Vicarious Dressing
Vicarious Dressing
by Tanu Srinivasan
Moms: How many of you have been dressing vicariously through your kids over the last year and a half?
If you are anything like me, you probably have been channeling all your creative energy into dressing your minis - it is more fun that way, right?
I personally have been guilty of letting my own style fall by the wayside as I entered last year’s lockdown just two weeks postpartum. I was hopeful that my style lapse was temporary and that I would shake off the fashion funk once my maternity leave was over. However, things got worse in the world and work became indefinitely virtual. To top it off, I found out I was pregnant again with number 3. At that point, I threw in the metaphoric towel for a while and focused once again on dressing my kids.
Now, another four months have passed, I am postpartum for the second time in one year, and I am ready to burn my maternity dresses (ok I’ll try to donate or sell in the spirit of sustainability). It’s time for me to start embracing a new personal style.
Many of these brands have women’s lines with actual hidden gems - silk, billowy dresses, luxe velvet jumpsuits, cozy merino wool cardigans… After all, if we trust these brands when styling our children, why not trust them for ourselves? CouCou, my local go-to clothing store for my children, has a fully stocked “mama” wardrobe for this fall.
I love all of Astrid’s picks and with an unlimited budget and events to attend every day, I would buy it all. However, if I had to edit my choices down to a few styles for my new and improved “back to school” wardrobe, I would opt for the following:
The Louise Misha Ottica Dress in Bohemian Flowers (100% Silk) I’d love to pair this beauty with fleur de Lavande Collegien tights and coordinating clogs. On extra ambitious days, I would pair this dress with the Louise Misha Fifi belt and twirl down West Broadway to my heart’s content.
Another style that caught my eye was the Emile et Ida (“E&I”) braided denim overalls.
I love the dark wash for cooler New England days and think this versatile style can work with so many of the tops CouCou has in stock for women: the Emile et Ida collar sweater in Lac, the Louise Misha Sarah sweater in Sienna, or the Emile et Ida crepe capucine blouse. But I personally love the idea of styling a bold pattern with the dark wash and I’d opt for the Louise Misha Ismael sweater in Sienna. The colors in this particular sweater are so strikingly Boston. Can’t you imagine wearing this outfit walking down Charles Street with a warm drink in hand this fall?
Don’t forget to integrate new pieces into your current wardrobe. For instance, the E&I overalls would also pair back to so many of the blouses I have in my current wardrobe, including the Bonjour Diary women’s blouses I purchased this past spring. Speaking of Bonjour Diary, for those of us who are fans of the internationally acclaimed children’s brand, good news! CouCou will be carrying Bonjour for fall. Stay tuned for an inside look into the stunning, upcoming fall collection. Until then, stay safe and don’t forget we still have one month left before school starts. Enjoy every minute with your littles.
Click for all of CouCou's women selection.
About Tanu
Tanu is an attorney by day and a full time mom to her three stars (Bianca, Leo, and Kai) by day AND night. Her interests include sustainable fashion, travel, fine dining, and trying to make her husband laugh at her jokes.
