On Instagram, there are more than one million posts tagged #mumstyle. By comparison, there are just 91,000 under #dadstyle.

Clearly, my algorithm is feeding me a lot of this content given what I do, but lately it has started to feel overwhelming.

To address the elephant in the room: yes, I am also telling mums how to dress. I launched my styling website with mothers in mind, and I've spent a significant part of my post-kids career working in the mum-media space — writing, styling and editing.

Watch: The viral Tuscan Mum Aesthetic Explained. Post continues below.

Creating shopping edits that speak directly to the styling concerns of mothers was always the plan, largely because I'd experienced the identity shift that motherhood can bring to your wardrobe firsthand.

What I didn't anticipate was "mums" becoming the next content-creator subculture — or that I'd begin to resent what it has come to represent.

#Coolmom videos can be genuinely helpful. There are moments when a quick styling prompt sparks a new outfit idea. But they can also feel formulaic and repetitive.

Do we really all want to dress the same simply because we've given birth? Does having children suddenly mean we're no longer cool — and need to be taught how to look like we are? I can't think of another group that's been so heavily singled out by content creators, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't slightly weirded out by social media's obsession with telling mums how to dress and look.

Of course, this extends into wellness, fitness and beyond, but ultimately, there's a very specific uniform influencers seem to want mums to adopt, and I'm just not sure I'm buying it.

Mum life often calls for a new sense of style and a reworked wardrobe, for a million different reasons. For me, that shift came from not returning to an office environment where outfits were largely for show.

When I worked in magazines, it wasn't uncommon to see women in sky-high heels and full runway looks (champagne taste on a very beer budget, let me tell you). Later, in digital media, dressing became more relaxed — but it was still driven by trends and a constant appetite for newness.

Now, working for myself as a contractor and content creator, I've been trying to find my groove somewhere between the urge to live in activewear and the desire to look and feel good. It's been a learning curve — one I'm still navigating daily, if I'm being honest.

It's not content creators themselves that I take issue with; it's the messaging around what mums should wear.

The videos telling us what we're doing wrong (don't you dare tuck that top in) or what makes us look uncool at school pick-up.

I understand this is a murky line for me to cross — I regularly share shopping links and have created plenty of mum-on-the-run edits — but lately I've become more sceptical of the added pressure placed on mums to "look good" on top of everything else the day throws at them.

The only way to keep up with this kind of styling content is to constantly be buying, which is a problem in itself.

I love shopping, I love putting outfits together, and I genuinely appreciate quality content that helps me get dressed.

But after a recent flood of mum-style content hit my algorithm, I found myself feeling confused, annoyed and slightly bummed about where fashion content seems to be heading.

I'm not about to stop creating edits with mums in mind — I still desperately need ideas for what to wear to the upcoming school fundraiser, what to wear while chauffeuring kids to weekend sport, and what on earth to wear when dashing to Aldi between pick-ups. But I do think I'll be more mindful in how I present "mum style" going forward.

Less about the #coolmom aesthetic, and more about realistic, practical and fun shopping.

This article was originally published on Marisa Remond's Talking Shop Substack and republished here with full permission. You can also find Marisa on Instagram @marisa_remond.

For more helpful style advice and shopping recommendations, subscribe to the weekly Nothing to Wear Substack, listen to the Nothing to Wear podcast or watch Nothing to Wear on YouTube.

At Mamamia, we independently curate and write about products we rave about in our group chats and think you should know about too. If you purchase a product we have recommended, we may earn a small commission.

Feature Image: Supplied.