When it comes time to start shopping for Easter Sunday's Best,
modern-minded moms may take ten hasty paces back from the deluge of pastels,
floral prints, tulle, ribbons, lace and Peter Pan collars. Meanwhile,
to hear their own moms tell it, the ideal dress is one that encompasses all of the above...with the accompanying bonnet, basket and ruffle socks. And thus, the style war is waged. Trendy vs. Traditional. Uptown vs. Down. Ma vs. G'ma in a battle for all the jellybeans. Before you two head back down that road about how one just doesn't "get" the other, know that there's plenty of middle ground out there to be had.
This list of picture-perfect, peace-keeping Easter wear should keep everyone's feathers from bristling (well, all except the kids', because they'd rather be on the couch in PJs).
1. (Above) "Iris" dress, Ses Petites Mains, $88, Arte Bebe. It's retro, yet modern. True, there's poofiness and pleating, but the palette is nice and neutral and the only "floral" motif is a spray of eyelet.
2. Eyelet shift dress, $19.50, Old Navy. This is adorable without beating you over the head with it. The A-line cut is no-frills, so little fingers won't have any trim or notions to fuss with. And the pastel is kept on the low-low, too, a plus for anti-pink moms trying to go along to get along.
3. Virginia Johnson, sale $70 (Reg. $140), Milk Shop. Tiers? Check. Flowers? Check. Pink? Check (well, more like fuschia, but still). Everybody's happy.
4. Ruffled seersucker dress, $29.50, Gap. My own mom gave this one a thumbs-up. I was kind of iffy about it, but then it made me nostalgic for my own early-'80s egg-hunting ruffly sleeves and I conceded.
5. Halabaloo silk embroidered dress, sale $60 (Reg. $80), Three Lovelies. Ordinarily, you'd say no to all-over flowers and a bow smack-dab in the middle. Grandma would usually cast a wary glance at the fashion-forward combo of brown and pink. You guys meet in the middle with this dress and each wins a personal growth star for the day.
6. Shilav Seaside Dot Dress, $36, Cute Little Clothes. You support your girl's right to tomboy it up. Granny, on the other hand, insists you priss those tendencies right out of her. Here's a simple (blue!) dress all three of you can get behind. Covered in subtle silver dots and adorned only with a sea shell print sash, the embarassment factor for both your tough customers is low.
7. Afternoon Tea Jacket, Pink Roses 1220, $38, Etsy. If Grandma beat you to the punch and has already sent an off-taste dress in the mail (how, oh, how do they manage to do everything so far in advance!?), you can add your own personal style stamp with a cool jacket. This style comes in an array of patterns, none so precious that they can't be worn on less dressy occasions.
And let's not overlook the lads...
8. Linen pants, $14.50, The Children's Place. Prim Nanas will be so pleased that you outfitted the little man in something as sophisticated as linen pants. You — keenly aware of the idiocy of putting such a delicate item on a walking divining rod for dirt— will play it smart by spending only a paltry sum on said pants. (Also available in three other colors.)
9. Baby seersucker blazer, $50, Babystyle. Gratuitously preppy? Sure. And if it was on an older kid, I might even scoff. But who can keep from gushing over an infant in a blazer? (Sizes range from 0-24 months.)
10. Treasure Island tie, $29.50, J. Crew. And, okay, maybe neither of you will be too thrilled with this one, but if you're going to burden your boy with a tie the entire day, the least you could do is give him one that lets him assert his own style. This silk pirate tie should help keep the guff to a minimum.
