It’s no secret that I love children’s clothes. In fact, one of my favorite parts of the week is getting my kids dressed up for church and then taking a picture of them on our front porch. It’s been fun to see them grow over the four years since we bought our home, and it’s also been fun for me to search for classic children’s clothes I can pass on to other families when my kids outgrow them.
While it may seem superficial to worry so much about the clothes your kids wear, I think it is SO important to teach your kids how to pick out flattering clothes and get a sense of style. Here are a few reasons I focus on this every week:
It gives your kids confidence. The way you dress sends a big message, even when you’re a kid, and you can’t start teaching them this too early. I know I’ve found a dress my daughter loves when her eyes light up and she doesn’t want to take it off right after church. I am also trying to be careful about not praising my kids’ appearance (things like “You look so pretty in that dress”) and instead saying things like “That dress is fun to twirl in!” or “That bow tie works well with your sweater.” I want my kids to feel confident and then forget about what they’re wearing and participate in whatever they want to do.
It helps your kids understand how to put outfits together. The other day, my son walked outside wearing his orange jack-o-lantern shirt and a pair of pale orange shorts because he thought the colors should go together. I will admit that I asked him to put on different pants, mainly because it was way too cold outside for shorts, but also because I wanted to teach him that the outfit didn’t really work. I think there’s a gentle way you can explain how colors coordinate and why it usually doesn’t work to wear a striped shirt with checkered shorts. Sure, it’s fun to see what kids come up with, and it doesn’t matter if they wear two shades of orange. For me, though, it’s a chance to set my kids up for success later by teaching them to put together more flattering outfits.
It teaches your kids to try new things. Several friends have asked me how I get my son to wear bow ties or my daughter to wear my jeans, because their kids only want to wear casual clothes. Honestly, I have been dressing my kids in dressier clothes since they were babies, so they don’t know anything different. I also expect them to wear nice clothes to church, and they know that. I do try to make dressing up more fun and personal by picking patterned button-ups and colorful bow ties for my son to pick from and twirly dresses, colorful tights, and velvet hair bows for my daughter. If you want your kids to dress a certain way or try something other than leggings, start early. And if you can’t start early, show them by example. Buy yourself a flattering new dress, or get your husband a new tie and show them that trying new clothes can be fun.
Now for the book you should read: The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees. I read this several years ago, but I think about it often when I’m deciding whether to buy new clothes. It’s all about getting rid of clothes that don’t work for you and creating a wardrobe with just a few pieces that go together. I’m actually thinking I should check this out again for a refresher, because it has some great tips about determining your personal style.
I used to go through phases where I hated everything in my closet and wanted to get rid of everything. Honestly, I still have moments like that, but they’re much less frequent because I’ve figured out the types of clothes that work for me thanks to suggestions from this book. I also have completely stopped buying cheap shoes, because I’m tired of them falling apart so quickly or hurting my feet (another sign that I am getting old).
AND the best part of this book is that it teaches you to be realistic about your lifestyle and then buy clothes that fit that. I don’t own any heels because I’m only wearing dressy shoes to church or occasionally to fancier events (and I’m tall AND they hurt my feet). I also have been investing more in comfy, well-made tees because I work from home most of the time and don’t have to dress up for the office. When you really think about the clothes you need and why you’re buying them, it helps you cut back and buy only clothes you’ll really wear and love.
Do you have any favorite books about personal style? I want to hear! I’m especially interested in books about children’s clothing styles. It seems so fun to read about.
I like this idea. If you simplify your clothing selection and buy higher quality, it takes a lot of stress out of going through your entire closet to find something that fits and something you fell good wearing. I find that the more I have in my closet, the more stressed I get. Too many choices! This works for kids as well. If you put outfits together in their closets and drawers, it makes it a lot easier to get dressed in the morning. However, you need to include them in making choices. This helps them figure out what styles they like and makes them more confident in the clothes they are wearing. Remember, your style may not be the same as your child’s. 😊
That’s a great point! I do usually let my kids pick out their clothes from their closet, but they don’t usually pick clothes to buy because I buy most of them online. They’ve started picking out a few things from stores, though! ❤️