Mom's Style

by Mary Sheehan Warren on 05/05/11

 As it is almost Mother's Day, I figured I should give credit where credit is due.

I have "horse sense" (as my mother would call it) when it comes to choosing fashion. This is not because I was born in the "good old days," or only watched quality TV or played with beautiful toys or was exposed to elegant people. It is because I had a mother with horse sense about fashion. She knew what she was doing and passed it along to me.

So, what did my mother specifically show me in regard to developing my own style? Well, I answer this in my book (dedicated to her) in the following way:

Smile even when it's hard to smile.

Look up-to-date. Clothes are kind of fun after all.

Skirts are one of the benefits of being a woman.

Have a totally cool jewelry box stocked with wonderfully exotic items. Don't yell at your daughter when she rifles through it (or loses a few pieces...)

Wear jewelry even when you scrub the toilet.

Wear lipstick. Brush your hair. Never look like Gravel Gertie. (Who is she, anyway?)

You have to have a few years behind you to wear black.

Always wear a pretty top in your best colors.

Wear heels when you can. Wear high heels when you can get away with it.

And finally...

No one should ever spot your underwear under your clothing.