Why We Love Our Mothers’ Closets
By Meili Huang
That I would wear my mom’s clothes at all remains a mystery. Admittedly, as a little girl, I had spent plenty of time playing dress up in my mom’s “oversized” dresses and heels. But when teenagehood hit, our conversations about what I should wear always ended up like the shopping scene in Lady Bird. Aside from stylistic differences, such as my mom’s more feminine take on clothes and my reluctance to wear dresses, she was only willing to provide so-called constructive criticism and unfurnished truth, both of which I defied in defense of my individuality.
This typical mother-daughter story has took an unexpected turn. As I am going through the rollercoaster of stylistic transformations, I have found myself growing fond of pieces from my mom’s closet. As a firm believer of lasting garments, she purchases clothes that outlast mine and rarely buys into the allure of fast fashion. Under her influence, I began to appreciate the value that comes with each piece of clothing. Sometimes, I would be surprised by how she accidentally hops into trends (I remember calling the plaid pants she gave me hideous and years later they were everywhere). As we grow out of adolescence and into adulthood, more Midd students share my experience than I realized. Below are some stories, stolen items, and why we love our moms’ closets.
Meili & her mother
(left) Megan in her mother’s jeans, (right) Jordyn in a crochet top she made & her mother’s shorts
Megan Mahoney, ’22.5: “These are a pair of my mom’s old jeans that I wear all the time. They’re loose and worn-in, so they’re super comfy but still relatively flattering. Also the poncho I stole from her, too!”
Jordyn Johnson, ’23: “It’s fun that I never know what’s new in [my mom’s] closet since she will go shopping a lot. When I was living at home in high school, wearing her clothes also allowed me to buy more casual wear like T-shirts and sneakers, since I could just go to my mom’s closet for more professional or formal things.”
(left) Madison’s mother, (right) her mother & father
Madison Brito, ’21.5: “I’ve always been in love with the color block looks my mom had. The long shirt and thin tights in the first photo, very early 90s, is a trend I wish would come back, but I don’t think just trying to recreate looks with modern garments is exactly the same. Having the stories behind the clothing is something you don’t often get when you just go out and buy vintage, and yet the nostalgia factor and beauty of wearing something preloved and made authentically for the time is one of the appeals of vintage. It’s so special when you know who it was worn by and what they might have been doing in it. My mom is doing Teach for America in these pictures and that’s where her and my dad met.”
Jordyn in a crochet top she made and her mother’s skirt
Jordyn Johnson, ’23 (@mcdademade): “I would say [my mom and I] don’t have the same style. She likes more prints and loud clothes whereas I don’t own shirts with words on them. She is also into accessorizing more than me, so that comes with shoes that pop more. Being that she’s older than me, clearly, I wear things that show more skin so I go to her closet for layering, too.”
(left) Madison’s mother, (right) Meili’s mother
Madison Brito, ’21.5: “I don’t think my mom and I share the same style but that’s just a product of the times. I think if she were my age, we might -- we’re both fans of minimalism and clean looks, and I want nothing more than to galavant around eating pastries in this white dress.”
Meili Huang, ‘23 “Last winter break my mom tried to shovel half of her closet into my obviously overweight suitcase. Having lived in a city where it never snows for most of her life, she was relieved to get rid of some overcoats deep in her closet. I guess now it’s time to see if they’ll stand the test of a Vermont winter.”