To think that it is really strange if you have twins to always dress them the same?

[jennymac]

I know a few people with twins, both identical and non-identical, and they dress them in identical clothes all the time. Why would you do this? They are different children, just because they were born the same day, why would you dress them identically? If you had two girls born a year apart would you dress them in the same clothes, day in, day out? I think it is like treating children as if they are dolls!

Also, I wasn't a twin, but me and my older sister would be dressed in the same clothes sometimes.

Mostly when man had knitted us jumpers with matching beret's

I've always dressed my twins differently. This was mostly my idea but it was reinforced when OH and MIL told me " you don't want them think they are different!" I don't like to see children dressed identically, it looks like a uniform to me rather than "home" clothes. Makes me wander what they wear at weekends when they take the school uniforms off.

It would be cheaper to get two of the cheapest item available, than one of them and one of the next-cheapest item, maybe?

Dress your twins identically or don't. I can't say that I think either situation is odd.

I do think couples wearing the same thing can be odd, but I would forgive a black hiking jacket or the same brand of jeans.

I think anyone who has twins, can get them both changed / washed / dressed and out of the door deserves a medal anyway...

Last year at DCs school (no uniform) there were two girls a school year apart and they were always dressed identically.
I always thought it must work out unnecessarily expensive if the younger one can never wear the older one's hand-me downs. They might not grow at the same rate but you'd have to buy anyway so they match.

Now the older one has gone up to collège, I wonder if she is still dressed the same as her sister.

I suppose that some parents think it looks cute. If they like it they might as well do it while they have the chance- they will probably refuse later on. If I had twins I would think it odd to dress them alike or have them matching.

I dressed my older set of twin boys the same when little for a few reasons.

When clothes shopping it was just easier to pick up the clothes x2 as any task when you have twins needs to be quick before the feeding and changing needs to start again!

When at playgroups, soft plays read, parks etc it is easier to spot to the 2 children dressed the same, and so easier to round them up when they are heading off in different directions..... so for safety reasons.

One of the twins is like me, short, really dark hair, cuddly, dark eyes. All my other children are like Dp, tall blonde, blue eyes and people, strangers would always ask if he belonged to my family as he was the odd one out, as he got olderish he started to realise this and it made him feel sad, he 'wanted' to be like his twin brother through wearing the same things. ( we still get the comments now, and I reallllly wish people would say it out of ear shot. Maybe we are bring a bit sensitive but it does upset him. So dressing them the same made him feel part of the family when comments were made.

They look back at photos and argue (playfully) who suited what colour/outfit the best!

As for school, they were at a one class per year primary do were together, at secondary now and the school asked me whether to Seperate, I asked the boys and they wanted to be together. So they are and they are fine. The school will move them later on if problems arise. It's up to the twins. There is a special twin bond with my 2 and they make the decisions.

My other set are girl/boy. Obviously they were dressed different (and after 6 boys it was all pink, pink, pink for my daughter!) they constantly argue, same class at school because they have to be (will be split at secondary) and it's a living nightmare sometimes. They constantly ask/moan that they don't want each other as twins anymore!

Theres indentical triplets in my dds class who wear the same clothes.I think it's sweet.My mum used to dress me and my sister the same and we are nearly 2years apart.

There are twins near where I live and I see them out and about. They are women in their eighties and they dresss identically. It's rather sweet.

Agent I can explain the retired couples in the same walking jacket phenomenon, because my parents do it.

They will go out to buy a new jacket for one of them. They will then find a jacket that is such an amazing bargain that the other one decides they will have one too - old habits die hard. It will inevitably only be available in one colour. Then they prance around the countryside matching each other and not caring a jot.

It was far, far worse when I was a teenager though, as then I invariably got roped into these matching jacket shenanigans and ended up having huge fights in shops about having one bought for me, which I always, always lost.

I am surprised no one has pointed out that it is because many (mostly) mums are so damn pro of having twins they Want to emphasis it as much as possible.

This is posibly why it is more common in twinsfrom a more deprived socio economic background where having twins is something to be very proud of, whereas more' middle class' families are more concerned with separate identitie.

Proud not pro!

I am mother to id dtb's. I also have non id dtb nephews and many friends with twins. I don't dress mine the same but i don't judge my friends who do. I do tend to put them in similar outfits but different colours so i can see why some people would go one step further. Mine have very similar tastes and always want to wear similar things. I have a couple of tops that i had to buy the same as they both wanted the same. Mine are nearly 5 now and I still have endless conversations with people in the street about whether they are twins etc etc. I can see why some people would want to give it the added 'cute' factor as you get the attention anyway. And because I do dress mine differently people tend to just tell them apart by what they're wearing rather than through the subtle differences in how they look. So after all this time they still dont know who's who. School have insisted on no labels and are really taking their time to get to know them- for the first time in their lives I now have to dress them identically every day!

I'm a bit ocd so I think the temptation would be too much! I have a boy and girl 2yrs apart so no temptation there. Also don't think I would dress same sex children alike if they were not twins. I know 2 sets of id twin girls and neither aee dressed the same although one set similarly eg leggings and shirt dress but different ones. My aunt has non id girls who were occasionally dressed the same eg xmas dresses, but mostly different, they look very different. Only 1 class per year at our school so 2 sets of twins in ds class. Aunt chose to keep her twins together too, as I would.

I have 3 boys, 5 years apart and they generally wear the same outfits but because DS1 will only wear the same clothes, so I have the same outfit in 5 different sizes...and then DS2 might get dressed first, DS1 sees what he's wearing and thinks he might as well wear the same, then DC3 sees DS1 and wants to look the same... it's not deliberate

My SIL has always insisted her twin girls wear the same clothes (they are now 11), but when they stay at their Dad's they get to choose their own clothes and never buy anything the same. Think they just accept that's how it is.

I have bpy / girl twins, even as babies they wore different things, already had a boy so had lots of hand me downs.

As an alternative view on safety, I dress them in different coloured coats and tops when out. If they are heading / doing something dangerous I want to be able to instantly recognise who it is and shout their name to stop them doing something. If they are in the same / similar coats, have their hood up I may take a second to work out who it is / shout the wrong name and so not stop them in time.

Yabu. Firstly it's none of your business and secondly it's cute. If I had twins I would dress them the same. I am a twin and we used to like being dressed the same, when we were old enough to notice.

My mother used to dress my sister and I the same, it was horrible, we looked and felt ridiculous but she loved the attention it attracted. yadnbu.

I have non Id girls and sometimes dress them the same, sometimes in similar styles and very occasionally in completely different outfits. Mostly because its easier than fighting over who wears what. At just 2 they are already very clear on what they like/dislike and have different favourite things. I don't think dressing them the same/similar will scar them for life. I am very clear on them not just being lumped together as 'the twins' and will be happy for them to decide on clothes etc as they get older.

My friend dresses her id girls the same most of the time when they were little, it actually made us all learn how to tell them apart instead of relying on differences in clothes. I think part of it was also down to how many matching outfits they were bought by other people! Now they're older they pick their own outfits, some days they want to dress the same and others they don't.

I have non-identical twin girls, who are almost 3yrs old. Sometimes they wear the same thing, sometimes they don't. When they don't, they often squabble about who has the Peppa Pig top, pink dress, etc etc. They've started to choose their own clothes from the wardrobe now , so what they wear is mostly up to them. I think there are far odder things than dressing twins/siblings the same.

spying I was interested in your comment and why you think this? We are certainly not middle class we are middle working class at most in this house. I am proud of my boys and proud of having twins and the sense of achievement in it but I wouldn't say I am anymore proud than a higher social class. Also it's still important to me that they are as individual as they want to be but if they don't want to then I don't mind. I'm not having a go spy sorry if it seems it but I really am wondering why you say this?

I have ID twins, I did dress them the same as babies as I had a lot of matching outfits given as gifts; they looked cute; it was easier searching around for non-matching stuff when they don't have an idea what they are wearing anyway.

Now, they wear whatever is clean and on top of the pile! (Or school uniform....so the same!)

I've always dressed my 4 yo non-id twins (girls) differently, although they share most of their clothes as they are the same size. They currently have the same shoes because they wanted the same and there was so little choice in their sizes I let them. But generally their likes are so different it's very rare that they want the same things and from my point of view, as one is fair and the other darker haired, they suit different things.

OP, ime my dds would have no trouble expressing their very different personalities, regardless of what they were wearing