Sept. 26, 2006
 
COLUMN: Matrons Are Out, ‘Hot Moms’ Are In
 
By Helen Malani
Shopzilla.com
 

Christie and Alexa Brinkley

When I was younger, there was one mom on my block who really stood out. She was the neighborhood's version of Farah Fawcett, the style icon at the time. Today, as I look around my circle of friends, many of whom are moms, I realize they are all so attractive. stylish, confident, hip, in shape, they've got it going on in a way moms of the past didn't.
 
A case in point is my sister, who at 43 is a devoted mother of two but also a beauty icon. She is more alluring now than in her teens, 20s or indeed 30s and I've been there to view her at each decade, so I know what I am talking about. Simply put, she has come into her own and maybe that is what it is all about for women.
 
Let's face it, "Sex and the City" women sent the message that it's okay to be over 35 and hot. But "Desperate Housewives" threw hot moms into the forefront. An unofficial polling of friends reveals today's hot mom icons are Christie Brinkley, Sarah Jessica Parker, Cindy Crawford, Susan Sarandon and Reese Witherspoon.
 
I asked fashion expert Laura Willensky, vice president of merchandising for clothing retailer Janeville,(www.Janeville.com) to define a hot mom. "Today's moms are sophisticated, stylish and savvy. They know all the current trends." Additionally, they are likely to read fashion magazines, search the Internet and take clues from their favorite celebrity moms, Willensky added.
 
But I wonder if the term is socially acceptable.
 
"Oh, yeah, are you kidding?" says hot mom of two, 38-year-old Allison in Albuquerque, N.M. "That's what everyone wants to be classified as, a mom who hasn't lost her identity."
 
I ask Allison, the zero body fat envy of average moms everywhere, if she'll be embracing the fall season's skinny jeans trend. "The skinny jeans are really skinny. So my friend and I plan to take our boot cut jeans to the tailor and have the bottoms tapered so we'll extend their life."
 
Allison favors the Savvy department at www.Nordstroms.com, www.NeimanMarcus.com and www.Anthropologie.com for her look. There's also the Hot Mom's Handbook available at www.amazon.com but if you really want to live a hot mom life, join the Hot Mom Club at www.hmcmagazine.com for style and health tips plus support from other mothers.
 
There's an increased awareness of being healthy and staying fit. These 30 and 40 year old moms grew up in an era of Jane Fonda workout videos. Hot moms' personalities pop and they're intellectually curious, whether or not they're working moms. Socially, they're butterflies that swarm together and draw others to them.
 
"I went to a hot mom party last night," says hottie single mom Sandee of the San Francisco Bay area. "It was a clothing exchange party, where you bring good clothes you don't wear any longer."
 
The designers favored by the group include www.BCBG.com , www.myBillyBlues.com , www.MichaelStars.com , www.Velvet-tees.com, www.paigepremiumdenim.com and lingerie from www.HankyPanky.com .
 
Sandee, who at 46, could stop traffic on the Autobahn, favors Nicole Miller (www.nicolemiller.com), Diane Von Furstenburg's wrap dresses (www.dvf.com), jeans and tees from www.LuckyBrandJeans.com and Manolo Blahniks, which she buys from Neiman's. Despite the challenge Manolos pose to feet. Sandee says, "I'll give up caffeine, white flour, but not my heels."
 
The key is to be aware of the trends, but buy what flatters your body. Ditch the sweats and opt for an elastic band skirt with leggings. Show skin, but not so much that you look like you're trying to recapture your teenage years. And resist the fads; instead buy a modified, toned down version of current trends. You'll look hot and you'll have a garment that lasts beyond one season.
 
Helen Malani is the chief shopping expert for Shopzilla.com, an E.W. Scripps company, and the largest comparison shopping search engine on the Web. For more columns visit www.scrippsnews.com.