Moms don't get nearly enough credit for their contributions to couture. No, I'm not being facetious. From fearlessly feathered hair to their on-point pant selections, mom style has unknowingly curated an elite corner of style years ago that has recently found itself resurfacing on the holy grail of fashion runways.
Quite honestly, I find it shocking that mothers' Grade-A style was only just recently sourced for inspiration in the Dolce & Gabbana fall/winter 2015 collection. After all, moms are the people who, in most cases, helped us develop our own personal style by watching them exhibit theirs. They dressed us for school, sought out the matching mommy-and-me dresses for family vacations that would haunt our dreams years later, and imparted upon us (or our older sisters) the first lessons in the magical properties of makeup. Seriously, moms make the world go 'round, and their wardrobes nailed the concept of comfort-meets-practical utility — yet still managed to let moms remain their elegant, stylish selves. Let's take a gander at the many times your mom beat the fashion world to these unparalleled trends years before the modern-day fashion aficionados decided they were cool.
1. Mom Jeans
Mom jeans top the list as the most well-known of mom-approved fashion trends. So prolific is this style, that the mom jean surfed its high-watered wave all the way from the 1970s to the 2010s, when high-waisted jorts enjoyed another meteoric resurgence into the mainstream.
Nobody wears it better than Mom though, do they? Except maybe Rihanna. Just add studs.
2. The Mom Bun
What exactly is a mom bun, you may ask? What separates this long-tressed, ethereal hairdo from the topknots of today or the messy middle school bun? I'm no expert, but let me consult my field notes from years of observing the moms in my neighborhood being bosses and getting stuff done.Now there are many variations on this style, but the predominant one will be the "Gibson Girl Up-do," seen in the wild with gentle sloping sides, some hairs askew by the ears, creating an overall graceful effect regal enough for the Queen of the Household.
My backseat location in many carpools throughout my youth offered me a perfect vantage point for observing the mom 'do. The modern mom bun crusader is none other than Jessa Johannson, of HBO's Girls. (Sporting this style may induce sporadic spewing of uplifting compliments. Thanks, Mom!)
3. Embroidered Sweaters
Moms made embroidered illustrious sweaters and sweatshirts a downright art form. Overdecorated and over-the-top, this ultra-luxe loungewear has all the bells and whistles, and in most cases, your mom probably sewed them on herself.
Though the modern-day resurgence of mom sweaters can most easily be spotted lighting up a holiday party, one must not confuse "ugly sweater" with "mom sweater." Sometimes the two categories overlap, sure, but the reinvention of the look is anything but ugly. Bonus points if your mom sweater incorporates a personal hobby, as seen above. Below, a nice little number for the Peanuts comics connoisseur.
The Peanuts Sweatshirt, $19.80, forever21.com.
4. That Big Hair
When Mom is in a mood to let her hair down, it probably looks just like the live-action glamor shot below, right? Really, every mom I knew growing up had a variation of this higher-the-hair, closer-to-heaven type 'do. Was it a reflection of the end of the '80s, or a secret club for super-cool coifs? Your mom will never tell.
What we can tell though, is that big hair is making a comeback. Don't believe me? Take a look at the world-renown singer Lorde, who's always moving and grooving to the beat of her own drum. She's capable of silencing an entire 2014 AMA's audience with just a glorified hum, and she is the spokesperson of crop-top wearing, mom pants-rocking "long hair don't care" cool.
5. Super Fresh Sneaks
Sneakers are street style chic and fashionably functional, and you know who already figured that out? Your mom. She was rocking her clean pair of Keds since before you were born — and certainly before a certain golden-haired, country-gone-pop singer started crooning the same tune.
Taylor Swift's Keds campaign is no doubt responsible for revving up our love of lace-ups, but give credit where credit is due, people. Moms totally know what they're talking about.
So next time she picks you up a "Mount Rushmore really rocks!" souvenir T-shirt from her South Dakota vacation, you should don it proudly. After all, in ten years it'll probably be "ironic vintage" and sold for $30 a pop at the latest hipster megastore.
Images: Giphy (6), Getty (2); Kelly Taylor, mrquizzical, rchappo2002, Lindsey Turner/Flickr, Forward by Elyse Walker
