Inside the rise of Momboy style—and why mothers are embracing imperfection

Jennifer Lawrence has resurfaced in the algorithm again, not for a candid quip or self-effacing moment (celebrities, they’re just like us!), but for her self-awareness about her past personality, which seems to have surprisingly translated into the clothes she’s been choosing. She’s become shorthand for the appeal of a perfectly ordinary white T-shirt (often offset with gauzy silk trousers), or the quiet authority of anything The Row releases—a lane her stylist Jamie Mizrahi has been steering her towards for some time now. 

Some have started calling it “momboy style”: a nod to the oversized fits she’s frequently spotted in, and a marked departure from the tiny, Barbie-like clothes mothers once aspired to squeeze back into post-pregnancy.

The timing checks out. In an August 2025 survey conducted by Her World, 68.4% of women who had been pregnant or were experiencing motherhood said they had learned to love their bodies. And that’s a sizable group of women who want to dress comfortably in the way Lawrence does—elastic-waisted trousers that drape rather than cling, chunky shoes that look questionable until you try them on.

It also helps to remember how post-pregnancy bodies were previously framed. A 2013 study published in the National Library of Medicine found that celebrity-focused media titles between 2007 and 2008 rarely acknowledged postpartum body dissatisfaction. This was also the era that invented the term “yummy mummy” in reference to women who could quickly return to their pre-baby bodies. A relic of the times, and one best left behind.

Lena Kamarudin, Senior Fashion Editor at Her World, describes this emerging momboy aesthetic as “a little undone”. The appeal, she notes, lies in being visibly tired and unfiltered, not as an act of sloppiness, but as a form of permission. “It’s about permitting yourself to be human, and permission to exist without performing effortless perfection”, she adds. 

Which brings us back to why Lawrence’s style seems to be resonating right now. Everything she wears suggests comfort comes first, and that it looks lived-in rather than newly bought. Her beauty choices also mirror that logic, borrowing from the Olsen playbook: sans makeup, and no evidence of hair brushing in sight. There’s also something faintly teenage-boy-ish about the whole look, which may be its most radical quality of all.

This is to say, “momboy” isn’t a new invention so much as a familiar act. It looks less like a TikTok-core and more like a mother reaching for the nearest comfortable thing, which just happens to belong to a teenage boy, whether she has one or not. The scuffed skateboarding sneakers, or the oversized t-shirts with a kitschy throwback to a favourite movie or album, or the many rough-and-tumble things boys on the cusp of adolescence consider as clothes. 

“I share clothes with my son Luca all the time”, Lena says about this trend, who admits to borrowing his football jerseys and Birkenstock clogs. Even legendary stylist Camilla Nickerson has spoken about looking towards how her two teenage sons’ wardrobes to inform her work—an instinct that feels entirely consistent with her work on Phoebe Philo’s #OldCéline, where skate culture as inspiration was clearly evident. So, what makes the momboy look?

Pool-to-the-floor pants

Long, loose trousers that skim the ground do the heavy lifting here of an outfit because they’re forgiving at the waist, relaxed through the leg, and bonus: the boy-coded versions come with real pockets.

Vintage tee

Chances are, you already own one that was bought at a concert shirt or a movie tie-in, and your child has either tried to claim it or already succeeded. Even if it’s new, it’ll look like it has enough history to feel personal.

Gorp-core 

The outdoor-wear industry owes adolescent boys a thank-you note for keeping half its inventory in circulation. Generous pockets and sturdy hardware mean such pieces work if you can’t pretend small bags are enough.

Ugly sneaker

You can’t imagine wearing them until you do, and your feet refuse to go back. Ironically, the more orthopaedic the silhouette, the more comfortable it becomes, and the more convincing its fashion credentials start to feel.

Track suit

Part streetwear, sometimes sleepwear, good for sportswear—it occupies that productive in-between where comfort needs to also make a statement. Extra points if it’s already broken in from an active child’s schedule.

Kitschy snapback

Diane Keaton was frequently spotted wearing one, which tends to settle most arguments. Extra credit if the slogan or motif has looped back into relevance— proof that time, like good style, has a sense of humour.

Ribbed socks

There’s a reason the boys’ department wins here: they’re cut thicker and tigher at the rib, and are inexplicably offered in better colours. Pulled high or scrunched down, they function first and flatter incidentally.

Head scarf

Boys will wear it anywhere except their head — looped through belt loops, knotted onto a bag, or dangling from the waist — but mothers know better. They’ll tie it loosely at the neck or fold it into a triangle for bad hair days.