Your Mom's Closet

Now that I think about it, the title for this post sort of sounds like a cringe-worthy mom joke, which is the opposite of my intentions (love you, Mom.) Mothers are too good to make fun of, which is why I want to instead appreciate them for what they are and what they have in their closets. I can go on about the now stylish "mom jeans" and tacky sweaters every mother should have stowed away in the hidden depths of her wardrobe (except for mine, because she's too cool for that), but that's not my point exactly. I drew inspiration from those days we had as children where we dressed up in our mother's clothes and her mini-dresses would go past our miniature feet and touch the floor and practically slide off our shoulders because we were, like, tiny humans. I've never been a fan of children, but I think this may be the one factor I still find adorable in them. I oddly wanted to recreate that nostalgia in a cool, fashionable way, and I did just what my seven-year-old self would do -- steal from my mom's closet.

This concept doesn't really work the way it used to because I have now outgrown my mom, so clothes that would fit her normally would be too small on me (this is another depressing fact of growing up). Instead of literally wearing something from my mom's closet to get that oversized look, I just wore an item that is meant to be oversized on everyone, including the person of its size. I also happened to steal this from my mother's wardrobe, so it adds to the #tbt (throwback Tuesday is now a thing, I guess) effect. However, this dress that I'm already in love with would fit her the same as it would fit me. Not exactly the same as it was ten years ago, but that would just look creepy.

The term "oversized" now seems like an overused term in fashion. Oversized coats, jeans, sweaters, etcetera. Practically every clothing item can, or at least will, have an oversized version, and now I can check off "dress" on that list. Oversized dresses are intimidating, kind of similar to the look of fear in our younger selves when we first tried on our mom's heels. Looking at them is frightening, but actually wearing them is the opposite. This oversized midi from Anthropologie (which is no longer available, but this one from ASOS works too) almost resembles the oversized-practical/utilitarian style we saw during the SS16 shows (Public School SS16, anyone?). I turned a fashion week trend into a more wearable, casual version with the dress's vertical stripes, beachy-linen fabric, and flowing nature. And to add a spark of flavor to the dress, I tied a gold belt around it, like cinnamon on apples, and it also adds a touch of maturity to the "I'm just a kid wearing my mother's clothing" look. Instead of rocking my mother's pumps, I slipped on my Stan Smiths to prove that I'm only 17 and not a mom who works a 9-to-5 job (let's ignore the fact that my mom owns a pair...).

I'm not 100% sure that fashion brands have begun to create this oversized trend just based on that childhood memory with our mothers. Maybe it has to do with your dad's huge shirts (dad sweaters are more common than tacky mom ones) or your significant other (obviously boyfriend jeans), but I'd rather look back to the times with my mom. And I might be the only one who still wears her mother's clothes, but I'm lucky to have a mom who knows how to dress. Fashion goals: when all else fails and you run out of clothes to wear, just steal from your mom. It's always worked for me.

Dress by Anthropologie. Shoes by Adidas. 

Photos shot by yours truly

What are your thoughts on the oversized trend (or mom trend, as I like to call it)? Comment below!!

twitter | instagram | facebook | tumblr | bloglovin'