7 Times My Mom And I Wore The Same Thing

I hate to be a cliche, but my mom is one of my biggest fashion inspirations. And I'm not just talking about my mom's high school prom photos; her everyday style today continues to influence my own personal style. And my mom isn't the only silver haired babe who is breaking the fashion age barrier. This year alone, Joan Didion was revealed as the face of Céline, Baddie Winkle starred in a DimePiece campaign, and Iris Apfel's documentary hit theaters last month. Women over 50 are once again proving that some things get better with age.

While I've always admired my mom's fashion sense, I remember a time when I wouldn't be caught dead wearing the same thing as her. When we would go shopping, I used to tell her, "It's cute; for you." But as I have gotten older, I have realized that my mom is probably the reason that I am a fashion designer in the first place. She let me start dressing however I wanted as early as grade school. Even though I was bullied for being fat and fashion forward in middle school, my mom never tried to stop me from expressing myself through fashion. I distinctly remember the fact that I had red pleather rattleskin pants in the seventh grade (which I totally wish I still had).

I am forever thankful to my mom for allowing me to find myself through fashion. Fashion empowered me to start my self-love journey and eventually start a fashion brand to empower confident women. And now that my mom and I live in the same city, I find myself raiding her closet more and more.

In honor of Mother's Day this weekend, I wanted to dig into my mom's closet and show how we both styled the same pieces. I want to note that each piece featured is really from my mom's closet and is something she owned before we took these photos. Now get ready to be in awe of how fly we look wearing the same damn thing.

1. Floral Wrap Dress

My mom is a huge Nordstrom fan, mostly because she took a break from her long career as a sales and marketing executive to work for a year in the personal shopping department at Nordstrom when I was in middle school. The discount and great customer service got her hooked.

Recently, we were shopping at Nordstrom and we both tried on this Adrianna Papell wrap dress but we decided it was really perfect for a Derby Day party that she had to go to. My mom made the look even cuter by adding this floral fascinator while I paired it with iridescent shades.

2. Pink Raincoat

Unlike me, my mom prefers to shop in person rather than online. She picked up this pink raincoat a few years ago at Burlington Coat Factory while I was shopping with her for some new luggage and it's been a wardrobe staple of hers since then.

My mom doesn't wear skirts often and I rarely wear pants, so how we styled this coat is pretty appropriate to our everyday looks. She paired it with dark-washed skinny jeans while I opted for an A-line dress from Re/Dress that hits right above the knee.

3. Black And White Blazer

I consider myself lucky that I no longer have to dress up for a corporate job, but my mom on the other hand keeps a mean selection of fashionable blazers since she's meeting with multiple clients or attending networking events pretty much every day.

When I do find myself needing to look semi-professional and not like an extra from Romy & Michele's High School Reunion, I head to my mom's closet for a good stretch patterned blazer like this black and white one. I paired it with a Torrid pencil skirt, Charlotte Russe crop top and the Lucy belt from my own line. My mom paired it with chic wedges, black dress pants, and a lava rock bracelet from Kayla Michelle.

4. Chain Belt And Sheer Blouse

One day a few months ago, my mom texted me out of the blue and asked if I would make her a layered chain belt to wear with this new sheer rainbow colored blouse that she just bought from Stein Mart. While my mom is one of my biggest supporters in terms of sweat equity, a lot of my designs are a little too over-the-top for her. So I was all too honored to make a layered chain belt from my collection for to wear with this blouse and Gleeful Peacock earrings to a bridal shower.

I love how she styled it so much that I had to borrow it to do my own look with the same items. She opted to wear the belt under the blouse while I decided to wear it around the natural waist over the blouse — but both ways are adorable, in my opinion.

5. Flower Sunnies

I can't go to any business networking event in Cleveland without getting asked if I am my mother's daughter. My mom is a master networker and natural connector, so she knows pretty much everyone in her home city. But in terms of getting recognized as her daughter, I totally get it: We have basically the same face shape, eyes, lips, and pretty similar, boisterous Italian personalities.

I got these big round floral sunnies before my mom requested I snag a pair for her too, but they totally work for both of us even though neither of us will likely ever get anywhere close to Coachella.

6. Berry Lipstick

The makeup artists at our local MAC store all know my mom by first name. She was even invited to interview for a position as a freelance makeup artist for the store. Her makeup skills are just that good. She is a total MAC addict, which was great for me until I started buying my own makeup. I can always count on my mom to have the best MAC lipsticks, so it was no surprise when she started wearing one of the brand's most popular shades, Heroine. And while it's a departure from my usual dark or bright lipstick shades, I like it, too.

7. We Woke Up Like Dis

When I first released the "I Woke Up Like Dis" shirts, it was a very personal moment for me because I used the shirts to put my biggest insecurities on display and it was one of the hardest things I've ever done. As soon as I told my mom, she was immediately there for me as an emotional support system.

To me, these shirts represent a significant turning point in my life when I learned to really love myself. My mom wore hers when she traveled to Italy last summer for the first time and loved explaining to everyone that her daughter designed it, and what the concept meant to her. I know my mom and I are not the only ones who found empowerment through this tee and I would like to think that's exactly what Beyoncé intended.

Now go buy your momma (or the female figure you look up to) something pretty!

Images: Alysse Dalessandro