What does the best dressed mum at your school gate wear?

[Goodwitchglenda]

What does the best dressed mum at your school gate wear? And where in the country are you?

Posting in the spirit of curiosity and inspiration!

But you dont tend to stand round observing people in the supermarket, you're getting on with your shopping. In the school playground you're likely to be waiting so it's natural to observe what other people are wearing - and doing, saying etc. There are so many threads about school gate behaviour, it's really not that strange!

At one there’s alot of mum Jeans mum boots and mum helmet head bobs

The op expressed this is in her post - she is looking for inspiration

Agree, she’s also not asking to criticize/rate anyone - just what do you think looks good.

Usually just simple, well-fitting clothes really well put together. Nice jeans, boots, a good coat and a decent bag always look effortlessly stylish to me!

I don't think that's what they mean. I love clothes and design etc but I never noticed what people were wearing on the school run - it's a busy time and people are not really presenting their best selves while trying to not be late. I don't think what I wore to take my kids to school is representative of me usually. I have made some amazing friends from school days (both children now older) and we are all different style wise - what we all wore didn't ever play a role in finding people we liked and have supported and celebrated with over the years. It just isn't that important. You can make all sorts of assumptions about people from what they wear for the school drop but I have learnt that they are usually wrong!

We have yoga/dog walker mums in legging and socks pulled up.
Boden mums in horrible tent dresses
The 'fun' mums in dungarees with stupid hair
And the work mums in trousers and decent coats.

I don't think anyone dresses well tbh! No style...

(I am sat here wft in Thai pants, a checked shirt, wool socks and clogs so I am not one to judge!)

These prim and judgy posts always annoy me. Newsflash, we are social beings, its completely normal to be interested and engaged with other people...and that includes 'petty' and 'small stuff like what they wear!

I find is so strange that this thread has attracted so much judgement (where people could have easily just scrolled past)
I love fashion, I draw inspiration from everyone around me. I think I school gate drop off is a good example of busy, normal people in a similar stage in life so as good a place as any to draw inspiration.
My school drop off days are in the past now...but I do remember some mums just looked effortlessly great. They seemed to wear good brands (not necessarily expensive though) they didn't follow trends too much. A good coat and good haircut.

I live in quite a deprived area and most mums seem to wear pyjamas, leggings, hoodies or joggers. The nicest dressed are probably the ones going to work. There is a hairdresser mum who always looks great, although I think her face and figure probably help too.

I don't know why this thread has rubbed people up the wrong way! I just took it to mean that the school run is a time when you come across a wide cross section of people, who amongst them has a style you like?!

I'm in Scotland, city centre school. I don't actually do the school run anymore due to work hours but 2 of my friends who I met through school drop off and pick up I think have an amazing sense of style even if it's not something I'd wear personally. One has lots of quirky arty type pieces and lots of interesting layering - like those free people lace trimmed trousers, layered top and shirt combo, interesting jacket etc. The other one is quite casual - like cos/arket type clothes (which I also wear but somehow don't look as stylish!) and also has lovely hair and always bright lipstick, statement jewelry etc.

I think a good coat makes all the difference. Pulls everything together.
One of the mums I always notice has a very minimalist scandi style of dressing. I think she always looks effortlessly smart.

The people you became friends with are all different style wise and it’s unwise to make assumptions about what people wear on the school run? So you did notice what people were wearing.

Some of my grandchildren go to a school in a leafy suburb. Lots of differing clothing and styles. No one stands out. Other grandchildren go to a school in a very affluent area. Lots of thin mums in expensive gym wear with highlighted swishy neat ponytails. No one is overweight. Apart from me. That’s what I notice.

I'm also into style and fashion and enjoy people watching, and yet it still seems weird to frame it as if the school run is some kind of occasion to dress for, in which parents are in competition with each other to be better dressed.

I don't think it's necessarily what the OP meant, but I've seen numerous posts over the years about "what to wear for the school run" and it seems such a bizarre thing to be worried about - in my experience people just seem to wear what they want to wear for whatever else they are doing for the other 95% of their day, "School run style" just seems a very irrelevant concept.

I dropped my neighbours dc today, raining, most were in leggings or jeans and decent waterproof jackets, helly Hanson is popular here. Anyone actually going to work would be dropping earlier i suspect

Yes that's what I meant too. When my dd started school I had a 3 month old ds strapped to me. I am very very happy that the women that would go onto to be my future friends, supporting me through divorce, loss etc saw beyond the crazy haired sleep deprived shell of person they met on day one 😁. So when I read other threads about how to look expensive etc on the school run (or the bloody school run dress to 'pop on' for the school run which was a thing on here back in the day) I think it is all a bit of a nonsense. And that's not because I think clothes are frivolous AT ALL. I just think that no one should be judged based on their school run attire 😬

I am usually the first to roll my eyes when people come to S&B posts to berate posters for having an interest in what people wear (and I do myself) but I was a bit 🤔 at this one, I think because the school run somewhat exists in a style-free vacuum for me. Clean and coordinated is as far as I go.

I think this is because the bar is so low at our school and it turns out I do need that external validation to make an effort. On the days when I go on to the office and therefore look decent, there's virtually no-one else there as it's 7.30am

Haha the “school run dress” was what was on my mind too! I remember reading that before my DC started school thinking “oh..is that a thing I need to worry about?” and it turns out…100% not!

(and sorry my post was supposed to be agreeing with you, I understood what you were saying!)

There was a School Gate Style blog for a while, I used to quite like it. Possibly before your time @Goodwitchglenda ?

Same, I’m reading this like huh.

people at our school gates are wearing normal workwear not stylish. And then the rest in leggings or joggers and a sweatshirt. I’ve been wearing shorts and t shirt since march.

im the one with unbrushed hair and no make up!! But I have 3 very small children and getting to school on time every day is my main aim

Some very odd posts on this. This is style and beauty OP asked what best dressed person wears not tell us how shit some mums look so we can all judge. Every school has well dressed mums and dads at pick up so she's obviously referring to those people.
I like to look a bit presentable for school run because quite frankly my life is stressful and it's kind of like an I'm OK mask.

This one mum at our school is so low key yet super stylish: straight leg jeans, loafers or low key trainers, a very good cashmere jumper in a quiet colour, an excellent coat in a quiet colour, a first class but no logo cross body bag (think The Row, Metier). Minimal to no make-up, hair shiny and strong, just straight down. I’m sure she rolls out of bed like this but there’s a lot of thought, exquisite grooming and Pilates going into looking super low-key, super low-maintenance yet fabulous. Life goals!

This is what I want to be when I grow up 😂

Oh dear, that's not the answer I really wanted to hear. I think it's what I'm going to have to do, though.