recognize quality, I'll never be thankful enough for that.

As for my dad... Well, my mom dresses him .

Maven · BCBG

Reluctantly, I'm going to reply. I could be your Mom (age-wise.)

Alas, many of my friends and family have become fashion drop-outs. It's not for lack of money. It's not for lack of good shopping. (SF Bay area.) It's not because they have grown fat and dumpy--nearly all are still in excellent shape. So what is it?

I can understand that putting kids through college and then facing retirement can put a crimp in the clothes budget, but still, there's a lot of good sources for inexpensive but stylish clothing out there.

I think one factor is the rate of change in the fashion cycle. Some women think it's just too much trouble to try to keep up. Besides that, you know you aren't going to look quite right in the same styles you wore 20 years ago! Also, retail stores can be intimidating. You find a store with clothes you like, that fit you, then--it disappears! Or else you go into a store, look around, and everyone seems to be 20 or 30 years younger than you! Last month the display was a nice tailored suit--this month it's a ruffly sequined patterned mini-skirt. (Or so it seems when you don't shop very often.)

Another factor is that even if you keep your weight down and exercise, body fat shifts around and often ends up in unflattering places. That can be discouraging. I used to have a small waist and wear lots of belts. I still haven't gotten over the lost waistline--I took it for granted!

Fashion and style seems to be aimed at the young and/or skinny. If you just look at the surface, it seems to discourage older women from even trying, unless they are wealthy X-Ray socialites with an unlimited budget. I think both TLC and BBC WNTW shows disprove that idea.

Maybe the secret to helping out a fashion drop-out Mom or friend would be to take a good look at her, figure out what kind of clothing would look good on the body type, then do some pre-shopping without her. I pay attention to the fit model body types different manufacturers and designer use. I don't bothing looking at clothing lines that I know aren't going to flatter my body--no matter how tempting a display looks. I don't shop at Chico's, Coldwater Creek, or (momentary memory loss) the other store will similar clothing. Also, stores do change with time. I hear Talbot's has gotten better. For the record, I buy 75% of my clothes at BR.

But, if Mom's lost interest or just doesn't want to change--I think you have to respect that too. My Mom never lost interest in clothes--unfortunately she stayed stuck in the 60's polyester era. Her self-esteem was so fragile, I always felt it was better for me to give her positive strokes for a new outfit, even though I wouldn't have picked it out for her.

80schick · Nine West

What a great post Maven!

My mom is very stylish. The key is knowing when to let certain trends go and stick with something that's classic for your new body type. Easier said then done.

Talbots has definately gotten a lot more stylish yet still very high qulaity, classic looks, I strongly reccomend it.

Spiegel is also great. Their quality, especially their knits, is exceptional for the price and they have a tremendous sale section. Be warned, there sizes run big. I'm usually a size 6 top but I'm a 4 a Spiegel and even that's generous. The pants are a little more true to size......or maybe my waistline still hasn't recovered from Xmas.....