I know you're all freezing your cute little butts off out there, but trust me spring is right around the corner. Before long you are going to be wondering what kind of clothes you should be stocking up on in order to preserve and promote your image as the MILFiest mom on the block. (That's right, it's an adjective now - you heard it here first).
And so I present to you, my take on the first five of the Top 10 fashion-must-haves for 2008 according to Elle Canada magazine.
1. Floral Print Dress - Meh. This isn't exactly an earth-shattering trend in my opinion. Haven't stylish floral print dresses always been must-haves for spring and summer? It sounds like we're going to have brighter and bolder patterns to choose from this year and that's great, but I would caution heavier gals not to go with versions that are too flowy: make sure the fit is smart and flattering as the difference between a floral print dress and a mumu could boil down to bad lighting in the dressing room or a sycophant salesperson.
2. The Cinched Waist - Oh, I am awfully torn on this one. In theory, the long-overdue banishment of low-rise jeans and the resultant muffin top sounds like a godsend to any woman over the age of 18. But cinched waists are a lot more difficult to pull off than they seem at first glance. Look at Jessica Alba over there. She looks great, right? That's because she would look great in a potato sack! Picture her about 25 pounds heavier and still wearing this outfit. See what I mean? All of a sudden the look morphs from cutting-edge to, well, dowdy. I'm not saying the cinched waist can't be done smashingly and that it can't look fabulous - I'm saying that if it isn't done smashingly, it's not going to look fabulous at all. It's going to look dated. This is especially true if they start hyping pants and jeans with cinched waists. Keep in mind that the cinched waist is a defining feature of Mom Jeans - I'M JUST SAYING! Proceed with caution.
3. Gladiator sandals - Hooray! We can all get behind this trend
can't we? They're comfy and they look great. Odds are there will be
lots of bejeweleld and otherwise fancy versions to choose from at all
prices levels. There are also certain to be extreme,
laced-up-to-the-skies versions of them around this summer too, but
those ones look kinda silly so we'll just ignore t
4. The White Shirt - Apparently the white shirt is going to be as ubiquitous as the little black dress this year and I'm all for that because I think everyone should have a few white shirts in their wardrobe. Elle says the 2008 version is going to be gussied up with ruffles and sheer fabrics and plunging necklines and I say GREAT! But err on the conservative side folks. I mean, if the model pictured at right looks that silly what makes you think you can pull off a similar style at your kid's parent-teacher conference? And it's not just the plunging neckline you need to be cautious of: generally-speaking the older you are, the fewer fussy details you can get away with. If people start barking YAR! when you walk by, you 'll know you've taken this trend just a smidge too far.
5. Technicoloured handbags - Sign me up! You see, the harsh truth is that it does become more and more tricky to experiment with fashion as you and your body age. When it comes to accessories, however, there's no reason not to go a little crazy. And that means there's no reason why divas like us shouldn't have a ball this year with what Elle promises will be an onslaught of creative, whimsical and electric-hued handbags. I think when you get older, it's all about wearing one accessory or piece of clothing that has a WOW factor and a fabulous handbag can certainly fit the bill. Winners is my favorite place to get great deals on the latest handbags so head on out - I'll look forward to arm-wrestling you for the last Balenciaga!
Check out this space next week for my take on the other five fashion-must-haves for 2008. In the meantime stay warm and keep those butts covered with something other than mom jeans.
I had no idea (okay I did) just how hip you are DMD! You rawk!
Posted by: MamaGeek | January 31, 2008 at 10:29 PM
You are so funny. When I saw those pictures I thought exactly everything you said, especially going to a parent teacher conference in that white shirt. And those sandals, I am always confused with high fashion.
Posted by: jennifer | February 01, 2008 at 12:51 AM
OMG- I always think that "high fashion" looks ridiculous! But I LOVE Project Runway. I'm not terribly fashionable, but I know I'm not going to look like Jessica Alba! Although, give her a few months and it might be closer!
Posted by: GoMommy | February 01, 2008 at 09:38 AM
Behold the faminized Puffy Shirt! Eek. I prefer the crisp white shirt, myself, although something with an antique feel can be nice.
And I have bad 80s memories of gladiator sandals, but I do love me a nice bright purse, so that is one bandwagon I could be driving!
Posted by: kittenpie | February 02, 2008 at 10:52 AM
Floral print dress - check
Cinched waist - not so check
Gladiator Sandals - covet
White shirt - must have
Technicolor Bag - why the hell not!
Can't wait for 6-10!!
Posted by: Secret Agent Mama | February 03, 2008 at 06:54 AM
A well-cut pencil skirt, white shirt and heels NEVER looks dowdy or dated. Ask any man.
Posted by: Thursday | February 03, 2008 at 11:50 AM
I don't think a cinched waist is my friend these days.
Posted by: mama drama | February 08, 2008 at 03:33 PM