One of the best ways to encourage your child’s self-expression is by allowing them to have input into the clothing that they wear. When your child is little, obviously you’ll be the one picking out what they wear, but as they get a bit older, they’ll have the ability to let you know what kind of clothes that they like, and how they want to wear them. By allowing your child to choose what kind of clothing that they want to wear, you also give them the opportunity to explore different facets of their personality and learn how they want to present themselves to the world. If your child has expressed an interest in wanting to pick out their own outfits, we’re here to help you guide them along their fashion journey with a breakdown on how parents can help their children express themselves through fashion.
The Most Important Thing Is To Allow Them To Explore
The biggest way that you can help your child to express themselves through clothing is by letting them explore different fashion styles. When you’re too quick to say “no” to a certain item of clothing, it’s likely that you’ll end up discouraging your child from wearing it. They might even feel guilt or shame for suggesting the idea, which can lead to insecurities about their future fashion decisions.
Instead of shooting clothing suggestions down, allow room for open discussion with your child about the different types of things that they might want to wear. Show them examples of clothing made with different patterns and prints so they can explore different styles that they might not know about. By giving your child the freedom to pick out the clothes that they want to wear and letting them openly explore the world of fashion, you give them the space they need to figure out how to better express themselves.
Obviously, you can step in if you think the kind of clothing that your child wants to wear for a certain occasion might be a bad idea. For instance, if your child wants to wear shorts when it’s snowing outside, it’s best to intervene with a pair of jeans for the sake of avoiding frostbite. However, if you find that you have an objection to an item of clothing that your child wants to wear solely because you don’t personally like it, save your reservations for yourself, and let your child figure out what they like best. By not limiting your child’s fashion choices, they can comfortably decide how they want to express their fashion tastes.
Best Clothing Styles For Children Of All Ages
When helping your child express themselves through clothing, you’ll want to get them some options to try out to see what will become a closet staple for them. Some of the best clothing options for children of all ages include:
Leggings
Leggings are a form of pants made with a stretchy fabric like cotton, polyester, or spandex. Leggings are great for all ages, but are especially good for tweens who are always on the move. Leggings for tweens come in a variety of different styles, making them the perfect kind of pant for your child to explore their fashion sense with. For instance, if your child is a fan of bolder styles, they could opt for a pair of leggings made with a shining metallic fabric that will have them standing out in the school assembly crowd. Or, if they’re more into classic styles, they could try a pair of traditional black leggings that are perfect for pairing with different tops and shoes.
Patterned Outfits
A great way to widen your child’s clothing horizons is by introducing different patterned clothing pieces into their wardrobe. Patterns can also be useful when teaching your child about how to pair different clothing items. You can use patterned outfits to help them learn on their own what kind of patterns go together, and which don’t. That said, when it comes to matching, let them take the lead. What you might think goes together well and what they might want to pair could be entirely different, and that’s okay!
Different Styles Of Denim
One of the most versatile forms of pants are denim jeans. Help your child explore their fashion options by introducing them to a wide variety of denim styles. Whether they’re a fan of skinny jeans or flares, your child will love getting to figure out their ideal denim style with your support.
In Conclusion
Clothing is a tool that we use to visually convey aspects of our personalities. As such, it’s essential to allow your child the freedom to explore different styles of clothing so they can find the kind of clothes that can help them to express themselves. By allowing their clothing creativity to roam free, you encourage your child to develop confidence in themselves.
