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I wrote a portion of my intro post on how my mother has influenced my love of fashion, but then decided maybe it would be better of in its own post and posed as a discussion question for the group: How does/did your mother dress, and how did this influence you as a child and as you grew into an adult? For example, was your mother conservative and so you rebelled and went through a punk stage? And what is your earliest childhood memory relating to fashion? My mother, a stylish 60-something woman with beautiful silver hair, is a clothes horse and has been from as long as I can remember. Today she has a huge walk-in closet that is to die for... it is as big as my master bedroom. I think they designed their house around this closet. (Incidentally, she is probably reading my post as she likes to follow me around on Usenet. Say hi!) My earliest childhood memory related to fashion involves playing with the pretty perfume bottles in my mother's bathroom while she got dressed to go out to a party with my dad. My mother never goes anywhere in public without make-up on, not even for a run to the grocery store. I recall she used to wear bright orange lipstick in the 70s. I also have a vivid memory of a daring hot pink bikini. And a long flowing pumpkin poncho. She used to take us girls shopping with her, and we'd spend hours playing on the floor of the dressing room. It was fun. I think this early exposure made me love clothes. Perhaps I associated clothes with love. And, I also wanted to be pretty just like mom. Today, when I get to see her, we will take off together and spend hours in the mall shopping for clothes. I have a good eye for what looks good on her, and vice versa. Some of my favorite times include shopping trips with my mother. This continues today because now I take my DD's shopping with me. When grandma comes we all go shopping together. It's fun explaining to DD11 that it is not necessarily fashionable to wear denim from head to toe. And DD9 loves hats! So how about you? How has your mother's fashion influenced your own? jen

: : So how about you? How has your mother's fashion influenced your own? : : jen my mom, who is a spunky 84yr old flaming liberal still dresses with lots of class. a TALBOT type of women! she is my hero, and wouldn't be caught dead in a QUACKER FACTORY type outfit! me either! rosie

orange lipstick in the 70s. I also have a vivid memory of a daring hot pink bikini. And a long flowing pumpkin poncho. Isn't it amazing how the world gets smaller every day?!   Welcome to alt.fashion!

lgreene < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it wrote in message : My mom, who died 3 years ago today, was 78, ((((((((lisa)))))))))))))))) :....................  He said, Grandma would never go anywhere : without something wild, so let's go with this.  How could we not? : : Lisa just wonderful! : : rosie <sorry@toomanyweirdo's.com wrote in message : : : : : : : So how about you? How has your mother's fashion influenced your : own? : : : : jen : : my mom, who is a spunky 84yr old flaming liberal still dresses : with lots of class. : a TALBOT type of women! : she is my hero, and wouldn't be caught dead in a QUACKER FACTORY : type outfit! : me either! : : rosie : : : :

Interesting question! My mother was an Elizabeth Taylor look-alike (except that she had green eyes instead of violet).  She was apparently a super-stylish dresser in her youth; some of the clothes she's wearing in old photos are truly incredible.  However, her family believed in giving the old clothes to the poor, so she only had a couple of formals around by the time I came along. She put on a lot of weight during her pregnancy, because of health problems, and was pretty round for the rest of her life (not unlike La Liz herself at that point).  I remember shopping with her in Roaman's, Lane Bryant, and the Ladies' department of Peck & Peck.  However, she found most of the clothes available for plus sizes ( half sizes in those days) to be pretty boring, and she generally had her party clothes made for her.  She had some gorgeous Thai silk palazzo pants and hostess gowns with chiffon kimono jackets and other funky, distinctive clothes that I remember well. Because I was only 12 when Mom died (and a ripped-jeans, skinned-knees kind of tomboy at that), we didn't spend too much time shopping together.  However, I have a few special dresses I remember from my childhood; interestingly, they were either black with bright prints or red with white, two combinations I'm a sucker for today.  The first grownup dress I remember buying with her was a black rayon with mauve and celadon flowers