Sunday, February 1, 2009

Finding Fashionable Clothing for Your Daughter

By Katie Wilber

What's more delightful than shopping for a little girl? Their clothing options are fun, frilly, colorful and feminine. However something happens as they start to grow. Much of the clothing changes from feminine and lovely to borderline inappropriate.

Whether mainstream fashion or the media are to blame the end result is the same - potentially inappropriate attire on little girls. We're talking about crop tops, short skirts and suggestive or sassy images. Are there ways to help your daughter look fashionable and still look like a little girl.

You betcha!

Tips To Find Age Appropriate, And Fashionable, Clothing For Little Girls

Seek child friendly retailers. You'll find that specialty boutiques and online retailers tend to specialize in fun and fashionable clothing for little girls.

Give her options and let her choose. Children as young as two or three can choose their own clothing. It gives them power, cultivates their own sense of fashion and creativity, and helps create a bond between you " rather than a battle. Choose a couple of outfits you think shed like and give her the option to choose from those. This way youre still in control however she feels like she has a say in what she wears.

Cultivate her style. Each child has their very own sense of style. In fact, it can be amazing to see what they put together sometimes. Encourage your daughter to find items she likes. Have a discussion about what she likes to wear, why she likes certain items and what colors and fabrics she enjoys. Understanding her tastes will help you choose items more to her liking. After all there's nothing worse than spending a fortune on clothing that your daughter never wears or worse, stuffs under her bed.

Bright and shiny baubles. Another way to compromise, to give your daughter a sense of control over her clothing and you the comfort that she still looks like the little girl she is, is to let her choose her accessories. What's better than adding a fun hat to an outfit, a headband or even a pair of tights?

Set the standard What do you wear? Do you take pride in your appearance and dress appropriately? Children take cues from the adults in their life and you as their mom or dad are the most prominent adults. It goes without saying that being a good role model matters.

Release control. The easiest way to encourage your daughter to dress her age is to provide her with items you approve of and then let her decide. Of course there will be days when she emerges wearing the worst possible combination however assuming you've approved of all the items and are comfortable with what's in her closet then the bad fashion day is nothing more than a learning experience for her.

Bright colors, fun fabrics and patterns and a little freedom to choose what she likes will help your daughter to look fun and fashionable while still looking like the little girl she is. Find a few child friendly stores and give your daughter a bit of choice, youll both be glad you did. - 15683

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