A recent TikTok trend is upending the old adage «like mother, like daughter.»
Users of the platform are «turning my mom into me» by swapping out their moms’ cardigans and leggings for cropped tops and low-rise jeans. The trend, which has taken over the For You pages in recent weeks, has kneaded More than 230 million visits.
Soundtracked to a sped-up version of rapper Skee-Lo’s song «I Wish,» moms are seen in videos parading their living room floor in their sons’ signature looks. Variations of the trend show TikTok users transforming their potatoes, grandparents Y brothers and sisters.
Moms who spoke to NBC News about their involvement in the trend said it serves as a reminder that women can wear whatever they want at any age, despite being pressured to dress a certain way as they age.
Some of her daughters echoed that reminder, adding that they think the trend has helped counter ageism on TikTok, which has become more common.
«I would say this has been a good reminder to me that fashion is a reflection of your personality,» said Heather Brown, 41, whose daughter Hannah Hinckley, 21, posted a video of her taking part in the trend.
Brown said he usually dresses in sweats or business casual clothes these days. Hinckley describes his own current style as «very Y2K, ’90s.»
After picking out four potential outfits, Hinckley ultimately decided to style her mom in a budget-cut T-shirt, baggy jeans, an oversized bag, and sneakers. The video of him garnered more than 20 million views.
«I think it was empowering to be able to wear something that I felt really confident in,» Brown said, noting that the trend was also a way to «reflect on who you are and where you are.»
Hinckley said it also helped her reflect on societal expectations for women.
«I’m not a mom yet, but just being a woman, I totally feel the pressure that once you get to a certain age, you have to dress a certain way,» she said. «I think she’s kind of unspoken like, which she shouldn’t be.»
I love that…the moms are turning heads and it’s also super positive.
-Bella Ramírez, 20, who participated in the trend with her mother edsyl
Bella Ramirez, 20, agreed that the “turn my mom into me” trend felt like a shift in attitudes about how moms should dress.
She dressed her mom Edsyl, 48, in a crop top, low-rise jeans, a black jacket and a small bag in a video that has received more than 1.6 million views. She thinks that the younger generation sees this trend as a glimpse into the future and how they might look like mothers.
“I think this has to be one of my favorite TikTok trends that I’ve been a part of,” Ramirez said. “I think this is very empowering. I love that…the moms are getting care and it’s also super positive.”
In addition to the videos being inspiring, Ramirez said she thinks people like the trend because the moms «look so good.»
“I think this trend is really exploding because once the moms put on what their daughters wear, I feel like they all have this spark of confidence,” she said. “They seem happier. They basically glow.»
Edsyl Ramírez said that she has always believed that «women should wear what they want to wear that makes them feel pretty, comfortable [and] beautiful.»
«Of course, we evolve because our bodies change after we have babies and we get older,» she said. We have the freedom to use what we want.”
Camryn Morris, 21, also dressed her mom in an outfit that she would have worn to college. She said that she has «completely stolen» her mother’s style from the 1990s and 2000s.
As a result, Morris’s mom said she felt comfortable wearing her daughter’s clothes because she used to wear similar jeans, though both said they «debated» over the top.
Her video, which has more than 721,000 views, shows her mother in high-waisted jeans, a white corset top, and heels.
She said her mother was a little nervous that people would think she was «dressing too young» or «inappropriate for a mother.» Fortunately, Morris said the feedback was mostly positive.
“That made me feel excited because I feel like it pushed me [her] confidence in a way,» Morris said.
Helping get that extra boost of confidence is the best part of participating in the trend, Brown said.
«Getting old is beautiful,» he said. «And it’s a gift.»
CORRECTION (Dec 29, 2022, 1:16 p.m.): An earlier version of this article misrepresented the first name of Heather Brown’s daughter. This is Hannah Hinckley, not Heather Hinckley.