Pieces From My Mother’s Wardrobe That I’ve Borrowed (Stolen)
Last year, when my mother visited me from India for the first time since I moved to the UK, we arranged to meet at Paddington Station. I had thrown on a pair of straight-cut jeans, a pink sweater and a bomber jacket I had long since taken from her (and never returned). When I saw her at the station in the crowd, the first thing I noticed was that she was wearing exactly the same outfit – from the colour of our trainers to the sweater and the black sling bag we both carried, we were basically twinning.
So it feels only fitting that in the lead-up to Mother’s Day, I give credit to my main style inspiration and the person whose clothes I’ve been “borrowing” ever since I could fit into them (and even before – I’ve seen photos of myself as a six-year-old trying to wrap my mother’s British Airways uniform around myself and basically drowning in cloth). But let’s save those images for another day.
I’ve been ‘borrowing’ my mother’s clothes ever since I could fit into them.
She’s always been effortlessly chic, has an incredible sari collection (so I never have to buy one), and although strangely obsessed with tank tops (she has about 265 of them in every colour), I’m forever grateful that she’s turned a blind eye to the many times I’ve dipped into her wardrobe in one of my I-have-nothing-to-wear episodes.
These are some of my favourite pieces from my mother’s wardrobe:
The office (but also dinner party) skirt
I’m quite sure this is one of those pieces that my mum thinks about sometimes and wonders where it went. Well, here it is, safe and sound. Will she ever see it again? Who really knows?
This one moves quite smoothly from office wear to dinner and drinks.
This pleated midi skirt is one of my favourites when I’m trying to put together an outfit that’s comfortable but also looks like I’ve made an effort. My mother and I are both fans of comfort dressing and this one moves quite smoothly from office wear to dinner and drinks, so sadly it may not ever be returned…
The summer sari
It’s a classic rite of passage – wearing your mother’s saris for your friend’s weddings. My mum has a huge collection of saris that she’s bought from all over India which works very well for me because I never have to buy one myself. This is one of my favourites from her collection, it’s linen so it’s comfortable and breathable and the colours and appliqué work are lovely, especially for an outdoor wedding when you really want to blend in with the grass – you know, because you can.
It’s a classic rite of passage – wearing your mother’s saris for your friend’s weddings.
The boho blouse
I’m not even trying to be creative here, I’ve just shamelessly stolen the top and then copied the rest of the outfit too. (The audacity…) But also, this is proof that a boho top can take you from a mehendi ceremony in Chandigarh to the office in London. Also, an honourable mention for these Versace sunnies which have seen both bright and dark days. They’ve travelled to Mauritius (with and without me) after getting lost in a taxi, I’ve worn them at day weddings, for the summer ball at university and on balmy walks in the middle of summer when I lived in Mumbai.
The denim spring steal
This Lee denim piece is practically a family heirloom – my mum bought it from Hong Kong possibly when I was still a toddler. She wears it in cooler months in India, and I’ve just pulled it out of my wardrobe to take me through London spring.
This Lee denim piece is practically a family heirloom.
My mother’s jewellery collection also must be noted here – she loves big colourful beads and heavy stones, like this jade-coloured piece that gives a cool Indo-Western feel to an outfit. I don’t often wear jewellery, but these funky pieces are an instant dopamine boost.
The green, green dress
Every time I see this dress hanging in my cupboard I start singing the song Green, Green Dress from Tick, Tick… Boom. I don’t feel too guilty about holding onto this one because my mother has three dresses like this in different patterns. (See how well I know her wardrobe?) I wore this to the summer ball at my college when I was studying at Durham University, and it’s the ideal warm-weather dress – or Christmas dress if you’re in India and you don’t need to bundle up in layers.
A bomber jacket that goes with me everywhere
Well, this used to go with my mum everywhere. Now, it’s one of my comfort pieces I love to take with me when I’m travelling. Great for airports and on flights when you just need a layer to keep you cosy, plus it goes with just about anything from short skirts to spring dresses and even with casual trousers.
The conference to cocktails sari
This isn’t quite the same sari (notice the border is quite different), but I love a blue silk sari for a special occasion. My mum wore this one for a conference she was facilitating but I made mine work for a friend’s wedding in Kerala. I cheated a bit with the blouse – this is a shiny H&M one-shoulder top that I’m pretty sure my mother would never wear, but hey, it worked. (Fun fact: There were three other girls at the same wedding wearing H&M tops instead of traditional blouses, so I’m thinking they really should just start a line of crop tops for saris…)
There are about ten other items in my wardrobe that I can credit to my mother, but at this point, I’m a bit worried that she’s going to ask for them back so for my own benefit I will stop here. But I do have a flight booked back home next month, so who knows what treasures I might bring back…
