My Child’s Individual Sense of Style

My older daughter has such an interesting sense of style.  She’ll head upstairs to get dressed and when she comes back down, I won’t recognize the outifit!  She can take an old skirt, funky tights and some random shirt I never liked and put together a seriously cool outfit.  She’s even been known to turn a skirt inside out because it she thought it looked better that way (it did!). 

When I found out that she got into an amazing Charter School where the students wear uniforms, I had mixed feelings about it.  The school is amazing and it is a truly wonderful opportunity, but I was sad about the uniforms.  She’s always had such a great sense of style, that I was sad she wouldn’t be able to express herself that way anymore.  We’ve gotten used the uniforms now and actually like them somewhat because they’re so easy in the morning, but I still love when my daughter wears one of her “outfits” outside of school.  She has found ways to change the uniforms just a little, by wearing a few quirkly braids in her hair or with some funky bracelets.

I could easily see her becoming a fashion designer or fashionista when she grows up.  I’ve always wanted to have that kind of style, but just don’t.  I have no idea where it comes from.  If I’m wearing an amazing outfit, it’s because it was put together that way in a display window or an amazing friend made some suggestions.  I can’t wait for her to get older and help me with my clothes choices.  🙂  She and I love to look through some of our favorite magazines and order catalogs that come in the mail.  She’ll pick and choose pieces and say they might look better with something else. A lot of times I’ll even see something similar to her idea later on and agree that it looks better.

My daughter also isn’t afraid to wear something that most other kids wouldn’t.  She’ll be the first to point out a girl at Target with pink hair and announce that she’ll have pink hair when she gets older.  And I believe her.  She’ll make it amazing and gorgeous with some funky little outfits to match.  

I think it’s so important to let children express themselves in a safe way.  If can be so hard to grow up with adults making rules for everything, that finding a safe way to express yourself is a great outlet.  I look forward to seeing her style continue to grow and change as she gets older and know how lucky I am to have her.