Mothers and coolness might traditionally sound like a clashing combination, but today, they are coalescing style-wise like never before.
While the modern cultural landscape regularly celebrates contemporary style icons like Rihanna, Gigi Hadid, and Hailey Bieber for their maternity fashion moments, a new literary exploration delves deeper into the historical and cultural architecture of maternal style. Author Terry Newman’s latest book, Cool Mothers: An Appreciation of Style, shifts the lens away from fleeting social media trends to focus on enduring fashion arbiters across generations. The illustrated page-turner examines the profound sartorial and personal footprints left by style icons such as Jane Birkin, Vivienne Westwood, Kate Moss, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Taylor Swift’s mother Andrea, and Rosita Missoni alongside her daughter Angela and granddaughter Margherita Missoni.
Rather than acting as a practical how-to tutorial or a styling guide, the book serves as an exuberant celebration of mothers and their personal choices. When discussing the project, Newman noted in a recent interview that the featured mothers’ stylistic decisions relay deep individualism, assuredness, and confidence in their kin. This perspective is echoed by the next generation as well; supermodel offspring Lila Moss has spoken openly about dipping into her mother’s wardrobe to steal old rock T-shirts, cherishing a vintage Rolling Stones top above all else.
While fashion oddities associated with motherhood have historical roots—such as the unlikely trend of wearing a false pregnancy bump called "The Pad" taking hold in 1793, or Jeanne Lanvin introducing the mommy-and-me look in 1897—Newman’s exploration of maternal coolness is definitively contemporary and analytical. Adroit at delving into what wardrobes reveal about a person’s inner life, Newman has previously published acclaimed books exploring the style and cultural impact of public figures like Harry Styles, BTS, and Marilyn Monroe.
All of these projects ultimately come down to what Newman describes as "writing mini biographies of people through their clothes." In doing so, she suggests that readers might also examine their own closets as a different means for self-reflection.
Indubitably, mothers are having a significant moment culturally and politically. The "Tradwife" movement, for instance, continues to gain massive traction on social media platforms, propelled by lifestyle influencers such as Ballerina Farm’s Hannah Neeleman, who commands an audience of millions on Instagram. Yet, Newman’s fascination with stylish mothers diverges from traditional domestic ideals, focusing instead on peering into the complete character of women through the multifaceted lens of motherhood.
"It’s not necessarily a matter of thinking that cool mums are young or fashionable and effortlessly glamorous," Newman explained.
This philosophy informed several key inclusions in the book, such as Hole frontwoman Courtney Love, whom Newman believed had received an unfair reputation as a young mother during the height of her fame. Recalling her early reporting days for style publications like i-D and Self Service, Newman noted that Love was virtually the only woman she could find walking a major red carpet "accessorized with a baby"—her daughter Frances Bean Cobain—with both mother and child dressed in eclectic vintage finds.
The personal impetus for Cool Mothers stemmed from a profound place: Newman losing her own mother a few years ago. While sorting through her late mother’s belongings, she discovered diaries and a photo album containing unexpected snapshots of her mother at the age of 16. Those images revealed a vibrant individual whose youthful essence seemed entirely distinct from the maternal figure Newman had known throughout her life.
This realization also informed her reflections on Princess Diana, who served as a de facto mother figure for countless individuals in the United Kingdom and across the globe. Ahead of the 30th anniversary of the late royal’s tragic passing, Newman analyzed how Diana was initially constrained by societal and institutional expectations.
"She was very much told what to do, what to wear, how to behave and had to be subservient to her husband, who apparently, was having an affair before they were married," Newman said, adding that "all of these things kind of pigeonholed her into this sort of trad-wife type of world."
However, as Diana matured, flourished, and began to assert her own identity, her sartorial narrative shifted dramatically. She evolved from a wallflower wearing frilled blouses reminiscent of her own mother’s generation into an empowered woman confidently stepping out in creations by John Galliano. Another undeniable sign of her modern maternal coolness was how she raised her children—notably dressing her son Prince William, the future heir to the throne, in everyday jeans, a casual choice that had never been seen before within the strict protocols of the British royal family.
Other luminaries featured in the book share similar reflections on familial legacy. Fashion figures like Cora Corré have opened up about her punk-leaning grandmother, Vivienne Westwood, alongside her mother, Serena Rees, the founder of Agent Provocateur. Newman was also inspired to track down one of Elizabeth Taylor’s granddaughters after uncovering a rare photograph of the legendary actress and her daughter wearing Dior couture at a public fair. Recalling her conversation with the granddaughter, Newman shared, "She said, ‘Granny loved diamonds and everything. But if you gave her a ring from a Christmas cracker, she’d wear it just as proudly alongside of all her diamonds.’"
While some daughters look at historical photographs to pick up fashion cues directly from their mothers, Taylor’s granddaughter drew inspiration by watching the Oscar winner’s iconic cinematic performances. Newman also highlighted observations made by Judy Garland’s daughter, Lorna Luft, who once remarked on the surreal reality that most women cannot go to a convention where thousands of strangers might be dressed as their deceased mother in identical costumes. Ultimately, examining cool mothers offers broader psychological and cultural insights.
"In a way, maybe the coolest mothers were the ones who allowed their children to be who they wanted to be. They weren’t necessarily the perfect mother. In fact, I came to the conclusion that perfection is the opposite of cool," Newman said. "It’s more about women who have a strong sense of themselves. They allow their children to see them as complicated people with careers, making mistakes and having accumulated experiences."
Through their roles as creative directors, founders, designers, tastemakers, and cultural figures, mothers continue to navigate the public sphere entirely on their own terms. "Cool is sort of a throwaway word, but what does it actually mean in motherhood?" Newman pondered. "Some of the coolest women have lived these lives without losing curiosity, style, or a sense of themselves."
Noting how literature, including feminist critiques, frequently highlights how individuals can lose their individuality upon entering motherhood, Newman emphasized how all the women profiled in her book managed to retain their core identity. From the late Vivienne Westwood wearing a rebellious punk T-shirt to Courtney Love favoring vintage grunge, "they all kept their ambition and individuality," Newman noted.
That same steadfast spirit applied historically to trailblazers like the late singer and dancer Josephine Baker, who was in her late 40s when she adopted what would become the first of 12 children, and is captured in intimate family moments, such as a vintage snapshot of designer Lulu Guinness as a toddler on the beach with her mother.
Even women known primarily for formidable corporate power structures are reframed through this holistic lens. Discussing Condé Nast’s global chief content officer Anna Wintour, who is frequently perceived as an unyielding career powerhouse, Newman noted that her inclusion was intentional because she, too, is a mother.
"Women do get pigeonholed if they are suddenly influential or significant. Actually, that’s what makes up being a mother as well. They shouldn’t be seen as in this perfect formula," Newman concluded.
