12 Australian women share their favourite fashion piece passed down from their mum
IMAGE VIA CARLA WEHBE
WORDS BY MAGGIE ZHOU
“This top is nearly as old as me. When I wear it, it’s not just about fashion, it’s a tangible connection to her and the bond we share over clothes, fashion and so much more.”
Around the same time I started op shopping as a teenager, my mother began the most annoying habit. I’d return from the shops and upon showing her what I’d bought, she’d say, “Oh, I had something just like that when I was younger.” Of course, these mysterious and magical vintage pieces were always lost to the passage of time (or more specifically, a lack of wardrobe space).
My mum has salvaged a few of her old pieces though, and I treasure these pieces extraordinarily. I have a check shacket that’s older than me, a baby pink button-up top and several pairs of pants from her. Once my older sister did the unthinkable and donated an old T-shirt of hers. Stern words were had that day.
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We know clothes hold more meaning with every new memory that’s attached. This is magnified with secondhand clothing, and tenfold with pre-loved clothing from loved ones. Take writer Tiara Swain’s coat from her great-grandmother or the hot pink ’00s dress digital creator Tara Chandra’s mum used to wear. Ahead of Mother’s Day, these women, and 10 others, share their favourite piece that’s been passed down from their mum.
Liv Brown, Stylist and Founder of Rattle Style
I am constantly raiding my mum’s accessories, she has the most iconic stack of rings and collection of bags. This one she gave me (I stole it from her) years ago and I love to wear it every time I wear black. It adds some edge to an all-black outfit. The leather is old and perfectly worn. It hasn’t got a brand on it but she loves to shop at cute little shops on weekends away, so I imagine it’s from a fun store somewhere in the country. Wearing a piece of Mum’s wardrobe is very sentimental to me and makes me feel confident with little reminders of her throughout the day.
Tara Chandra, Digital Creator
This floral pink dress is my most worn piece from my mum. I vividly remember Mum wearing this dress throughout the early 2000s for our family photoshoots, special events and weddings. I love this piece because, at its core, it’s how I remember my mum growing up and now I can extend its life through my own style. This dress has travelled around the world with me. It’s been layered with fun mesh tops, cute tees and worn in all the extra ways I can think of.
Georgie Goadsby, Warner Music’s Discovery Partnerships Manager
This Kenzo set is such a gem that my mum held on to from her thirties! She bought this in the ’90s from a boutique in London when she first moved from Australia. It comes with three pieces: the mesh layered skirt, a matching long sleeve top and a dark blue mesh vest to wear under the top. I love it as it’s such a unique set that I probably wouldn’t be able to find easily (or in my price range) and the quality is beautiful. I love the print and even though it’s mesh, it’s soft and makes me feel super confident. I love styling this with a little heel and mini bag for the perfect date night look!
Jillian Arcenas, Stylist
I’m super fortunate to have a mum who loves to shop and has kept many pieces from when she was younger. One item I inherited from her that I absolutely adore is a pair of beige knee-high boots. Though they are a tiny bit big for me, I still make them work because I just love them that much.
The colour is gorgeous as it has this slight sheen to it. The pleat design that wraps around the ankle makes the boot more of a statement. Styling them with a midi skirt is perfect for the cooler months and simplifies the task of layering while keeping the outfit elevated.
Carla Wehbe, Musician
This amazing tartan skirt was my mum’s when she was seven years old in 1977. It was her favourite skirt and she wore it to death. As she got older, she had to keep moving the buttons so she could keep wearing it.
Here, I’m wearing the skirt over patchwork flared black jeans, a ’70s Adidas ringer T-shirt and vintage Harley-Davidson motorcycle boots. I love the versatility of the skirt, and I wanted this look to have both elements of masculinity and femininity.
Tiara Swain, Writer and Model
This cashmere coat was handed down to me by my mum before I moved to New York. It was my only coat at the time, coming from the Gold Coast, and it certainly got me through some cold winters. It originally belonged to my great-grandmother, so it is very sentimental to me. I enjoy styling it with a button-up shirt in autumn or a turtleneck sweater in winter. Its classic design pairs well with everything in my wardrobe. I’ll often wear it with either brogues or boots. Though the lining needs repair, it’s still going strong after all these years.
Annika Nielson, Model and Content Creator
Growing up plus-size and having a skinny mom is such a niche experience and hard to describe. It’s hard seeing friends be able to wear pieces that have been handed down for generations. But that doesn’t make the pieces I’m able to wear any less special – it just means it’s usually jewellery and bags!
This set of pearls was my grandma’s, who handed it down to my mum, and then to me. I love styling them with more casual pieces to highlight the juxtaposition of wearing something usually reserved for high end classic events with ‘everyday’ pieces like a button-up.
Ferin Jafarova, Content Creator
My mum was what you would call an ‘it girl’ back in the ’80s and ’90s. I absolutely love looking at her photos from that era, she was always rocking the latest fashion and her signature smokey eye. In the USSR where she was born, it was extremely hard to get your hands on good quality clothes, let alone fashionable ones, so she was always considered ‘the stylish one’ by her friends, family and colleagues.
My mum’s great taste and love for clothes have definitely impacted my own personal style. My favourite fashion piece she gave me is her Bottega Veneta Intrecciato bag she bought in 2016. I didn’t understand that style back then but fast forward to 2021-22, everyone became obsessed with them. Mum loves this bag as much as I do, but she happily gave it to me to wear and it’s one of my most favourite pieces.
Harriet Nixon, Stylist and Content Creator
My mum and I share a lot of clothes and accessories (and shoes! We’re even the same shoe size!), and one of my favourite pieces she has handed down to me has got to be this gorgeous two-piece top. She purchased this on her first trip to Europe when in the Champs-Élysées in Paris for her 40th birthday. This top is nearly as old as me. When I wear it, it’s not just about fashion, it’s a tangible connection to her and the bond we share over clothes, fashion and so much more.
I’ve styled it the exact same way she wore it back then: with a denim skirt, the tank part of the top tucked in, boots, simple jewellery and some funky glasses! She’s always taught me how to dress well and how to style pieces that will last a lifetime. Her ever-evolving style has shaped mine to this day. I love that from a young age, she has taught me to cherish my pieces for them to last longer than any short-lived trend.
Liana Hardy, Photographer
I have always loved a statement and practical trench coat for on-the-go and transeasonal layering purposes. So it’s no surprise I couldn’t resist keeping this electric red coat for my wardrobe when mum claimed she no longer wanted it. A sentimental garment which was a gift from my dad to my mum during the 1980s, the trench coat is made in Poland from heavy-duty waterproof outer fabric and durable wool in the interior.
This special coat is always my favourite winter piece on rotation. I like to style it by layering a combination of a vest, shirt, flared pants or alternatively, a fun print skirt or dress underneath.
Oriana Peralta, Photographer
My mum’s always been such a fashion icon but when we moved to Australia, she did have to sell a lot of the clothes she would have passed down to me. One piece she gave me is these vintage pink Mango flares she used to wear in her thirties. When she gave them to me, she told me they were to remind me to always dress boldly, which always stayed with me.
Priya McPherson, Director of Sage Avenue
My mum’s wardrobe has to be one of my favourite places ever. Since I was a little girl, it has always been a space filled with vintage pieces, colour and sequins, so I absolutely loved diving into it. Today, I decided to pull out my mum’s vintage suede skirt. What I love most about this piece (apart from the fact that Mum wore it around the same age as I am here) is the material, colour and fit.
The baby pink is delicate but sophisticated. Accompanied by the soft suede material and midi cut, it’s giving cute ’90s work boss. I also leaned on the baby pink as the focal point of the outfit, so I have sandwiched the garment with whites and the newest Sage Avenue handbag. P.S. If you’re reading this Mum, are there any more of these skirts around?
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