My first grandchild, a wonderful little boy, was born six weeks ago. It’s an identity-shifting moment. For most of my adult life, I’ve thought of myself as a mother above all else (“midlifemomsongs,” right?). Now, I’m the mother of a mother, and my own mother is gone – I’m as far as it goes, generation-wise. I’m becoming Grandma Laurie, crafting a self-image to match this new phase in my life.
No problem! I’m a Fashion Icon, remember? Image is what I’m all about! Of course, say the word “grandma,” and the image that comes to mind is this:
No, no, a thousand times no! To state the obvious:
- I’m a Winter! I don’t wear pastels. They wash me out.
- My hair is curly, and much too short to fit in a bun.
- I haven’t knitted a thing with straight needles in decades. Circular needles, always and only! I may be a grandma, but I am not wedded to 20th century technology.
Grandmas of the 21st century: let’s show the world how it’s done! Yes, we may be changing the occasional diaper, and inventing elaborate excuses to drop by our kids’ house just to hold that wonderful new human for a few minutes. But we can still wow the world with our sartorial panache.
In my inaugural fashion icon blog, I wrote about red, white and black as being the defining colors of the older glam gal. Turns out, these colors fit my new grandma look perfectly! Here I am, wearing a crisp white linen top--always classic!
I picked up this adorable red and white jacket on a side street in Paris:
And here’s another great look, a Kelly-green knit! It’s a bold choice for October, neither the autumnal palette that season would suggest, nor the definitive red-white-black of the older icon. But spring green: what better way to celebrate a new life?
If I have learned nothing else as I embrace my new role and fashion status, I have learned this: it’s not what you wear. It’s how you accessorize.