Mom style: Think your mama had it going on?

There are so many unreal photos of my mom from the ‘70s but this one especially kills me. She looks like such an über babe, doesn’t she? That dress, the hair, the thighs, the car…

—Randi Bergman, Online Editor

This is Julieta when she was in her early twenties and that’s my dad, her Romeo, hanging on for dear life. As you can see in the photo, my mom had that Twiggy look happening – not because I think the Brit model was a huge influence, but because she was naturally stick thin and rocked a short pixie haircut for most of her life. Mother’s Day is always a special holiday for me, not only because my mom is my bestest friend, but her mom, my lola (“grandma” in Filipino), was also very close to my heart. Thanks mom for saving my bedroom even after I moved out and salamat for passing on the legs gene. It’s come in handy.
 
—Patricia Gajo, Montreal Editor

This photo, taken in 1965 at Toronto Pearson International Airport (then minus the Pearson), exemplifies everything I wish I’d been alive to experience during the Golden Age of Air Travel. Flying was still considered a novelty and a privilege, so people dressed well and looked forward to it as much as their destination. My mom—complete with a copy of Cosmo—looks to me like a Jewish Mia Farrow, except she married much better.
 
—Michael White, Managing Editor

My mom’s young (22 when I was born) modern style blended perfectly into the extremely modern bungalow in the idyllic small town just outside of Amsterdam I grew up in.

—Maarten Sluyter, Art Director

One of my favourite things as a kid was to rummage through my moms makeup and put her lipstick on and dress up in her clothing. I still think about her rainbow coloured eyeshadow palettes and tye dyed silk scarves.

—Nicole Stafford, Photo Editor

When I first saw this photo of my mom (The smile! The eyes!), I felt like I was looking in a mirror. We share a love of many things: jewellery, fashion magazines, baking chocolate chip cookies, Jackie O, singing along to the car radio (in particular CCR, Jimmy Buffett and James Taylor on our family summer trips to the Cape), and fluffy white dogs. I am proud to be her daughter.

—Sarah Casselman, Senior fashion news editor

This is my mom Donna in the early ’70s on the day she moved out of her parents’ house to live with my dad (the long-haired gent in the vest, not the shaggy dog). She looks so happy to be embarking on the next phase of her life, leaving the suburbs of Montreal behind for a downtown apartment. I love that her few worldly possessions included a leather bag filled with records. These two perfectly embodied the “all you need is love” ideals of the day.
 
—Caitlin Agnew, Assistant editor/research

In 1969, when my father took this photo, I was just a cheeky glimmer in my mother’s eye. The two of them had left everything familiar and moved to Brooklyn, N.Y. She had style for miles (faux fur coat, turtleneck, that pixie cut), but what’s most stunning about her is her innate strength and resilience. Trained as a nurse, she’s a true Florence Nightingale in how much she has given and still gives in protecting and caring for me.
 
—Joy Pecknold, Western Editor

I love my mom’s ‘80s style. I remember her getting ready in the kitchen (better lighting?), curling back and teasing her hair, a light touch of a pale frosty blue eye shadow under her gorgeous tortoiseshell frames. I remember tons of silk: dresses, pants and suits and amazing heels. Watching her get ready was pure glamour. When she spritzed her fragrance (Poison, Dior, back then), she cautioned to spray it on skin directly, never clothing…. it might damage those ‘80s silks!
 
—Karen Cleveland, Communication and Marketing Manager

This is my lovely mum – apparently she was the same age in this picture as I am now, and oddly enough I’d wear this outfit today (minus the hair); still debating if the pin is a Mercedes Benz logo or a peace sign though. My first experience with outlandish amazing fashion was when my mother would bring me to churches in the middle of Detroit, Michigan; they cared about how they looked every Sunday, Men in Gators and slicked back hair, women in full head gear and hats in vibrant day glo pinks, greens, and yellows. Their hats then MUST match the gloves, shoes, pins, and down to the nailpolish. I’m once again see the colours I grew up with in the churches of Detroit in the ‘80s in Spring 11 Christopher Kane and Jil Sander, and it reminds me of my mom in her day glo green blazers back in the day.

—Nicole, Dagenais, Associate Designer

This image is my mom leaving her house in the late 60s heading to her final days of high school. I love the grainy and dark quality of the image, and here I look frighteningly similar to her!
 
—Gillian Pryor, Fashion Intern

Here is my mother, Josephine Morra, in a caftan in Cape Cod in the ’70s. Dressing appropriately for any occasion, even lounging on the beach, was a priority for her. Clearly the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree!
 
—Bernadette Morra, Editor-in-Chief

This shot of my “ma” and I, snapped in Parry Sound in 1965, speaks volumes about my ma, not to mention the power of a white cotton shirt and a cute pixie-cut!  Simple, honest, shy yet quietly powerful, my ma has never been interested in putting on airs or drawing attention to herself. Her natural, no BS approach to life and style has always inspired me to be true to myself and keep it real—a credo I’ve tried to live by and pass on to my own daughter, Molly.  
—Susie Sheffman, Fashion Director

This is my mom, Debby. This photo was taken in the early ’70s in front of Stratford General Hospital, where she studied nursing. She’s never been into high-end labels, but my mom has always seemed stylish to me because of the way she puts an outfit together. She loves to dance and laugh, two things I’ve thankfully inherited from her. I think her positive outlook on life (plus the fact that she’s always shunned the sun) is the reason why she has such gorgeous skin—people are always blown away when she reveals her age. It’s such a cliché, but she truly is beautiful on the inside and out.

—Sarah Daniel, Beauty Editor

My mum, Roma, detests having her picture taken, so this is a rare shot of her pretty smile. This was England in the mid-’70s, and I gather she had quite the wardrobe—not that I’ve seen much of it. She’s always saying annoying things like, “Oh, you’d love those high-waisted pink jeans I used to wear, but I’ve no idea where they went!”
 
—Rani Sheen, Features Editor

This is my mom at 21 modeling in a hair show for a salon where some of her friends worked. They always asked her because she had thick, Asian hair, something not common in St. Catharines, circa the late ‘60s. I think the fact that she’s wearing a Pucci print-inspired blouse and that it’s shot from the side makes it seem even more glamorous and stylish, which made such an impression on me as a kid and in fact, still does.
 
—Lesa Hannah, Beauty Director

Looking at my grandmother’s golden goddess glow and pinup style maillot, and my loving mother’s uber-cool oversized aviators and yachting-induced ‘80s windblown locks has solidified the fact that the need for an ever present California girl tan is in my blood. Along with my un-healthy obsession with faux bronzing gel, both these amazing women in my life have clearly shaped my love for sailor stripes and absolutely anything nautical. While I’m the one that now gives them the fashion advice, I’ll never forget where I got my stylish sea legs!

—Jordan Porter, Fashion Market Editor

I particularly love this photograph of my grandma and my mom. My mom is around 21 years old, same age as I am now. My grandmother and her look radiant in their springtime dresses and vibrant smiles, evidence of a friendship that has lasted a lifetime between them. Every time I look at this, it is a reminder of where the strong relationship I share with both of them started from.

—Amanda Elliott, Photo Intern

This is my mom hanging out when life was simpler—beach blankets, Chevys, poodle skirts and sodas. She is one of 8 sisters, so I hear many stories of the good times they shared growing up. This picture reminds me of her sweet and cheerful attitude in life. Her style to me is about her confidence and the joy of living in the moment. Happy Mother’s Day!

—Laura Antonik, Web Designer

My lovely mother, Pauline, who is as young at heart today as she was in this photo, thanked me wholeheartedly for giving her a reason to look back through her old photos and reminisce about her youth. Nearly 40 years have passed, but she said she can still feel the warm island breeze and hear the palm trees blowing in the wind on her first trip to Hawaii in 1973. She was, and still is, a timeless beauty: the whitest of smiles, glistening waves (um, why didn’t I inherit that hair?), radiant skin and effortless style. She hasn’t changed a bit and I’m so proud to be her daughter.

—Lindsay MacAdam, Beauty Intern

This is my beautiful mother Dianne Davies Rourke at Expo ’67 in Montreal. She had the classic, clean cut, all natural Doris Day vibe. Love the big buttons, 3/4 sleeves and Wayfarers.

—Stephanie Rourke Jackson, Account Manager