I love fashion.
I sometimes forget how much I adore it.
But it can also infuriate me.
The rigmarole that surrounds it can sometimes be unsavoury as it tends to not only attract beauty, artistic nuances and aesthetic subtleties but also superficiality and harsh judgement.
The rigmarole that surrounds it can sometimes be unsavoury as it tends to not only attract beauty, artistic nuances and aesthetic subtleties but also superficiality and harsh judgement.
I always find it interesting to see what many consider their fashion and style influences. In interviews whenever someone mentions Diane Vreeland or Balenciaga I will admit to raising my eyebrows and wondering if they ever knew them or even met them.
Unless you are a proper fashion designer or curator,
I believe most influences are much closer to home.
It doesn't always have to be an active role model,
it could be an anti role model.
Maybe you had a parent, step-parent, aunt, or grandmother who had no fashion interest and you perhaps rebel still?
While I admire the usual array of fashion heavy hitters,
my personal influences are my mother and my grandmothers whether I like it or not.
I think most of us have a complicated relationship with respective female/male role models.
Not my opinion, Freud concurs.
Not my opinion, Freud concurs.
You may have a fantastic relationship with her or him but
it is still going to be a layered one.
I used to be very into fashion and being presentable but
I turned into a schlumpadinka about 7 years ago.
I only look respectable when I have to.
I dare say that I am going against the grain of my mother.
it is still going to be a layered one.
I used to be very into fashion and being presentable but
I turned into a schlumpadinka about 7 years ago.
I only look respectable when I have to.
I dare say that I am going against the grain of my mother.
It is hard to label someone who is so close to you and
self examine objectively but...
self examine objectively but...
We were a diluted version of this.
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| Via |
Except I wasn't as swotty and
my mother didn't even pretend to have a job and
was teetotal as she thought alcohol prematurely aged the skin.
my mother didn't even pretend to have a job and
was teetotal as she thought alcohol prematurely aged the skin.
Don't worry, she doesn't read my blog.
She doesn't even have an email address as she thinks the internet is a phase.
As my mother says, "Like VHS and Laser disc, you remember we spent all that money on laser disc! Now look at it."
As my mother says, "Like VHS and Laser disc, you remember we spent all that money on laser disc! Now look at it."
I will be frank and say I know my own style. I am not confused about my self image although onlookers may think I might be bipolar when they look at my wardrobe. But I still momentarily wonder what my mother would think of my outfit of the day but go out the door anyway.
Obviously one post doesn't suffice in writing about one's style role models and I may revisit this topic from time to time in the future.
I am curious if your fashion influences are people you have never met but imitate to a diluted degree
or if those role models are related to you?
Obviously one post doesn't suffice in writing about one's style role models and I may revisit this topic from time to time in the future.
I am curious if your fashion influences are people you have never met but imitate to a diluted degree
or if those role models are related to you?
That's a really nice picture!. you both look lovely.
ReplyDeleteYou're mum's stylish. My mum, has always been stylish too. Back in the day Caribbean women used to wear 50's style dresses, heals, long gloves, pretty hair . Growing up, I was more of a tomboy. used to like punk/hippy/ musician looking styles. then adapted my style to a more ethnic natural look. I dress to suit my mood, and (in my head) i like to mix and match styles. I love something creative/ different, my mum was a seamstress so i can appreciate a well designed and tailored garment. I love fashion too, but don't get to indulge as much as I would like
Yes my mother tends to be stylish though now she is slowing down a bit but she always gets her hair done. I was a tomboy too! I wish my mother had some useful crafting talents but she wasn't one of those homey mothers. I don't indulge in fashion either bc I think I just did it so early on!
DeleteFirst: how cute is this picture of you and your mother! You were an absolutely gorgeous child and I absolutely adore your Mom's style... also the internet is "a phase" she's so funny and clearly rows her own boat!
ReplyDeleteI rebel against my own mother who I am not close to, she was always about looking young and chose the most hideous things and she still does this. Only values youth, beauty and especially Skinnyness. I'm sure you get the picture. My Nana, who I adored, loved coats, handbags, nice shoes... she's my influence. My other grandmother, who I also adore, she's still alive at 93, wore clothes for boating which was her passion (especially fishing), she also drank loads of beer and ate sausages and ice cream every day, but she loved Chanel makeup. She has her preferences! Sometimes I think my brand loyalty came from her.
I couldn't point to an icon and say they influenced me because most of the big names I didn't know anything about until fairly recently. Even someone like Jackie O, love her style but I've only studied it the last few years.
I think you make a great point, we are influenced by those close to us like it or not, and sometimes not to be like them but to NOT be like them.
My mother manages to get other people to steer her boat too! Well my mother is a bit of a diva. She is also about youth and skinniness although she doesn't do botox as she thinks it is more aging so it was rather difficult growing up in that aspect and nagging that my attire wasn't to her standard. I also adored my nanas soooo much! My grandmother is also a huge influence on me and you are so lucky she is still alive. Although mine passed away after 100 so I shouldn't be too greedy but funny enough she had monthly vitamin injections so she was well ahead of her time. But I must admit that I might be a little immature by still rebelling about leaving the house without getting my hair "done" and properly co-coordinating outfits for the day...
DeleteMy Mom did fashion shows for us growing up. She loved the Glam of 80s (dynasty) now I'm in San Francisco the home of Levis gap etc. Very very casual. SF is nerd tech boho beachy and ppl just don't try w clothes. I admit I love it. U really can't judge a book by its cover here. Casual chic not trying to hard is a good fashion motto. Sprinkled w whatever you love. Uniqueness is cool.
ReplyDeleteHow cool your mum did stuff like that? My mother took me to fashion shows though. London is a split personality city thankfully. You can dress up or dress down depending and nobody really bats an eyelid either way as long as there isn't a proper dress code. But I feel a little stifled in Seoul as people seem to be always making a statement through their clothes but then again in Asia you can't express yourself in "polite" circles so perhaps it is their way of communicating?
DeleteI think you're right I remember there was a big appreciation for labels. But I guess there are those circles everywhere. I am adamant about a good cut and design even w very casual wear. Shoes mostly comfortable but if chunky forget it, must give a nice line on foot lol I do get dressed up a Tad for meetings but it's mostly minimal simple understated. Plus a scarf lol
DeleteMe too the scarf says me from looking like I didn't try!!
DeleteMum has great legs! Ok...you look great in that bikini :D I think women of their generation (and generations before them) have a natural flair for fashion. I must admit my penchant for big hair when I'm in the mood for it is because of Charlie's Angels (Jacklyn Smith in particular). But then again, my mother used to wear her wavy hair big-ish, so it didn't feel too alien to me. I love balloon knee-length or midi skirts and simple shirts--influenced by my mother's older sisters and cousins. My being partial to wide-legged jeans and halter-neck tops is because of my mother. I recently bought a pair of cropped trousers with pleated waist. When Mama saw them, she said she used to wear the same style in the 80s. Saw the photos and yes, she's right! In fact, my favourite memories of her in her 30s is her fashion sense, which I'm finding myself copying now that I'm in that period. And my love for shoes? It comes from my dad. So I completely agree with you, our fashion influences are the people closest to us--not necessarily celebs we haven't met. It would be unfortunate anyway if we see our own mother as a fashion disaster x
ReplyDeleteShe was very and still is quite athletic so she has earned them! I don't work out like she did or does though and I think that was one of the last times I wore a bikini! But yes I think growing up you gleam over your mother's wardrobe and see her getting dressed and it leaves an imprint on your psyche and like you say you have certain items that stem from an image in your memory file. Whereas I must say that love of shoes must be genetic ;) But interestingly enough I do find people who don't like their parents style or felt embarrassed by their parents clothes make an effort on a regular basis ( society and local culture excluded) x
DeleteLove this post! That photo is fantastic - I noticed straight away your mum had a clutch and high heels on. She could have done a real housewives of Seoul franchise for sure! Except for the lack of Botox.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I get a lot of my dress sense from my Mum funnily enough. I've written a bit about mum on the blog, but she wasn't the most brilliant of dressers - fine, well pulled together, but not someone to turn the head. I remember my London friends saying they though my Mum would be tall, thin, blonde and very well dressed. She was my height (short), dark hair, bit of middle aged spread, and ok dressed (European clothing ranges like Escada/ Bognor/ quite conservative). My Mother in Law, however, fits that description. But my grandmother dressed very well, and was quite ladylike in her aesthetic (of that era), which maybe I've taken on board subconsciously. Certainly I don't know a lot of people who dress like me in my sphere of friends - I'm definitely marching to my own drum here in Adelaide a lot of the time. I did inherit the shoe gene however - my Mum and Grandmother both loved their shoes, and so do my sisters.
Love your bikini. xx
She would have been a good character with great soundbites and would have had a split hate her or love her fanbase! Except she thinks celebrities are a bit common. My mum also did Escadas for weddings of her acquaintances but she did her own thing and even sun tanned which Asian women do not do! It is interesting to see how grandmothers have such a fashion influence on many people. I like that you are marching your own drum - when I lived in Melbourne I made a lot more effort than I did in London and I tended to play it safe not that I was ever a fashion wildchild). I must get my act together though and stop subliminally rebelling...PS my mother would have allowed me to choose that bikini because she would have the final veto on any item of clothing until I left for university!!! xx
DeleteI have absolutely no doubt the biggest influence on my style was my mother, who passed too young almost 40 years ago and was a replicate Jackie O fashion maven. Not only with what to wear but also how to look for superior material and workmanship. I still find myself thinking how she'd shake her head at the high-low mix or disapprove of sloppy sewing.
ReplyDeleteMy love of clothes and shoes, can I blame that on my mother? Think she had a pair of shoes specific for almost every outfit.
That pic of you and your mother is adorable. LOL at not only the clutch and heels to the lake house but the very vogue pose. Think you and I would have some very long afternoons crying and laughing over our relationships with our mothers.
I am so sorry to hear your mum passed away so young...But your mother must have been especially chic as you have a great streamlined style and an elegant figure. But my mother also doesn't so stray string around buttons and notices all those details. But yes I think we could definitely spend a few days talking about their influence on everything from shoes to accessories to everything else. The one thing my mother was domesticated about was shoes - there were very few shoe shine people who met her standards so the one skill she taught me was how to shine shoes. Although I rarely wear shoes that need a polish!
DeleteI love that photo of you and your mom! This is an Interesting topic. I'd have to say my style is opposite my mom's. She was always classy, put together, hair done, lipstick on and at hand, sometimes dressy and sometimes casual but always put together. I am more of a wardrobe free spirit, influenced mainly by my time living in Colorado in the 1990s. Is western grunge an actual style? lol I've polished it up a bit the last few years but I always feel most at home in broken in jeans, a tee or a flannel shirt.
ReplyDeleteThere are times when I am very influenced by her but then I completely also leave the house unruly which my mother and granny would never do! Sometimes I found I was too casual even for Australia in my wearing of flipflops!
DeleteLove you in a bikini! This is an interesting topic...
ReplyDeleteHmmm - I was raised on old movies so I always adored lauren bacall, though my body us nowhere similar. I actually think it was my mother's mother, who was a bit of a magpie and loved embellishments in her clothing. I always wore 50s clothes in high school and university. Such a fun topic!
Well I don't find many celebrities influential at all. But Lauren Bacall is fabulous but no star would dress like that anymore which they should considering it suits the female figure better that some contraptions I see. But I know better to buy something because it looks good on Kate Moss as well!
DeleteSuch a great picture!! I love that your Mom thinks the Internet is a phase. She sounds very interesting. I think I've been influenced by both my mother and close adult friends I admire. I'm a work in progress and there is a definitely a "Sybil" quality to my wardrobe.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jennifer but yes she is a bit of a character. Old school diva. I am like Subil too!! x
DeleteWhat strikes me first about the pic of you and your mum is how far apart you are standing... Was that typical?
ReplyDeleteMy mum was a single parent and was too busy struggling to worry about style, though she loves Indian- inspired/ boho clothing.
I am only just finding my style- in the last couple of years, I have been honing it. I tend to go for things that fit well and look good on. I used to buy things too small with view to dieting into them- mad, huh?
I tend to people watch and style-jack people on the street.
My clothes are from witchery, country road and veronika Maine.
I love bold colours, toned back with neutrals.
I pay far more attention to make up and accessories nowadays.
I follow a few style blogs- check out my blogroll.
Love this post and the comments! X
My mother was always front and center first of all but in this instance I remember I wasn't fully dried from my swim so she didn't me getting her white outfit see through by wetting it! Although I will say I have noticed that with style - some people will go out look great even if they don't get sleep whereas some have all the time in the world and still don't' bother. I also did the same thing y getting a smaller size especially if it was on sale! But I am at a crossroads bc I don't fit into my wardrobe but I don't want to spend money getting new stuff so it is all a bit messy at the mo!! I am thinking though I should get my act together soon xx
DeleteI suppose my mother is my influence. My dad will wear the same thing three days in a row, mustard stains and all. Nothing fancy, just comfortable everyday wear...but when you need to do it up, you do it right. She does make comments that I like thing "tighter" but that's a mother. Cute kid in the picture. Where are we in the construction, renovation, design, complete gutting process?
ReplyDeleteSo funny because my mother would say I should wear things tighter because loose clothes made it worse etc...Ah the renos are at a standstill but will post soon just to vent perhaps!
DeleteI take after my aunts. I still remember a shoe sale with two of my aunts at Ogilvy in Montreal where I was handed a glam shoe and instructed to seek out its mate, which was in the clutches of another shopper. I still enjoy the thrill of the hunt and the scent combination of perfume, fur and cigarette smoke is Proustian for me!
ReplyDeleteI might unwittingly take after one of my aunts because she genuinely doesn't care about fashion bu then hams it up once in a while! But I love that combo of smells too oddly enough!!
DeleteWhat a lovely photo of you and your mom on holiday. How I adore the lakeside accessories! I don't really know who my style influencer was. My mom was an emotional mess with very low self-esteem- not someone I wanted to emulate. As she began to feel better about herself I remember shopping with her for a special occasion outfit which ended being a dark green velvet pantsuit with an ivory satin blouse - all from Joseph Magnins in SF. Isn't funny how I remember that as a milestone in her life? I must have been a tween when she bought it and it was the nicest thing she ever owned. Maybe that suit is why I love luxe fabric and a great tailoring....who knows?
ReplyDeleteI go to a lake in Austria when I can but I would never take a clutch!! I just had to laugh now. Wow a dark green velvet pantsuit sounds so Gucci! Sounds very chic. Funny I also remember shopping trips with my mother too and certain items stick out in my memory about certain items of clothing etc. Sometimes it is a combination of influences though right?
DeleteVery astute observation that our fashion role models are often closer to home than we may think. I don't think any of my close female relatives had a particular style but they were always neat and tidy and never slopped about in pajamas all day like I do. The men, however, did wear 'work clothes', or more raggedy wear. Perhaps I am copying their more relaxed attitude, except, of course, they were actually working around the house, not just slouching like me. :(
ReplyDeleteCute bikini photo.
Being around the house and dressing up I find a bit odd. I know some people who do and it makes me realize we are all so different!! From a fellow sloucher - nothing wrong with that ;))
DeleteHello Naomi,
ReplyDeleteThese are most interesting questions which you pose here. Yes, surely one's influences in life generally, like it or not, tend to come from the home background however narrow or diverse that influence may be.
We have long since come to the conclusion that, albeit gradually, we are both becoming more and more like our mothers. One can even find oneself saying some of the things that they did.......all so very worrying!
The picture of you with your mother is great. She looks so very stylish and both of you have such poise. We have to say that we rather dislike the current trend for ultra casual dressing in every situation. Even the Opera House these days can be filled with a jean clad audience. Sad. So, we do admire your mother for her heels and clutch bag. Oh yes, let there be more individuality. It makes for an intriguing world!
Oh that does cause me some concern about becoming our mothers - but then again I am intrinsically so different from her although I do find some things very similar probably because she did teach me many things!! Yes I noticed that about the opera house as well and I do appreciate a lovely gown worn there. But yes individuality is what it is all about and well said!
DeleteI too was thinking how like my mother I'm becoming!
DeleteNaomi, so much to ponder here. The picture of you and your mother is wonderful - she looks so chic!
Here in Sydney, casual style is everywhere and I think I am consciously rebelling against that in my personal style. Conversely, I spent most of my teens and twenties trying to look as scruffy as possible in some bizarre protest against my quite conservative background!
So I guess for some of us, having something to rebel against define our style well beyond our teenage years!
I think I am going through a phase of being over dressing up which I did starting in my teens and I just got sick of it plus still rebelling a little which is very immature of me!!
DeleteI endorse dressing up for everything!
DeleteSuch an interesting topic - have loved reading the comments. You and your Mum both look so cute at the lake.
ReplyDeleteIt's made me think a lot about my mother who died some years ago aged 87. Even now when people talk about her to me they always, inevitably say how very beautiful she was. And she was beautiful, all her life right through, even as an old lady, until about two years before she died, her last years blighted by strokes. She always dressed beautifully, a shoe-aholic (her fave shoes were by Ferragamo) and as
well as lovely clothes she adored accessories: bags, jewellery, scarves, hats! Every outfit was well thought through. Not glamorous and stylish like Jackie O, but beautiful and very ladylike. Shoes shined (never down at heel), nails perfect, hair done at the hairdresser every week. My Dad was very proud of her.
Sadly for me though, in looks I took after my father. A lovely man, I adored him. Fiercely intelligent, kind and generous, a great reader and sportsman, but red-haired and freckled with a tendency to put on weight!
But I'm guessing in other ways I must have taken after her - the same love of clothes and accessories. Though not always the same choices. Now I'm watching my little grand-daughters with delight and their love of fashion and style. Even so young (nine and seven) they have very strong individual views of what they like and don't. It's wonderful. Pammie xx
I think glamour is so subjective anyway and a lot of people err in trying to achieve being a glamazon - I think lady like is the way to go if effort is to be made. Fashion faux pas are much rare that way. My grandmother liked Ferragamo as well so I still equate it with her. It must be a joy to see granddaughters with their style evolving - I am sure that you will also be a huge influence for them and I bet they love going through your closets and playing dress up?
DeleteMy father also has played an indirect role in my attire though as he was more about ignoring external factors and social cues.
I think my eye for fashion and noticing the details came from her so for that I am thankful and I always say to my friends - do as I fashion say and not as I fashion do!! xx
Yes, grand-daughters and I have a lot of fun. They love the clothes I buy for them. When she was a bit younger, the little one would immediately strip off whatever she was wearing to put on the new dress. Now she's more modest, luckily, and goes to her room to do it - or waits till she gets home. They also love to drape themselves in my scarves and jewellery and hats and call themselves Miss Nonna. My mother would have adored them too.
DeleteMy granny would have been very disapproving of TV glamazons ("Real wives" types or KK). Girls in the family were all brought up to be ladies - she would have called KK a floozy. My father, while admiring beautifully dressed women, was more interested in the things of the mind. He wanted me to be an intellectual and a diplomat. He died when I was 18 and he was only 48. A great loss. Pammie xx
It's odd because to be honest I don't have a great yearning for kids, the only thing that makes me pause is that I would love to have grandkids if that makes any sense? Yes being a lady was a huge thing especially have an Asian maternal influence and of course I was a tomboy. My father told me at around 7 years old that perhaps I should calm down playing rugby with the boys and oddly now I don't even watch it...But my father passed away early as well. It is too soon at 48...But I am sure he would be so proud to know that you have become a thinker and someone so experienced with so much knowledge. My father was the total opposite of my mother that I wonder how they got together! He admired beauty too but was quite cerebral as well. I think he would have said the rosary for the souls of the Real housewives!! xx
DeleteThe wonderful thing about grandchildren is that you have all of the fun but not the same responsibility as a parent. Though, that said, our son has been studying child psychology books for when the girls get older. He says by the time they're teenagers most stop listening to their parents about life issues but will take advice from, or at least listen to, other adults: like grandparents! So he's hoping to get messages through to them that way. All in the future at the moment. It's so interesting to watch them as they grow and see different family traits coming out, eg the little one is as neat as a new pin and has colour coded all her clothes in her wardrobe. She can't bear it if her older sister plays in her room with her toys and then doesn't put them away. She get furious if she finds toys, dolls or clothes left scattered over her floor - these are her grandfather's genes on her mother's side! We always had to take our shoes off at the front door before being allowed to enter his house.
DeleteMy Mum and Dad were very different people too. He met her in the last months of WWII in N Q'ld where she was an army nurse caring for soldiers who'd been evacuated wounded from PNG. He'd been away from home in N. Africa for years and then New Guinea, wounded several times, so I guess meeting up with a beautiful Aussie nurse on Oz soil, it was love at first sight. Pammie xx
That is a great love story and quite cinematic! I think my grandparents on my Aussie side met in similar circumstances! xx
DeleteWhat a cute bikini and the clutch and heels are certainly a glamorous choice for the lakeside. Interesting post and I certainly got my love of clothes from my Mum and to some extent my Grandma. My Mum has always regularly bought clothes and we both have a shoe and handbag obsession. I always find it difficult to limit my shoes when packing to go on holiday!
ReplyDeleteThank you although I don't know why she was wearing high heels when the dock was wood with big gaps in it!! I do wonder if our training is part genetic or what we saw as a child?
DeleteFantastic pic of you and your mum.
ReplyDeleteMy mum was an influence but not in the usual way, her strict rules about style and etiquette made me go the other way and constantly say, " why? why should I wear that? Why should my hair be neater, why should I dress the part?" I rebelled against all of those constraints when I was a teenager, I'll do it her way when I'm 60 plus and not a minute before.
My mother was so strict growing up and it doesn't take a PhD in psychology to figure out that I relish in wearing what I want and how I want but I am lately starting to realize that perhaps I am cutting my nose to spite my face a little. But also I need to get some more energy before I can start doing my hair on a regular basis!!
Delete*chuckling*
ReplyDeleteoh gosh. always suspected as much. but we have even more in common than i thought.
"also-a-Saffy-with-an-edina".
Do tell do tell!!
DeleteSuch a great photo of you and your mother - I noticed right away the all-white outfit, the heels and clutch. She reminds me of my aunts. All of them are always well turned out and favour impractical footwear, even at the beach. Too funny that she thinks the internet is a phase!! (My mother also has no email address and has no idea what the internet is about.) I have always had a tough relationship with my mother. In her earlier years, she was always extremely fashionable, favouring the Jackie O look, but as my parents' marriage disintegrated, she began to care less and less about what she wore. When I was a kid, she never cared about what we wore, so I grew up with no guidance at all. Nowadays I am always on her case to dress up a bit more and wear nicer things. However, she still has a sharp eye - she was the one who spotted my wedding gown!
ReplyDeleteLouise - I know I am sweeping huge strokes here but the generation of Asian mothers we had were tough - so many reasons behind it which is too long to get into here but I find this very common. I wish I was impractical but comfort always wins. I think that dressing well and having a good eye are not generally mutually exclusive - I notice things and know my cuts etc but I don't necessarily look the part all the time either!!
DeleteOkay Naomi-that is the most adorable pic of you in the bikini. You and your mom, with the bag and heels-it's iconic. I'm seeing your comment above about always being practical. I would love to see some fashion shots from you....I only say that because it's been such a challenge for me to join the fashion series but it's been such an interesting experience as well. I can't wait to hear more of your take and see more pics girlfriend! ;)
ReplyDeletexx, H
That was my peak Heather! Now looking back if I had any sense I would be like - Gurl what you doing wearing heels, a clutch, and white to a lake?? Let me feel a little more at ease before any fashion shots though ok??? I tried taking a pic for How I Wear My series but the photo was soooo bad. But I love yours and might use that as inspiration xx
DeleteGreat picture of you and your mom! Your mother looks so glamorous! As for my fashion influences, my mother has been a big influence and I definitely get my love of jewelry, both fine and costume, from her. I would say other influences were fashion magazines from the mid-1980s, I really loved the big hair, big red lips, gold jewelry, high-heeled sandals. I never ever understood the disgusting grunge movement. Music also was a big influence, especially Madonna, very early Madonna up through Express Yourself/Vogue. And I wouldn't kick her current jewelry collection out of my closet because she owns some divine pieces! Not the grill, though. She can keep that. Ha. XO, Jill
ReplyDeleteYes my mother had her moments...Funny I don't know where I get my love of jewellry from I think it might be more my gran as my mother was more about the body being THE accessory. I loved the 80's too and dare I say that apart from the 50's has a decade been more visually stamped. xx
DeleteLove hearing about people's relationships with their mother. My mother is not my fashion icon. She was trendy and put in an effort until she became a mother, and has since been about comfort and practicality. "All you need is a pair of black slacks blah blah (to go somewhere fancy)." or "what do you think of these hush puppies?"! I take fashion notes from my sister in laws, although I don't have their budget. x
ReplyDeleteI loved hearing about everyone's personal fashion influences too - I really don't think as stylish as Diane Vreeland was that she can have as much an impact as family. Part of me wishes I had a mother who was like your mum but my mother didn't let children get in the way of her lifestyle but then again it was the 70's and 80's and parenting was rather different back then. But you have great style but as my mother says you are slim so you can wear anything!! x
DeleteI LOVE this post.
ReplyDeleteI have so many influences. I love clothes but not necessarily fashion. I am hardcore into grooming. My mum has a white grey bob and dresses like a country woman-cashmere, scarves, that type of thing. I love glamorous stuff.
Love the snap of you and your mummy x
My mother always emphasized grooming and is pretty hard core but I just can't do my hair everyday...But you have such a fun style that you are obviously influenced by lively people. I am very northern hemisphere influenced and so still gravitate towards neutral palettes. But yes you make a good point - clothes aren't necessarily fashion! xx
DeleteMy style is so much a product of my upbringing. The High WASP culture is very concerned with being Appropriate. But I also live in Northern California, so there's been a lot of adapting to the environment:).
ReplyDeleteYes you are a very good example of upbringing and fashion without the rebellion! But I sense your casual sense from Cali for sure and environment also has a huge influence!
DeleteI tend to find my role models in complete strangers--or more likely a photo in a magazine but I have five sisters who dress for each other on special occasions. Not competitive but fun to see what everyone is wearing for the occasion. Mom loved looking good but didn't have much time until we all left home
ReplyDeleteYou have 5 sisters?? Wow - I wonder if you can find any similarities and unique qualities in all of them - I am so curious to see what my sisters would have been like!
DeleteMy style is quite eclectic and nothing like my mum's (if anything my mum's style is influenced by me). I'm influenced by what I see in the shops and on celebrities and bloggers, but rarely directly from the catwalk and then of course I just add bmy own touch to it xx
ReplyDeleteHa! Love it - reverse influence - you go girl!! I actually forgot that it could go both ways - I suppose that is just a foreign concept as my mother is very strong willed in her aesthetics xx
DeleteThis is a fantastic post! I had no fashion education or influence from my Mum. She doesn't really care about what she wears... She doesn't understand that someone could read fashion magazines to get their influence... She has no feminine touch and never helped building my personality or my feminine side... So for me this post is touchy... I am not close to her and we never discuss clothes, shoes or fashion. I could write more and more... It has been difficult for me to find my style and I am not really sure where I got it... Magazines and Internet probably, but not just one personality has influenced me...
ReplyDeleteI think this post probably makes most of us pensive! I think perhaps you should write about it - it is very therapeutic you know. My mother would talk to me about comportment all the time but there were many reasons behind that and not just from a superficial aspect unlike what some may think although she loved to be stylish and turned out. I think I am "over" all that sometimes and yet I must learn that I musn't over complicate something and stop rebelling myself. For some style is natural and some it is a never end journey but I hope you write about your influences soon x
Delete