Fashion for Mommas

Here it is ladies! The guest post I promised--from my little sister no less!

Allow me to introduce to you, Miss Rebekah (aka Aunt B in our house)

Rebekah is a Fashion Merchandising major, and will be graduating in May! Among other things, she adores shoes (read her latest blog post), clothes, coffee, Forever21, books, and her niece, :) She graciously accepted my offer (or pestering?) for guest posting on a little bit of fashion for all your mommas out there! Enjoy!

As I sit at my kitchen table watching the cat play in the blinds and listening to the faint sounds of the dishwasher running in the background, I have come to conclusion that Moms are severely underrated. Not only do most of you work nowadays, but you also take care of the kid (or God forbid, kids!). Throw a dog and a husband in there and you’ve got a regular circus. I wonder, when do you Mommas make time for yourself? A lot of you are probably thinking “I don’t have time for that! I work, these kids are driving me up the wall, the dog just peed in the kitchen floor and my husband is yelling at the tv set in the other room as I read this blog!” To you I say: Calm down, deep breath, and read! This article is designed to help moms by taking a look at other moms. And while these mothers may just be characters on television shows, there are valuable lessons real mothers can learn from them today.

June Cleaver- The “Stay at Home” Mother

Who could forget this 1950s mother of two? Taking care of Ward, Wally and the Beav never stopped this TV mom from looking her best. From the ever-present strand of pearls, to the little white gloves, and the kitten heels; June Cleaver made looking good look easy. While dressing up for mundane housework may seem trivial, these days some mothers never make it out of the house. I challenge these moms to Dress Up Anyway! It is amazing what a good outfit can do for your attitude. Instead of lounging all day in those oversized sweats and your husband’s t-shirt that is stained with baby green beans; put on a dress you rarely get to wear or a cute top you just bought. Trust me, even if you’re vacuuming, changing diapers, or chasing multiple children around the house you’re going to feel great!

Carole Brady- The Multiple Children Mother

Jump up a couple decades from June and we arrive in the 1970s. I know what all of you are thinking: “I am NOT wearing bell bottoms and paisley shirts no matter what this article says!” Let me just reassure you that I will never advise you to do that. NEVER! But I will point out a great lesson we can learn from this TV mom. We all know the story: Boy meets girl, boy marries girl, girl gets stuck taking care of her kids and his. Now this may seem like a large task to take on but Carole did it with such style! 3 girls and 3 boys; I get a headache just thinking about living in that house. Not only did Carole Brady take care of the kids when it came to school, chores, food, etc. (with the help of Alice of course) but she also never neglected fashion. She, and her children, always looked good. And here is the lesson we learn from Mrs. Brady: For those of you with multiple children at home, hand-me-downs are not always bad. ‘GASP!’ While each child you may have is a unique individual, your budget may not allow for them to express themselves the way they would like. Don’t just toss clothes at them from their older sibling and say “Here kid” because what would Miss Manners say? Allow them to take their siblings old clothes and recreate them themselves. Not only will this spark your children’s creativity and keep them busy for an afternoon, but you will also save money. I’m not sure if this was ever in an actual Brady Bunch episode, but it definitely should have been!

Lorelai Gilmore- The Single Mother

Again, let’s take a leap from the Brady Era and into the late 90s and early 2000s and we will find the infamous Lorelai Gilmore. While some people may remember this TV mom for her incredible relationship with her daughter, I remember her as the fast-talking, Rhine-stone loving, movie quoting mother I hope to be someday. Lorelai was just 16 when she had Rory (her daughter for those of you who don’t know the show; shame on you!). In light of this, her style is very youthful starting out but slowly develops into a sophisticated wardrobe. And the lesson we can learn from this TV mom is…Single moms can have style too! Just because you don’t have a man around does NOT mean you should let time for yourself fall to the way side. I know it’s hard to raise a child alone, and I sincerely applaud all of you that are. I also know a lot of these same single mothers are in school or working full-time and that doesn’t leave a lot of time for themselves. I encourage you to MAKE TIME. Your kid/kids should absolutely be #1 on that ever present priority list, but that does not mean you should drop off the list altogether. And be frugal about it! Make some cute accessories for yourself, visit a cute consignment shop in your area, or even start a Wardrobe Swap with your friends. If you’re a single mom chances are you know other single moms. Clean out your closets and get together once a month, once a week, or whatever works best and trade clothes. I know it sounds juvenile but as a poor college kid I speak from experience. I can’t tell you how many texts and phone calls I get asking to raid my closet for “lost treasures.” It’s a fun, easy way to collect new pieces for your wardrobe as well as have a girl’s night. Trust me; it’s a win-win!

I hope this article inspires all you mothers out there to take some fashion risks this week no matter what kind of mother you are!

Rebekah Call is a coffee drinking, chocolate loving bookworm disguised as a fashionista who sincerely believes the way to every woman’s heart is through her closet. You can follow her on twitter @notyourcallgirl or on her blog www.callgirldesigns.blogspot.com