Ode To My Mom (and her style)

talking about my incredible mom and her incredible closet

If you let me, I could talk about my mom for hours. Sometimes I feel like I hit the jackpot with my mom- smart, unbelievably kind and empathetic, strong, beautiful, generous, stylish, and just the best friend you could ask for. If you’ve been reading Bells & Whistles for a while, you will know I talk about my mom (and her closet) quite often- so today, I am dedicating an entire post to the style icon that is my mom.

me and my mom when i was little!

There’s something so special (and sometimes jarring) about growing up and seeing parts of your parents in yourself. Their mannerisms, their little quirks, even the way they react to situations- but my favorite has been seeing old photos of my mom and hearing stories of her from her friends, and realizing just how similar we are.

My mom was born in Poland and lived on her family’s farm until she was 14, when she and her family packed up and moved to America. I love seeing photos of how she dressed growing up- the reality of growing up in a small village on a farm in Poland, then acclimating to an entirely different lifestyle in another country thousands of miles away.

As I began to develop my own love for fashion growing up, I constantly found myself digging through my mom’s closet (much to her dismay…). Though she barely saved any of her clothes from high school or college (we still fight about this to this day), she still has some absolute gems in her closet that I had the privilege of borrowing (or taking). I don’t think it resonated with me until years later that so much of what I love about fashion stemmed from my mom and her incredible closet- my love for jewelry, playing with different textures, layering - I’m not even sure she realizes I got it from her. Looking back on old photos of her and thinking of memories from when I was young, I can confidently say that watching her has made a huge impact on the way I choose to dress.

Let me show you some of my favorite looks of hers-

Starting off with one of my favorite looks- first of all the hair is incredible. I love the bangs back to the huge hair (my mom is infamous for this within her group of friends)- but obviously I love the lingerie style slip dress. If you’re familiar with my closet, you know I cherish a vintage slip dress in all styles and colors- but this picture is making me realize I should be on the hunt for a lacey black one! And it looks like she’s wearing the slip with lace black tights under to cover up a bit more, I love the way it’s barely there but the layering makes an impact. Of course, I love how my mom paired it back to the all gold jewelry and bold red lip- this would be a perfect going out look.

This outfit is an obvious favorite- the longer length knit top back to a printed mini skirt is the perfect combo- and extra points for the top being belted for a bit of waist interest. The gold accents bring the outfit together perfectly- if I was styling this today I’d love to grab a knit belt I already have and add a small gold brooch to it for a similar look. I can’t tell what she was wearing for shoes but I would definitely throw on some tall suede boots for another night out look.

I believe in this photo she was back in Poland visiting her family’s farm- and I am obsessed with the fact that she wore this incredible all red pant suit. Listen, I am not a pant suit girl, but the bagginess of this one feels so effortless and not like she’s going to the office which I love. The monochrome set feels really put together, and I love the subtle shoulder pad look (can we bring back shoulder pads in a chill way?) but still laidback for the perfect look. Love that its paired back to the round sunglasses and long straight hair, she just looks so cool.

Love these photos for obvious reasons (my mom looks so beautiful) but especially the jewelry!!!! If I ever question where I get my love for jewelry from do not ever let me forget it’s clearly from my mom. The easy black top on the left with a checked blazer and that amazing gold necklace (can you believe she didn’t save it for me) just brings the look together perfectly. The statement necklace on the right back to the off the shoulder dress is a great combination- I am out of my necklace phase at the moment but I think the way to do it is to keep the shoulders and neckline bare so the necklace is the center of focus.

Photos of my mom on a day trip to Block Island- she just has a way of pieces looking so cool and effortless on her. The slightly oversized sweatshirt with the short that hits at the mid-thigh, with her scrunched white socks and her new balances is just a no brainer, no fuss summer outfit. I have already put these onto my inspiration board for s/s 25.

I have always been obsessed with this photo of her for so many reasons- first, a portrait of herself on the wall? I love it. I need to commission one of myself for my apartment. But this white on white look is such a staple in my own closet- the crisp white button down with a long white skirt that kind of looks like lace. I am most intrigued by this insane bag that is sitting on the bed- I love the round shape, I love the stripes- and it’s the perfect bag for an all white look.

Another perfect laidback outfit- again, loving the layering off the longer top, this one is definitely more casual and boxier, back to the mini skirt. I especially love this outfit because of the stripe mixing, the wide black and white stripes with the thin stripe on the skirt is the perfect combination. Obviously love how she styled it back to her Asics (now I wanna buy these) and round sunglasses.

I found this photo of my mom when I was 19 and loved the Guess Jeans tee she was wearing, so I found it vintage online just so I could match her. So cute with the rolled sleeves and vintage baggy Levi’s.

I am obsessed with this wide collar lapel dress she wore, especially with the hits of shine and the matching gloves? Perfect. The cinched waist and slit at the leg feel so elegant while still being flattering and having interesting detail. Now I feel like I need matching gloves for all my formal events coming…

One of my mom’s most iconic images to ever exist- her in this perfect pink set while in Italy. She’s giving Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Y2K icon- and I have to mention that she was 35 and already had me and my brother when this photo was taken. I mean… incredible. The sunglass choice is perfect, the layered yellow bikini top underneath, I love when she went for the lighter hair color- it’s an iconic image of 2000’s fashion.

I have to also give a shoutout to her in the 80’s with her huge hair (I told you), but again, loving the subtle shoulder pad look especially when it’s in this more casual outfit paired back to shorts.

The final images I’ll share are one of my favorites- my mom and her incredible fur coat. The photo on the left is of her while visiting Poland, I just love this picture of her so much. She looks so chic and beautiful- when I saw the photo I had to grab the fur coat from her closet (me pictured on the right obviously). The colors and design to the fur are perfect and absolutely a piece I will be keeping for generations.

Aside from my mom having incredible outfits, I think this post also creates a discussion around the importance of documenting things. Of course, with technology and social media these days it feels like, if anything, we’re doing too much documenting, but instead being intentional about what you want to save. I take photos of my outfits almost every day for many reasons, but I also love the thought of in 20 years my future children, or even myself, being able to see what clothing was like at this point in time and give timestamps to how I was dressing at certain ages. It’s so special for me, as someone who loves clothing and fashion, to be able to see my mom at vastly different points in her life and how she chose to dress.

It also speaks loudly to the ongoing conversation I keep having on the evolution of personal style. Documenting how you dress each day, even on days that feel boring and insignificant, can have you reflect back on styles you like on yourself, excite yourself about old pieces again, or reimagine how you’d wear a piece differently.

I feel incredibly lucky that I have a mom that has always loved and supported the way I dressed and chose to express myself, along with my love and career in fashion. I am also incredibly lucky to have such a generous mother who let’s me steal things from her closet (yes, we fight about this). There’s just something really special about wearing things from someone you love- it’s like a piece of them is with you even if they’re not. As I get older, I find myself looking in the mirror or at pictures of myself and seeing all these things I love about my mom- and how lucky am I to be able to say that!

Thank you so much for being here and reading, I especially hope my mom loves this post. As always, leave a comment if you want to share anything or send me a dm on instagram- I love to chat with you guys!

-Izabela