Mother’s Day 2025

“If a woman is poorly dressed, you notice her dress. If a woman is impeccably dressed, you notice the woman,” said the fashion designer Coco Chanel. On this Mother’s Day, I recognize the important choice to dress impeccably because everyone will then recognize and notice the person.

My mother, Phyllis Schlafly taught me how to dress. If the clothes were too short or too tight, or too revealing, she patiently explained to me that I did not have the body type to wear such an outfit. And she was right, because teenage girls want to wear what is fashionable at the moment, and girls never want to wear what their mother tells them to wear. But my mother wanted her daughter to be seen as an accomplished and intelligent young woman, and she did not want her daughter to be perceived as a sexual plaything. In other words, dress for the long game, not the short game.

Phyllis Schlafly had a classic clothing style: bright colors, jewel neckline, long sleeves, and hemmed at the knee. No, she never wore a bikini. I learned from my mother that if you maintain a consistent style, then people will perceive you as ageless. The clothing that my mother chose always projected her seriousness, intelligence, and education. Her clothing also indicated that she was not for sale.

The clothes that women wear are in the news because some women seem to think that less clothing is more appealing. Some women choose to display their body and advertise their sexuality. Some celebrity women dress as if they are going to participate in a drag show, complete with garish make-up and pasted-on eyelashes. It is impossible to take anyone seriously when she flaunts her undergarments.

With the exception of about five people in the world, everyone looks so much better when they wear more clothes. When in doubt, cover up.

Clothes do make the woman. Through our clothing, we can advertise that we are accomplished and intelligent. On this Mother’s Day, I celebrate dressing like a mother.