We’ve long known that kids and teens like to show off their fashionable threads at school. Now it turns out  that many of their moms might be treating the schoolyard like a runway too. A new study from the U.K. found that two-thirds of 2,000 moms surveyed “are determined to look their best at the start of the school year” in a bid to impress other moms. One in 10 will flat out refuse to drop off their children at school if they’re not happy with how they look that morning.

Among other findings from the study, which was conducted by the research firm OnePoll for British supermarket giant Sainsbury’s:

* One in six moms said they would buy themselves new clothes, shoes or accessories to wear on their children’s first day of school.

* One in five said they would spend an average of £50  — about $80 — on a new school year haircut for themselves.

* On average, the moms surveyed said they spend 25 minutes doing their hair and make-up and deciding what to wear before taking their kids to school.

Why are so many apparently abandoning the good old sweatpants and ponytail look? The British Daily Mail has dubbed moms’ push to look put together in the mornings “The Elle effect,” noting that supermodel Elle Macpherson is “ often pictured on the school run sporting perfectly styled hair, high heels and designer outfits.”

Elle Macpherson is photographed on a school run, Oct. 6, 2010 in London, England. (Simon James/Getty Images)