The Things We Tell Our Daughters In The Way That We Dress

Getting dressed. It’s a thing that has to be done, but often lacks my enthusiasm. In recent years especially, as my focus has been on rearing awesome kids and not my full figured wardrobe. If you’ve met the women in my family, you’d know that fashion is kinda a big deal. My Latina grandmother is the pinnacle of “always put-together”. She wears bright colored clothing that flows perfectly against her body, heels for every occasion, loud bangles that sound like a love long as she walks and always a crimson lipstick that’s tattooed on the cheek of each loved one as she enters a room. When I think of my mami, that’s who I envision.

Needless to say, understanding how mom-fashion impacts my daughter’s self image has been a huge indicator that I need to be more mindful. She’s growing up so fast and, as she proclaims each day, “wants to be just like” me. So this spring, I’m honored to partner with my friends at Payless to share a few stories on motherhood, getting dressed up and taking care of our images like our girls depend on it.

Can I just mention how hard it was for me to publish the above image without photoshopping the back rolls? I’m good with photography and could have easily done so, but that would defeat the purpose. The goal is to see myself, and love myself, the way that my daughter sees and loves me.

How Mom Fashion Impacts Our Parenting

My daughter loves to shop for me. Did you read that? She loves to go shopping for clothes and shoes for me. When this realization sunk in – that my daughter loves when I take care of myself – I had an ah-ha moment: time devoted to my image, my health, my skin and nails and hair, was not wasted or selfish. It was actually also serving my daughter’s developing self identity and self esteem.

One Saturday morning I announced that I was going to Payless to buy Spring sandals for the family and my little girl was eager to come along. I headed into the kids’ section and we browsed all the stylish selections. She ultimately choose the tan colored, strappy Ariana Rhinestone Gladiator sandal by American Eagle. They look so cute on her! With just the right amount of sparkle and shine, the padded footbed and sturdy outsole made a perfect spring-time sandal. And then she asked, “what sandals are we getting for you, Mama?”.

I made the choice in that very moment to see myself as my daughter’s role model of self love, a mom with style, lots of courage and a sense of self that she could trust. I knew that this exercise wasn’t about being the best styled mom or the most beautiful mom, it was just about being the best her mom. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do, but it’s amazing how motherhood can inspire us.

Alina sat on the floor as I tried on countless sandals, modeling from various angles, doing a catwalk to ensure the shoe fit my wide feet comfortably. I must admit, it was way more fun than I anticipated!

Ultimately, I selected three on-trend Payless spring sandals and let Alina choose. Funny that, similar to her sandals, she picked these tan, strappy Gladiator sandals for me as well. I love them! They’re stylish, comfortable, and came at a great Payless price.

This weekend was Easter and the family got dressed up. Early that morning, we painted our toe nails, chatting about our favorite colors. I rubbed her feet with lotion, caressing a mother’s love and making wishes into each little toe.

My baby girl wore a bright spring dress and offered me a sweet smile when I walked out with white pants, a flowing olive green blouse with sandals that matched hers. I wore a great disposition, enthusiasm for a special day with extended family and pride in myself. My daughter told me that I looked beautiful, then questioned, “I look beautiful too, right Mama?”.

This post is sponsored by Payless. Thanks for supporting brands that support our voices! All opinions are my own.