Isn’t it interesting to think about how we develop our personal style, who our influencers were, and how we might influence our children? With this in mind, I thought it would be fun to share the personal style of my two children and grandchildren – what they like to wear, and where they shop… But – before getting started with that, let me first go back a generation to briefly summarize the style of my greatest influencer, my late mother, Ginger.

Ginger loved classic styles for both herself and my dad…she favored Ralph Lauren for herself, Ralph and Brooks Brothers for my father…she always bought top quality and had her clothes tailored to fit perfectly…from earrings to belts, she accessorized boldly and wore only the finest of shoes – though never stilettos…she strongly believed that a woman should dress “according to her age”, never overtly sexy after 50…she taught me about Wolford stockings, 3-ply cashmere, and unlined kid-leather gloves. I learned so much about style from her, even though we didn’t always see eye to eye…

Now let’s move on to my children, Hayley and Brad…

Both Hayley and Brad love dressing well in their own unique ways…

Brad runs his own music school, so most days casual attire is in order…that said, Brad’s casual attire almost always includes a fitted blazer, and unless it’s blazing hot, a stylish scarf as well…he pays great attention to fit and fabric – even when it comes to tee shirts – and has quite a collection of gorgeous dress boots that he wears in all four seasons…he also favors dark neutrals year round, such as this ‘tobacco’ sweater by John Varvatos (one of his favorite shops)…JCrew is another favorite place to shop…he definitely got the ‘Ginger gene’!

Hayley is more eclectic than Brad, perhaps to fill the many different roles in her life: wife, mother of two, and owner of a successful marketing company…when she’s hanging at home she wears the softest sweatshirts and leggings, comfort being the primary factor…at work her style is creative and sophisticated – simple basics put together creatively with bold accessories, including statement glasses that she wears just for the look…she loves blazers, boots, and sweaters – though not a cashmere snob like some of us in the family! Her favorite style when she’s ‘ready for fun’ is all Nashville – muddy colors mixed with feminine prints and delicate jewelry…less concerned about perfect fit and fabric, Hayley likes variety and creativity…she shops online and in small boutiques, and sometimes we have fun shopping together at Zara.

This is Henry, Hayley’s 7 year old son who asked for a “black jacket” when he was only six! He likes to dress ‘handsome’, and when he’s in the mood, he also likes to pose for pictures.

He likes polo shirts, slim jeans, and slip-on loafers…he also knows by now to just ask Gigi if he wants or needs something! Most days you will find him in Super Mario tee shirts or other tees in bright colors with Natives or basic sneakers…I have tried to teach him that it’s cool to roll up the sleeves of a long sleeved shirt, but he’s not buying it yet…he also can’t stand wearing a sweater, even in the middle of winter…he likes shopping at JCrew and he knows that hair gel and a comb will take you from looking good to looking great!

This is Emily, Hayley’s soon to be 5 year old…she is a confident little lady who knows exactly what she likes – “only pink and purple” and everything that sparkles! Sometimes it’s hard for me to buy her clothes because my preference is classics on children, lots of red/navy and not usually purple! Hahaha…

Emily is a true girly-girl who loves to pose, loves to pile on bracelets and necklaces, and gets excited about anything shiny! She loves dresses, fancy shoes, and knows the difference between ‘dress socks’ and casual sport socks – guess who taught her that??? 🙂 As for shopping, she loves it – “going to stores and restaurants are my favorite.” Me too Emily! Whether or not she has the ‘Ginger-gene’ – too soon to know!

Hope you enjoyed this style snapshot of the next generations!

Work hard. Play hard. Enjoy every day.