I usually dedicate my annual Mother’s Day post to my late Mum because she shaped and continues to inspire my style more than anyone else. This year I’m including two additional incredible Mums. My Oma, who was my Mum’s Mother. And Greg’s delightful Mum, Tuppy. 

I didn’t have the pleasure of knowing my Oma for long because she died when I was nine years old. But thankfully I have vivid memories of us together that I cherish. I turned out very blonde and pale, but my Oma on my Mother’s side was Indonesian. This photo is the only one I have of the three of us together. It was taken on my second birthday in 1972, in Hong Kong in our Mid-Levels home on Conduit Road. Oma also lived in Hong Kong for a while, and apparently I spent a lot of time at her apartment. Oma had just been very ill, so she’s not looking her best. But she’s smiling and happy, and so was Mama. She’s wearing batik, which she did quite often as a nod to her Indonesian heritage. 

Oma was born and bred in Jakarta, Indonesia. That’s where she had three kids with my Dutch Grandfather, who I called Opa. Mama was the only child who survived the war, which strengthened the bond between her and Oma.

Oma was a professional seamstress and made clothes for clients in the ‘30s and ‘40s. Her favourite colour was a bright happy yellow and everyone knew it. She often wore yellow, and was gifted with items that were yellow. Her home was full of yellow things, and at one stage I think she drove a yellow Citroen car. If you wanted to see her face light up, all you had to do was give her yellow flowers. 

Mama didn’t have Oma’s fondness of yellow. As a lover of earth tones, she preferred mustard as her yellow, which she wore to our wedding with a brocade jacket and lots of gold jewellery. Mama looked fab in mustard, and enjoyed wearing it with shades of rust and brown. I, on the other hand, love bright yellow. I especially love citron which is a slightly greener version of bright yellow. And my favourite flowers are big fat yellow roses or tulips. I guess the yellow-loving-gene skipped a generation.

Greg’s Mum Tuppy is South African and one of my favourite people on the planet. In all the time I have known Tuppy her favourite colour has been yellow. Just like my Oma, Tuppy loves to wear yellow, has owned yellow cars, and is instantly drawn to yellow things. People know this about Tuppy, and she also receives fun yellow gifts.

The photo here is of Tuppy holding Greg in about 1970. Greg is wearing a yellow jumper she knitted for him. I adore this lovable photo of mother and son. 

Oma and Tuppy share more than a favourite colour. Like Oma, Tuppy is an extremely strong, capable and likable Capricorn. I suspect that if Oma had lived long enough for me to get to know her, we would have had a great relationship. The bond that I lost with Oma, I gained with my Mum in Law. Tuppy is my role model. A person of incredible integrity and character. A shy spirit with lots of spunk, patience and a delicious dry sense of humour. She’s book smart, but also street smart. Lots of fun, but also has impeccable manners. I’m blessed to have her in my life and always enjoy our time together. 

The photo below of Oma with her poodle pups Bijoux and Cherie was taken in the early ‘60s, and was the only one that Mama kept out for show. It was in every house as I grew up, and graced Mama’s bedside table when I left home. I once asked Mama why she chose this photo above the others. Apparently Oma’s poodles made her insanely happy, and this photo was the start of a much better time in Oma’s life. 

A strong affection for dogs is another thing that runs in our family, and unlike yellow, it did not skip a generation. We used to joke that Mama loved her dogs more than her kids, which of course wasn’t true. But I will say that dogs have enjoyed and will continue to enjoy a royal status in our households. The photo above was taken in 2000, a few days after we brought nine-week-old Jasmine and Rosie to our home in Johannesburg. They were a 30th birthday gift from Greg, and a way for me to cope with the loss of my Mama a few months before that. That’s why I called these precious pups my little angels from heaven. They were my therapy and incomparable creatures. I’m smiling at Mama, Oma and our girls on their big fluffy cloud in the sky, remembering them with a happy and heavy heart. 

I’m ending this tribute with a photo of Mama in the early ‘60s. She regularly competed in flower arranging competitions, was an avid gardener, and took great pride in being part of the Flower Club. She probably loved flowers even more than fashion and style, and throughout my life our home was adorned with flowers. I would come from school and regularly find a small bouquet on my desk — just because. Retro fashion, dogs, antique pink roses, batik, Hong Kong, Asian food and Asian furniture make me think so strongly of my precious Mama. I’m grateful to have these memories as a way of keeping her spirit alive in me.

We at YLF wish you a happy Mother’s Day. 

T Magazine reviews Bare, a new fashion and culture magazine “without gloss” and no photo retouching. The first issue contains a literary fiction feature about bad hair days, “essays and conversations about creative people’s work processes and a bathing-suit editorial accompanied by an excerpt from John Cheever’s short story ‘The Swimmer’.”

In “New Kids on the Magazine Rack“, the New York Times shares seven indie fashion magazines “on the cutting edge of print”.

I’m very much enjoying the new BoF series “Special Briefing on Fashion Media Game Changers”. Have a look at the two first instalments: Building Vogue China and Rebooting Elle. 

Fab Links from Our Members

Via Jennifer at The Daily Connoisseur, Ginkgo discovered The Lost Art of Dress by Linda Przybyszewski. She is tremendously enjoying this history of American dress and its downfall over the last half-century.

BethL came across Everpurse, a Kickstarter project for a small clutch that charges an iPhone. She adds that the video with people’s reactions to the “charging now” beep is kind of a riot.

MaryK is enamoured with these Charles James dresses, and found the article about how modern science is discovering how the designer made them so fab very interesting. She now wants to go to the Met and check out the exhibit for herself. Be sure to watch the video as well.

Angie recommends Sally’s post “Loving What You Hate“, as her body image posts are always food for thought, and a good read.

La Belle Demimondaine finds this multi-part series on how to assess the quality of a garment very helpful, particularly with regards to seams — something she never thinks to look at.

Dutch artist A. Boogert created an 800 page guidebook for painters explaining how to mix watercolours to create different hues and tones by adding water. HiggsMistress thinks it’s amazing that this was created in 1692, 271 years before the Pantone colour guides were published. Since there was only one copy ever made, the entire book is viewable online.

In this Wall Street Journal article, model Liu Wen makes menswear look very appealing. Joy loved the simple, dramatic lines and shapes.

Be Fabulous Daily, one of E’s favourite style bloggers is doing a project to see how small her wardrobe can be and still make her happy by creating 15 perfect outfits. This post outlines her strategy and rationale and includes directions for any readers who want to try it out themselves.

Laurinda enjoyed this blog post by marketeer Seth Godin who asks: Is digital the end of luxury brands? He explains why luxury goods are not likely to go on sale — People pay extra partly for the privilege of paying extra — and suggests that people today are more interested in connecting to their networks than in their stuff.

This ultra casual ensemble was inspired by a client who showed me her new olive boyfriend skinny khakis from Old Navy. I loved them on her. They are a softer and more lightweight alternative to jeans, and fabulous rolled at the hems. They come in an assortment of colours and sizes, and cost $19. Coincidentally, I had recently pinned a street style shot of Gwyneth Paltrow in slouchy olive khakis, grey tee, black blazer and gladiators because I thought the look would go down well with some of my clients. I guess we were on the same wavelength. 

It’s a comfortable and pulled together casual look for Mums and gals on the go. The outfit on the left is the trendier version and sans topper, while the outfit on the right is a tad more classic. I’ve stuck to neutrals, but choose any colour palette that tickles your fancy. Here are the components: 

Bottoms: A pair of dead simple cotton khakis in olive or another colour will do the trick. Make sure they can be rolled at the hems for a current look. Camouflage print is another option. Cargo skinnies that are rolled at the hem are another way to go, but a looser fit bottom is more fashionable at the moment. 

Top: Think fluid tee, tank top, T-shirt blouse, or roomy blouse with diagonal sleeves and high-low hemline. A boyfriend shirt with scrunched sleeves will also work, as will a slouchy lightweight cotton or linen pullover. Tuck or partially tuck the top for structure. I’ve chosen white and light grey because I like those neutrals paired with olive, but black, blue, and all sorts of reds, purples, pinks, corals and citron work well with olive too. 

Topper: This is optional. The point of the ensemble is that it looks good without the third piece. I do like the masculine strictness of a crisp black blazer with this outfit because it’s a fun juxtaposition. Pop it on when it’s cooler in the morning or at night. A knitted moto jacket is a cozier way to go. 

Footwear: Classic brown gladiators are warm and earthy with the olive, but black and metallic work well too. I threw in white Birkenstocks as the trendy option to match the white top. Slip-on sneakers will work, as will any style of casual sandal, cut-out bootie, pointy flat, wedge sneaker or loafer. 

Accessories: You’ll need a belt to finish off the look. Matching it to the colour of the shoes is an easy way of pulling together the outfit. Choose a casual tote, bowling bag, crossbody bag or fashionable backpack. Add jewellery, eyewear and watch as desired. 

 

Hopefully, you’ll be able to pull together this outfit by shopping your closet. I’ll be doing so by combining my tan boyfriend khakis with a white roomy button down shirt or cotton pullover, white belt, white wedge Converse and an ink blazer or black moto.

Tankinis are popular with my clients because they offer the coverage of a one-piece and the practicality of a two-piece swimsuit. Here’s a roundup of tried and tested tankini tops. Match them with basic swimsuit bottoms, boy shorts, board shorts or a swim skirt. Be sure the check all the colour options. 

• Elomi Isis Layering Top (Plus): Slimming, streamlined and supportive. 
• Seafolly Coastline Tankini Top: A retro style that doesn’t offer much support, unless you opt for the version for a larger bust line. Fab on a rectangular body type. 
• Elomi Isis Bandeau Layering Tankini Top (Plus): I prefer this style to the Isis layering top because the swing silhouette is fun, forgiving on the midsection, and the white piping breaks up the expanse of black. Bandeau ties can be uncomfortable, so make sure you’re fine wearing a suit that has them.
• Lands’ End Beach Living Tapestry Shirred Tankini Top: A classic tankini style that does the job. Available in shorter and longer lengths.
• Lands’ End Beach Living Paisley Square Neck Tankini Top: This style is good for a plus size gal with a smaller bust. 
• Lands’ End Regular Beach Club Tiered Tankini Top: A tiered style is great for midsection camouflage. It isn’t all that supportive in the bust, but offers sufficient coverage. 
• Magicsuit Solar Eclipse Corynne Wire-Free Swim Tankini Top: A wire-free version for extra comfort. 
• Fantasie Sante Fe Plunge Tankini Top: Fantasie swimsuits lift the girls as well as their bras do, so if you’re after a particularly flattering shape on the bust, Fantasie is one way to go. 

Personally, I’m not fond of tankini tops because they just don’t create a tailored fit on my torso when the style is supposed to do precisely that. Of course, I could have them altered. But I tend to fit bikini tops quite easily now that we can purchase them in bra sizes, so that’s my preference. Do you like to wear tankini tops?