Living With My Mum Again Made Me Realise Our Styles Are Really Similar

Earlier in the year, I would have described my style as no-frills; rock band tees, jeans and black boots were my work uniform. Then the pandemic hit.

I currently live with my mum and I’m working from home at the moment. Over the past few months, I’ve realised that we’ve been dressing very similarly. We’ve even been swapping clothes. Just like my mum, cosy chic has become my go-to garb, with silk shirts and cute tops taking precedence over fading T-shirts, especially when I have lots of professional Zoom meetings pencilled in and I want to feel a little more put-together. Closer to the weekend, comfy knitted co-ords and snug sweaters take over as my hectic schedule winds down. I’ve even rediscovered the joy of playing with makeup again. Although there’s hardly anywhere to wear it, smoky eyes, winged liner and ‘90s-inspired nude lips is my current go-to look.

As a makeup obsessive herself, my mum approves. But when it comes to my sartorial choices, she’s opinionated. If it doesn’t suit me, she’ll tell me. And if she wouldn’t wear it herself, I’ll know about it. Over the course of a week, I captured all of my WFH outfits on the instax SQUARE SQ1, asking my mum’s opinion on everything in the process. Here’s what happened…

My mum would never be seen in pyjama bottoms past 7am, even if she has nowhere to be. She’s almost always straight into a pair of skinny jeans and I think she’s on to something. After all, I need to retrain myself to start wearing actual clothes in preparation for when things become a bit more normal, whatever normal means these days. As I pull on my trusty pair of blue mom jeans, I realise how great it is to feel somewhat presentable and I serve my faded PJ bottoms their notice. My mum’s signature style is jeans and a nice top and considering I’m in back-to-back Zoom calls today, I opt for this structured, polka dot number, which is cute but not too dressy. My mum adores it but she tells me off for not ordering a second one for her. Oops.

My mum has been trying to give me her collection of vintage silk shirts for years but I’ve always politely declined, thinking they wouldn’t suit me. That said, seeing her ace them around the house, tucked into jeans or worn over floaty trews, has inspired me to expand my WFH regalia, starting with this pyjama-esque printed version. As I watch the instax photo develop, I’m sold, and I think, Could it be…I look chic? Like an actual adult? I realise I should have listened to her a long time ago and consider donating all of my band tees, which only make me look like a moody teen. From now on, my wardrobe will consist of silk shirts and only silk shirts.

My mum’s knitwear collection is seriously impressive and mine comes in a close second. I never usually wear pastels or bright colours but I’ve noticed that donning something other than black has a distinct effect on my mood, so I take a leaf out of my mum’s multicoloured wardrobe. Today we both accidentally go for baby pink but an eyeshadow palette explosion (beauty editor problems) means I have to change halfway through the day. I team this red rollneck jumper with slouchy checked trousers and my mum approves after I teach her the art of the French tuck. She now French tucks everything.

My mum and I are both a tiny 5ft but we’re all over the oversized trend, specifically button-down shirts. I’d never usually go for something this colour but the baby blue cord sways me and looks super cute over a crop top, striking the perfect balance between professional and casual on a day when I have lots of virtual catch-ups. The next day, I notice the shirt missing from the laundry basket. I hunt it down only to find it folded away in my mum’s wardrobe. It looks like she’s claimed this one…

Dress down Friday is still a thing when you’re working from home so I reach for a knitted matching rollneck and trousers, with my mum’s approval. Loungewear usually doesn’t make it onto her fashion radar but since being at home more, she's loving the laid-back look. Her exact thoughts? "Cute! You look like an influencer!" I’ll take that. I order her the same outfit on next-day delivery and she ends up helping me do a full-on photoshoot with the instax, which is the most fun we’ve had all week.

If I’ve learned anything this past week, it’s that mums know best. Mine lived through all the fashion crimes of the ‘80s and emerged with a sophisticated sense of style. Spending so much time together during the pandemic has shown that we are more similar than I thought when it comes to our attire. And that I should definitely be raiding her wardrobe more…