An eccentric mum, who wears bizarre clothes and accessories for picking her children from school, has had strangers online troll her about her clothing choices.
Zoe Smith is 24 years old and lives in Devon. She’s the mother to Haylan and Hunter (both autistic), and Harlen (4-years).
Brightly-coloured hair and wigs are the mother’s choice. She also opts for gothic, sleeveless outfits with corsets or fishnet tights. Stick-on ears can be added to make her look like a pixie.
She feels that mothers are pressured to conform by limiting more style options. However, Zoe felt like she was missing something when she ditched her signature look after having twins.
Zoe Smith is hated for her quirky personal style, which includes pixie ears as well as ‘dead doll’ earrings.
Zoe Smith (left) with Harlen, her son (left), and Haylan. According to the mother, her children support her unconventional choices.
After having twins, Zoe realized that she was not suited for a traditional appearance and decided to embrace her wild side.
Her favourite clothing were rediscovered by her. She also dyed her hair bright colors and locked her clothes down.
Even more elaborate outfits were worn by her, including spiked boots and a full-body-skeleton coat.
Zoe claims her kids are supportive of her choices. She explained: “They all love me pixie ears.”
Hunter Zoe, Zoe’s little boy who cannot speak but sees Zoe in her makeup, gives Zoe a sweet look and lets it be known that he likes Zoe’s fairy ears.
Harlen (pictured) often asks his mother why she has elf ears. She will also compliment her colours.
‘Hunter – who is non-verbal – always gives me the sweetest looks when he sees me in full fairy make-up, ears and all.
‘Sometimes he just laughs at me – I had a dramatic black eyeshadow on one day that covered most of my face, and he did a double take and just giggled at me.
Harlen repeatedly asked me why Harlen had elf ears.”.
“I doubt he will believe me when I say I am part-fairy!”
Although the general reaction to Zoe’s unique appearance in public is positive, Zoe online faces more criticisms because she posts clips from her outfits on TikTok for her 179,000 fans
Zoe finds that the public response to her clothing is overwhelmingly positive, but she admits that she gets a lot stares and sometimes hears people talking about Zoe on the streets.
Her favourite earrings – a dangling pair of dead baby heads – have caused the biggest stir.
Zoe said: ‘People seem hugely shocked at the baby head earrings – over everything else, that seems to be the thing that’s provoked the most reactions.
I was once asked how you can have dead babies on your ears if you are a parent. That was my favorite, it’s something I’ve experienced quite a number of times.
When she’s walking down the street in an outlandish getup, the mum attracts stares, and occasionally hears people laughing and talking about her
Zoe advises other women not to feel ashamed to show their children that they are different. Harlen
They’re not real doll heads.;
‘It’s usually silly things that people pick at so it doesn’t bother me – all the best people are weird, after all.’
Although the general reaction to Zoe’s unique appearance in public is positive, Zoe online faces more criticisms because she uploads clips of her outfits via TikTok to 179,000 of her followers.
One individual commented, “Imagine your mom. Poor children.
Although some might think that Zoe’s wild outfits are dangerous for her kids, Zoe says she is creating an environment in which her children can explore their identity without worrying about being judged.
One user stated, “U shouldn’t be a mom ur kids probs is embarrassing,” [sic]
One other person said: “I believed people matured out of this when their became mothers?”
But Zoe insists her fashion choices don’t affect her children – and instead teach them to embrace their own styles.
According to her, ‘Your appearance doesn’t really matter from a parenting standpoint.
Lockdown witnessed Zoe embrace her bright side, wearing what she chose without regard to others’ opinions.
Zoe started experimenting with makeup with her children and allows them to choose their own clothes and whether or not they want their hair cut. Harlen is pictured on a stroll.
‘All that matters is that you set an example of kindness and empathy, and that you’re there for them when they need you – that’s it.’
“Women have been taught motherhood only one way, and that anything else is wrong. However, once children are born they don’t lose their interest in other things.
“The notion that one should sacrifice large parts of themselves as soon as another person is born into this world is completely absurd.”
“It is really dangerous, many new mothers feel that they have lost a part of their self along the journey and this makes me wonder if it’s partly why.
Zoe often runs the school run wearing elaborate outfits, including spiked boots and a full-body-skeleton coat.
Instead, the young mum urges others to follow in her footsteps and embrace their own personal style – no matter how unique.
Zoe stated, “Don’t be afraid to wear different clothes or change your style because of having children or feeling too old. Or because you worry about how people will think.”
“I feel like my example is showing that being yourself and having a style that’s different from what others do are acceptable.
‘[My kids and I have]Just started to experiment with makeup together, which is great. They can all choose their clothes and their hairstyles.
“They can dye their hair if they become a little larger, but with only safe colors.
“Above everything, I just want to create an environment that allows my children to freely explore their identity without having to deal with the negativity of a lot parents. It is also a place where they can resist society’s demands to conform.