This month, we pay tribute to Mom, the most important woman in our lives. She’s our creator, counselor, best friend and most importantly, our stylist. Here are 6 style tips we learned from Mom.

By Vincent Teoh

1) Handbags come in handy

As a kid, we thought the handbag our mother carried was a vortex to a seperate storage space because it always seemed to have enough space to store just about anything she might need for any occasion. Despite how small it looked, it could contain anything from wire to cheese – a first aid kit, a large leather purse containing every membership/discount card known to man, and so. much. tissue. When we grew up, we figured if the handbag is so handy, why should they be for women only? Invest in one to carry all your daily essentials; we recommend the Hartsfield Weekender tote by Want Les Essentials de la Vie.

Image via SSENSE

2) Comfy, not sloppy

As a full-time mother, Mom was tasked with the ultimate juggling act. She had to take care of baby us, the family, and the house. Despite all that, she always made it a point to dress casually without looking sloppy. Her secret: Apply fashion rules to practical clothing. The winning formula was based on a trinity of factors – good fit, suitable colors for her skin tone, and lightweight material for the unbelievably hot weather.

Image via Glamour Magazine

3) Don’t underestimate umbrellas

To combat the mercurial weather, Mom always carried around a foldable brolly. The small, nifty contraption is easy to whip out when the UV rays are overpowering or when it starts to rain. If you’re willing to splurge, you’d want to invest in this black and gold skull foldable umbrella by Alexander McQueen. Whatever it is, make sure your umbrella fits into your handy handbag (see point 1 above)!

Image via SSENSE

4) Staples over statement

Mom’s wardrobe is all about the quality, not quantity – it consists of a few staple dresses, t-shirts, blouses, pants and jackets. She’s smart enough to know that these pieces look good on their own or when layered atop each other. A golden tip she gave us: Don’t buy anything you can’t create five different outfits of.

Image courtesy of Uniqlo Singapore

5) Can’t say no to cardigans

When it gets chilly, Mom would throw on a cream cable knit cardigan that she always carries around in her handbag. It’s stylish and usually versatile enough to match most of her outfits. As grown men, we take a leaf out of Mom’s style book – Chapter: Cardigans. Cardigans transcend both gender and the boundaries of smart and casual. It can be worn over a t-shirt for a laidback look, or over a button-down dress shirt and tie for the office.

Image via Posh 24

6) Better to be overdressed than underdressed

We used to wonder why Mom bothered to dress up for parent-teacher meetings or for church services. Turns out, you can never be overdressed for any occasion. If you turn up overdressed, you can always peel items off your outfit to make yourself fit in. Remember, no one gets asked to leave a party for being too well dressed.

Image via Lizzy Peters