Filling Our Parent’s Shoes

Growing up, I swore I would never be like my mother. I wanted nothing more than to be her foil, and cringed when anyone reminded me of our resemblance. I fought our visible connection by dressing in colors and patterns that stood in contrast to the ones she confidently adorned. If she suggested a dress to try on, I automatically refused without sparing a glance at it. Any time she kindly offered me as much as a scarf, I turned my nose up with sternful pride. I desired to be completely independent of my origin, and turned to clothing as my first act of removal. 

I often imagine the shock my younger self would endure if she saw how I now embrace and embody my mother’s look. After years of rebellion, I stopped defining myself by what I was not and came into my own sense of self and style. During this evolution, I would examine my outfits before walking out the door with a pressing sense of familiarity. I swore I had never worn this before!...Had I? The question lingered over everything I put on until my mother pulled out a picture of her 10 years prior in the same thing I proudly came downstairs wearing. The answer stunned me with shock: I had adopted the very style I once rioted against. 

Before this incident, I did not comprehend how much of my own closet was inherited from the one right down the hall. With constant reminders of how harmful garment production is to the environment, our generation has sought out more sustainable fashion options. This is most frequently seen through thrifting and the revitalization of old pieces headed for waste. Like many of my peers, I realized I had a personal thrift store that charged me nothing (what a steal!). Whenever I was bored of my own clothing, all I had to do was “borrow” a jacket or accessory to make my outfit feel new. But the similarity between my mother’s and my own fashion surpassed these unique pieces, appearing as shared preferences of style. 

After conversing with FAST models, it became clear that we all, in one way or another, carry a bit of our parent’s fashion with us. It makes sense: they are our first exposure to clothing. Before we can make our own choices, our parents treat us as their dolls, dressing us as they see fit. We adorn fabrics that mirror their own, and see the world through the color palette our parents choose for themselves. These become our primary lessons on how fashion is done, and lays the foundation for us to build on in the future. “I'm constantly stealing pieces out of his closet,” says FAST model Jadyn regarding his father’s fashion influence. “When I wear something that used to belong to him, which is damn near everyday, it’s like I’m paying homage”. We learn to take pride in our roots, as they are unique building blocks of our identity and a connection to our parents as we grow away from their care. 

Once we reach the milestone of shopping for ourselves, we begin to be exposed to materials and pieces outside of our parent’s comfort zone. Through social media, television shows, and magazines we learn new messages about clothing. We associate stereotypes and expectations to various looks and form judgments about the clothes we grew up in. We freely interpret styles and introduce our own take on our parent’s designs. “Similar to my mom, I love to exhibit a graceful, sleek look,” remarks FAST model Krina on how she has redefined her mother’s style. “I like how in today’s society I can define what class means to me as my mother had a more confining experience”. The clothes our parents adorned held different connotations during their time. Part of growing up is navigating what fashion means to us, what it says about us to our social sphere, and how that relates to our individual identity. 

GenZ has an obsession with older trends, frequently bringing back looks from years predating their birth and of their early childhood. This obsession with the past stretches beyond clothing into movies, music, and literature, deeming GenZ the “nostalgic generation”. This longing can be attributed to the constant flow of information we receive from social media. Everyday pressures to keep up with ever-changing microtrends, while dealing with the weight of global and local atrocities, can overwhelm our still developing minds. Many find comfort in coping by attempting to recreate a time of our lives that was not weighed down with this stress. As we reach back in time for a sense of simplicity, it is only natural for us to fall back on memories of our parents. By wearing clothes we were surrounded by in our youth, we attempt to re-create the ease of our childhood. On this, FAST model Ki remarks on how he finds his mother in his own expression: “ Her sense of fashion is the base of my own, and that no matter where it evolves and what other sources of inspiration I draw from, its influence can be felt”. We come back to our foundational teachings as a touchstone of strength and innocence. 

Fashion is connective, and when we invite our parents into our stylistic expression, we create space to bond with them through clothing. While they may have been our original educators, our parents are still able to learn from our fashion choices. “My mom has started styling looks like that too as we inspire each other!” says FAST model Kanwulia “We both LOVE to add our own unique style to current trends in fashion, and bond over it all the time”. Making clothing a collaborative effort can bring us closer together with the influences we dress ourselves in everyday. Personally, I always look for the pieces of my mom that show up in my daily outfits, and whenever I find them I feel closer to her even though I have grown into my own. 

Photography by Joel Salas-Villa (@m8notown, @elvioverde) & Xan Santos (@xan.gogh)

Modeling by Krina Efstratis (@lilykrina), Ki Riley, (@thespamfan), Kanwulia Onianwa (@iamkgirl_) & Jadyn Satten (@jaysatten)

Styling by Lucija Tot (@lucijatotx) & Maggie Wang (@maggiiwang)