Why your mum should be your ultimate denim inspiration
Magazines, catwalks and social media are all well and good, but when I’m truly in need of fashion inspiration, I love nothing more than rooting through old family photos.
There’s the glamour of my grandparents dressed up in black-tie in the 1970s; the carefree beauty of my aunties in striped T-shirts on the beach in the early 1980s; my great-grandma doing flapper-girl elegance in the late 1920s. But some of the best involve my mum wearing jeans: there she is, several months pregnant with me in chambray dungarees, and later, herding my brother and me around the duck pond in a patterned anorak, loafers and dark denim.
Boyfriend jeans, £155, Donna Ida; APC skirt, £150, Matchesfashion.com; Mom jeans, £40, Topshop
The last is an example of the phenomenon known as ‘Mom’ jeans: the high-waisted, carrot-legged and rigid style that has its origins in Levi’s 501s. They epitomise the practical look of the late 1980s and early ’90s and are a denim category in their own right.
Almost every high-street shop has its own take on Mom jeans, which tend to be more flattering than the skinny because they emphasise the waist and skim the tummy and bum. I love Sézane’s: super-soft with the perfect crop. Or aim for authenticity and seek out a vintage pair that are worn in, yet still have the stiff shape that’s hard to find these days. Try Rokit (rokit.co.uk) or Beyond Retro (beyondretro.com) for a great old-school mix.
Dress,£275, M.i.h Jeans; Dungarees, £49.95, Gap
Chances are you have a denim that conjures up a childhood memory. Stella McCartney has long included button-through skirts, dresses and trucker jackets as a tribute to her mum Linda, who wore denim brilliantly, whether on the farm in Kintyre or walking through airports with Paul.
Dungarees, meanwhile, are the ultimate mum-ish denim, built for housing bumps or crawling around on the floor, although you don’t need to have children to appreciate their laid-back ease.
As for what to wear with Mom jeans – the current vogue is for ‘Dad’ trainers, but that’s a family fashion association for another day.
