What do the cool mums wear?

[Jacaranda75]

Following on from the Mum Boot of Trainers thread, I am wondering, what do the cool mums wear? Are there any brands or items of clothing that are considered 'cool' for school run mums?

The woman I saw the other week on the school run who looked great was wearing cropped very wide jeans, an orange polo neck jumper, a scarf in her hair and Birkenstock clogs.

The JW Anderson mules are on sale. I like them but hate mules.

don't find them practical

Thinness. Especially around the midriff.
Good hair.
Clothing that looks appropriate for wherever they are.

I sometimes wear sunglasses in the winter because I have contacts and my eyes are really sensitive to the sun. Only when it’s sunny mind. I’m not Madonna either @AllTheUsernamesAreAlreadyTaken - how very last century of you

I think the problem is that some posters think a question like “how can I look cool” implies some negative judgement of others, which they find offensive.
I would say that I’d like to look cool, but that’s really focussed on what I like for me (definitely not what I look for in others).

I don’t care if someone chooses to look cool on the school run, or any of the other styles mentioned.

So for me (and perhaps the OP) looking cool is about a wish to look a certain way for myself - and does not imply any judgement of others...

I wear sunglasses on more days than I don't. I think I am really photosensitive. I wear them when I'm working in my kitchen and the low winter sun is streaming in!

I've had people sneer at me for it. They're called SUNglasses not SUMMERglasses, so if it's sunny I'll be wearing them instead of squinting. And I don't care what people think about it.

I have a very cool arty friend who often wears headscarves, Raybans and clogs. She carries it off and is the most stylish person I know.

I wear sunglasses when it's sunny, regardless of the season . I don't think I'm Madonna, I just think about not squinting into the sun.

TBF my mum wears sunglasses all the time

Honestly, why don't you just stick to your actual style instead of slipping in to a "Cool Mum Uniform"?

When I had my first DC I did this. I went from being Alt/Goth to slipping in to jeans and stripy navy shirts/boring jumpers because "you're a Mum now and Mums don't dress that way"

Just.... wear what YOU want to wear and stop worrying about whether other school run fuds think you look "cool" enough or not. It's not high school anymore and even then that shit was stupid.

The mum I most admire on the school run is french & always looks simply and casually dressed but with a hint of cool!!! I often look like a wreck and am a little lardier than I feel good about at the moment (Thankyou working from home!) so have resolved to lose the weight rather than try to buy more clothes at the moment). When I do I will try Sandro and BA&SH as this is where my french-mom-crush shops!!

@allfurcoatnoknickers I’m a short arse too and embrace cropped trousers I think they’re five I’d you get the length right which means I always have to have mine taken up.

The cool mums at our school wear
CM1 (cool mum 1) leather look leggings, leopard print coat, band t shirt and cowboy type tassely boots
CM2 wide leg, perhaps ripped, jeans with T-shirt fitted top tucked in, big chunky fila trainers and an oversized shirt

CM3 floaty maxi with long sleeves, veja trainers, leather look jacket ( but vegan)

CM4 skinny trousers, longline cardigan, Chelsea boots, tucked in top

Me: skinny jeans, Stan smiths, oversized check shirt (also maternity but we don’t tell people that as baby is 1)
Sometimes switch up shirt for an oversized slogan jumper if in the wash trés cool

If you want to be actually cool as opposed to school mum cool (and I have an 18 yr old model DD so speak with some albeit vicarious authority here)

Then it’s all about bias cut satin dresses over cropped roll necks; lace bustiers with low rise jeans and teeny tiny dresses with chunky boots and cropped chunky cardigans.

Think Paris Hilton late 90’s. For those of us who were ourselves teens in the 90s this is obviously a bridge too far

Not Boden, not Seasalt, not Fatface, and definitely not Hush.

Plus @PegasusReturns Tammygirl no longer exists so where would I buy these things?

Shall I preempt buying some pedal pushers for the summer?!

@PegasusReturns

If you want to be actually cool as opposed to school mum cool (and I have an 18 yr old model DD so speak with some albeit vicarious authority here)

Then it’s all about bias cut satin dresses over cropped roll necks; lace bustiers with low rise jeans and teeny tiny dresses with chunky boots and cropped chunky cardigans.

Think Paris Hilton late 90’s. For those of us who were ourselves teens in the 90s this is obviously a bridge too far

I wore satin nighties outdoors in a Courtney Love stylee in the 90’s. I would look a state doing it now. Not cool at all.

I agree with pp who say mums are either cool or they aren’t, if you are trying to adopt a cool wardrobe then sadly you are in the latter category

In the winter, all you need is a good coat and you're sorted. I'm half French (though sadly tragically uncool, sorry @Beeth0ven 😉). A lot of what is said on S&B about French women is wishful thinking in the extreme - they are actually talking about about 0.1% of the population in the posh arrondissements of Paris. However, one difference that is real is that French women do not usually wear anorak-style coats in town. It's doing this, more than anything else, that makes Brits look dowdy IMO. You can still wear something practical and rainproof but, if it's suitable for trekking up Snowdon in November, it's probably not going to do you any favours on the school run.

I feel pretty good in my 1961 DMs. They look preppy with a dress or grungey in jeans. Not really interested in seeming "cool" though

Yeah the 90s fashion trend is tipping into early 00s, think butterflies, cropped halter necks, bright colours, tiny miniskirts, cargo pants. 🤮

@TheGirlWhoLived

The cool mums at our school wear CM1 (cool mum 1) leather look leggings, leopard print coat, band t shirt and cowboy type tassely boots CM2 wide leg, perhaps ripped, jeans with T-shirt fitted top tucked in, big chunky fila trainers and an oversized shirt

CM3 floaty maxi with long sleeves, veja trainers, leather look jacket ( but vegan)

CM4 skinny trousers, longline cardigan, Chelsea boots, tucked in top

Me: skinny jeans, Stan smiths, oversized check shirt (also maternity but we don’t tell people that as baby is 1)
Sometimes switch up shirt for an oversized slogan jumper if in the wash trés cool

This is a brilliant post.

There are so many ways to be stylish.

the cool anybody wears whatever they want and doesn't care what anyone else thinks. vide Terry Pratchett "monks of cool"

@MissLucyEyelesbarrow half my family is French & I agree the trope is more truer of certain distracts in Paris but I do think even in the countryside the older ladies tend to be more chic.

You can still wear something practical and rainproof but, if it's suitable for trekking up Snowdon in November, it's probably not going to do you any favours on the school run.

True dat