Before the “Tradwife” Trend: Why Homemaking and Career Can Go Hand in Hand

If you’ve spent any time on social media lately, you’ve probably seen the rise of the “tradwife” trend.

Young women in vintage-inspired dresses are baking sourdough bread, hanging laundry in the sunshine, tending gardens, setting beautiful tables, and embracing homemaking. Depending on who you ask, it’s either a return to traditional values or a controversial lifestyle.

As someone approaching 70, I watch these videos with a smile because, in many ways, I’ve been living that life for decades.

The only difference?

We never called it “tradwife.”

We Weren’t Following a Tradwife Trend

For many women in my generation, homemaking wasn’t about fitting into a label or making a statement. We simply loved creating a home.

I loved cooking Italian meals for my family, decorating for every season, hosting holiday gatherings, and making our home a place where everyone wanted to gather. It wasn’t something I did for social media or because someone told me it was my role.

I did it because it brought me joy.

Those ordinary moments became some of our family’s most treasured memories.

My Home Inspired My Career

What many people don’t realize is that my love for homemaking actually led me to my career.

I loved decorating our home so much that I decided to finish my college degree and become an interior designer.

Creating beautiful, functional spaces wasn’t just a hobby—it became my profession.

Looking back, it seems like the most natural progression. My passion for making a house feel like a home turned into a career helping others do the same.

That’s why I’ve never understood the idea that homemaking and ambition are somehow opposites.

For me, they have always gone hand in hand.

We Did Both

So many women in my generation were balancing careers while also raising families and caring for their homes.

We packed lunches before heading to work.

We volunteered at school.

We managed household budgets.

We decorated for Christmas.

We hosted Thanksgiving dinner.

We cared for aging parents.

We supported our husbands’ careers while pursuing our own dreams.

Was it easy?

Not always.

But we didn’t see homemaking as something that held us back.

We saw it as one of the many ways we cared for the people we loved.

Homemaking Is Creative

Some people hear the word “homemaker” and immediately think it means giving up independence or ambition.

I’ve never seen it that way.

To me, homemaking has always been deeply creative.

It’s designing spaces where people feel comfortable.

It’s preparing meals that become family traditions.

It’s setting a table that makes guests feel special.

It’s arranging flowers, decorating for the seasons, lighting candles before dinner, and creating a home that reflects the people who live there.

Those things matter.

Not because they’re perfect, but because they make people feel loved.

You Don’t Have to Choose to be a Tradwife

One thing that surprises me about the “tradwife” conversation is how often it suggests women have to choose between building a career and building a home.

Why?

Why can’t we do both?

My own life has shown me that we can.

I built a career as an interior designer.

Years later, I reinvented myself again and became a content creator in my sixties, sharing fashion, travel, wellness, and home with women over 50.

Through every chapter, my love of homemaking has remained constant.

It never limited me.

It inspired me.

Every Generation Gets to Define Success

I love seeing younger women rediscover the joy of baking, gardening, entertaining, and slowing down enough to enjoy creating a welcoming home.

Those are beautiful things.

But I also hope they know they don’t have to fit into anyone else’s definition of success.

You can build a business and still love making homemade lasagna.

You can have a career and still enjoy decorating for every season.

You can travel the world and still look forward to coming home and hosting Sunday dinner.

None of these things cancel each other out.

A Life Worth Coming Home To

As I approach 70, I’ve realized that homemaking has never really been about staying home.

It’s about creating a life worth coming home to.

Whether you’re 25 or 70, whether you work inside the home, outside the home, or somewhere in between, creating a warm, welcoming place for the people you love is never outdated.

It’s timeless.

Maybe that’s why this trend feels so familiar to me.

Because long before it had a hashtag, so many of us were already living it—not because someone expected us to, but because we genuinely loved it.

And I wouldn’t change a thing.

Until next time!