How to Dress Your Kid
Looking stylish and fashionable is probably low on your child's agenda. While you want to dress your little girl or boy according to the latest fashion trends, all they want is to play, eat, and sleep. So, how do you find the middle ground?
You choose trendy outfits that allow them to run around freely. To help you out, we've created a how-to guide to dressing your kids in stylish yet comfy clothes.
A Quick Glance at How to Dress Your Kids
Purchase the right clothes to transform your child into a budding fashionista. Prepare your child for the winter weather by dressing them up in cool shirts, pants, and trendy winter coats.
Find Out What Works for Your Child
Dress up your child in comfortable clothes. If your girls aren’t super girly and want something more active, try comfy shorts and leggings.
Layer Up For Style and Warmth
Layering is always in fashion, and also a great way to stay warm. Add pieces like flannel button-downs, trendy hoodies, and moto or denim jackets to their wardrobe.
Let Them Dress Themselves and Take Fashion Risks
Allow your kids to take fashion risks and dress themselves. It will let them express their style and tastes while staying comfortable and happy. They’ll also learn how to put outfits together.
Tips and Tricks to Dress Your Kids
These tips and tricks will help your child develop a distinctive fashion sense that most don't have at a young age.
Combat the Cold Weather with Layers
Layering 101 includes three basic steps:
The Base Layer
This layer helps wick away moisture and keeps your kid dry. Look for wool or synthetic fabrics and avoid cotton.
Keep in mind that the base layer should be snug against your child's skin.
The Middle Layer
The middle layer goes directly above the base layer and insulates your kid. For this layer, look for wool, down, or fleece.
The perfect middle layer fit should be close to your little one's body without restraining movement.
The Outer Layer
The outermost layer protects your child from environmental factors like wind, snow, and rain. Think waterproof jackets, merino wool socks, snug girls' and boys' shoes, and breathable outwear for this layer.
Your goal should be to find something that makes them feel cozy and allows easy movement.
Make Sure You Get the Right Fit
Purchasing properly-sized clothing can be tricky since different kid's clothing manufacturers use different sizing guides. Here are a couple of pointers that can help you find the perfect size:
Baby Sizing Predominantly Depends on Age
Most manufacturers design clothes for babies between the age of 0 and 24 months. Some include age range such as 3-6 or 6-12 months. If the outfit lacks a range, it's safe to assume that the number listed is the maximum age.
However, since all babies are different, buying clothes based on age can cause sizing issues. It's always a better idea to find brand-specific sizing charts that include measurements and weight ranges.
Toddler Sizes Include a T
Anytime you see a T next to a size number such as 3T or 4T, it means that's toddler size. Most manufacturers include toddler sizes:
• 2T
• 3T
• 4T
Kid's Clothes Start at 4
Kids' and toddler sizing can be confusing to understand. Often, parents don’t understand whether they should purchase three or 3T.
A good idea is to check the brand's sizing chart to understand the differences.
Dress Your Child for the Weather
Wrap up your child in weather-appropriate clothes. Here's a quick rundown of what outfits you should get for different times of the year:
Cold Weather Outfit
• Midweight polyester or wool underwear top and bottom
• Midweight fleece jacket or insulated jacket
• Midweight fleece pants
• Waterproof rain jacket and pants
Rainy Weather Outfit
• Lightweight polyester or wool for underwear top and bottom
• Fleece jacket
• Synthetic hiking boots
• Waterproof and breathable rain jackets and pants
Hot Weather Outfit
• A short-sleeve t-shirt
• Denim shorts
• Long-sleeve quick-dry sun shirt
Fashion Tips to Remember When Dressing Up Your Child
From white and black clothing right down to bright colors, the kid's fashion world is full of attention-grabbing and classy trends. Read on to learn a couple of tips you should never forget when getting your child ready for the day:
• Don't compromise comfort over style while you dress your young child
• Play with attractive and elegant colors instead of restricting your little one to gender-based colors
• Choosing the right clothing size can be tricky. Go for the safe side and always choose one size larger
Why Should You Encourage Your Kids to Dress Up Themselves?
Allowing your kids to choose their clothes and dress themselves up makes them feel confident and happier. Apart from this, getting dressed helps your kid:
• Improve motor skills as they learn to fasten zippers and buttons
• Develop cognitive skills as they start learning which garments go on first
• Build patience and attention to finish the task at hand
• Strengthen gross motor skills as they stand on one leg to pull on a pair of leggings, pants, and pajamas
• Develop fashion sense and aesthetic wisdom to dress as per the occasion
• Learn new vocabulary as they learn the different types of colors, clothes, fabrics, and sizes