Watch Out of Office on our YouTube Channel

Stunning Portrait Series Celebrates Mothers Who ‘Don’t Look Like Moms’

“You don’t look like a mom.”

That’s a common statement that many tattooed, pierced and colourful hair-clad mothers hear on the regular.

It’s a statement my two baby-faced girlfriends who had kids in their early twenties were also used to hearing.

But what exactly does a mom look like?

Does she have to have short hair, wear mom jeans and drive a Volvo station wagon? Celia Sanchez doesn’t think so.

Sanchez – a photographer who became a mom at 23 – reached out to friends and strangers to create a powerful portrait project. Called “Devoted,” the series features “non-typical” mothers and their children.

lookmom3

Over the past three years, Sanchez has captured these tattooed and funky-dressed moms alone with their children to encourage people to reconsider first impressions.

“I knew mothers who didn’t look like a ‘typical mom,’ and I always wanted to photograph them and feature them and show that you don’t have to look a certain way to be a mom,” she said, according to Upworthy.

lookmom4

Whether they rock tattoos or “don’t dress their age,” many parents are judged for their appearance.

One mom friend of mine even told me about a woman at her daughter’s school who took one look at her manicured nails and offered a condescending, “Wow – you’re the only mom I know who always has her nails done.”

And that’s just nail polish – never mind a fresh new tattoo.

lookmom6

“I just wanted to show women — mothers — who weren’t … sacrificing their personal style,” Sanchez says. “Being a mom, you get lost in your children and I really love the fact that these women didn’t lose themselves. They didn’t lose their identities. They’re still themselves. They’re still great parents.”

Amen to that.

Some of the coolest parents I know are the ones who are still as uniquely themselves as they were before baby strollers became a household staple. Not to mention, people with tattoos could actually be healthier than their fellow non-tattooed parents.

Photos: Celia Sanchez

[ninja_form id=104]

[ad_bb1]

Notable Life

Canada’s leading online publication for driven young professionals & culture generators.