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Original poster

Is my daughter getting too old for smocked dresses ??

100 replies

mummyloveslucy · 01/08/2008 21:04

Hi, my daughter is 3.5 but is very tall and is in age 5 clothes. She has always worn smocked dresses as I love the traditional look. She has long auburn hair i ringlets. I have stopped her wearing the pale pink ones as it's started to look babyish on her. The pale blue still looks gorgeous as her eyes are very blue.
I just wondered if they were starting to look babyish on her especially the long sleeved winter dresses. People have started to ask me wether she's been to a wedding/ party etc. She wears matching ribbons in her hair too.
Please be honest. I don't want her to look older than she is, but is this look a bit too young now ?? Thanks.

OP posts:
Wallace · 01/08/2008 21:09

I think as long as she is happy to wear them it's fine

It won't be long before she wants to wear skinny jeans and skimpy Bratz vests

She sounds gorgeous btw - you should share some photos!

MaryAnnSingleton · 01/08/2008 21:09

they sound lovely - I used to have these as a little girl...am sure it's ok for a three and a half yr old...maybe not completely ribboned and ringletted though, dress without other fripperies perhaps ?

Bluebutterfly · 01/08/2008 21:13

Sounds gorgeous. As a mother to a 3.5 ds I know nothing about the intricacies of female toddler fashion, but I would love to be able to dress ds in a way that did not only consider how rough the play was going to be .

Hulababy · 01/08/2008 21:15

Sounds fine. 3.5y is still very little anyway. It won't be long till she is at school and trying to dictate what she wears anyway.

Wallace · 01/08/2008 21:15

And of course only if you don't mind them geting dirty when she is playing

spudballoo · 01/08/2008 21:16

Ooooh sounds utterly gorgeous! I have two boys and, whilst I don't have a longing for a daughter, I do look at beautifully, traditionally dressed little girls like yours and admire them so much.

If I saw your daughter I (a) wouldn't notice her height as I never do and (b) would think how utterly lovely she looked.

They are little for such a short period. If she's happy and you're happy then I'd go with it.

Would love to see some photos, she sounds so gorgeous! Who cares what anyone else thinks anyway.

nancy75 · 01/08/2008 21:18

my dd is 3 and old fashioned looking dresses are the kind of thing i dress her in too, she loves wearing what she calls princess dresses!

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 01/08/2008 21:18

I'm growing out her fringe at the moment, so she's a bit limited to hairstyles. I chose ribbons as they are a cheep way of co ordinating any outfit. Maybe the ribbons and smocked dresses together is a bit much. I'd love her to have low plats with the dresses, but her fringe would fall ot easily and look a mess.

OP posts:
motherinferior · 01/08/2008 21:19

Hmmm...it wouldn't be the look I go for, I have to say, but it's up to you!

Judd · 01/08/2008 21:22

Can you part her fringe and clip to both sides? Or do a parting and sweep to one side and clip - I always think this looks quite French, but not sure why...

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 01/08/2008 21:30

Thanks everyone. I havent got a clue how to put photoes on hear, we don't have a scanner. We do have some on C.D though. I'll find out how to do it soon.
My mother in law has students and they often comment on how "traditionally english" she looks.
I would let her climb trees etc in her dresses if she wanted, but she just wouldn't. She is not adventurous at all. She does help me in the garden though and gets a bit muddy. It makes no difference to me wetherit's a dress or trackies she gets dirty. It all goes in the wash. They are a bugger to iron though.

OP posts:
nannyL · 01/08/2008 21:30

sounds lovely

let ere wear them IMO

who cares what anyone else thinks?

pgwithnumber3 · 01/08/2008 21:35

I would have loved DD1 to allow me to dress her quintessentially English! You carry on as long as she will let you. Auburn ringlets - sounds absolutely gorgeous! DD1 has strawberry hair, I love it.

Where do you buy her dresses from mummyloveslucy? I want to get DD2 some when she starts walking. Lovely little traditional Start Rite t-bars with smocked dresses and tights look beautiful.

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 01/08/2008 21:39

most of her dresses are Sarah louise or pretty originals. They sell them in bouteques or you can look on e-bay. My daughter also wears start-rites, I love them.

OP posts:
fruitbowl · 01/08/2008 21:40

I think her outfits sound lovely. I know what you mean though as my DD is 3.5 but also v tall for her age so she looks a bit gangly in some of the cuter outfits. Am expecting her to take charge of her own wardrobe any day now. Making the most of enjoying dressing her until then.

pgwithnumber3 · 01/08/2008 21:45

I thought they would be Sarah Louise. Some children just suit them don't they? DD1 was a pretty child but just didn't seem to have that "girlyness" to wear them. DD2 is finer boned and more petite so I think she will suit them more.

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 01/08/2008 21:45

motherinferior- we are all different, I would never ever let her wear jeens, slogan T.shirts, cheep shoes or anything remotly tarty. It seems that most of the children where we live are dressed like this. People always stop me to ask where I buy her clothes. I think that's a good sign.

OP posts:
Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 01/08/2008 21:54

My Mum bought a smocked dress for my very tom boyish cousen when she was about 6 ish. We have a picture of her in the dress in front of the christmas tree looking really uncomfortable. The photo looks so funny as she only EVER wears jeens. You could tell my mum had been shopping with her.

OP posts:
pgwithnumber3 · 01/08/2008 21:58

Your poor cousin! Did your mum dress your very traditionally?

Have you seen any of the Winter Sarah Louise Collection yet? Is it usually dark colours? I remember DD1 having a lovely navy blue babycord dress from them. How I wish I had kept all of her clothes.

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 01/08/2008 22:13

Yes she did. I havn't seen the winter collection yet. They tend to be more white, pale pink and bluue for the little tots. They do have dark colours too.

OP posts:
AbbeyA · 01/08/2008 22:18

I should make the most of choosing- before she gets to the stage of objecting.

Original poster
mummyloveslucy · 01/08/2008 22:19

Definatly

OP posts:
colette · 01/08/2008 22:24

My dd is 9 and i look nostaligally(sp) at those kind of dresses ( which she didn't like much anyway) I would just enjoy it , time flies in soon enough.

PortAndLemon · 01/08/2008 22:38

I don't think they are babyish, but I suppose in principle I'd expect a 3.5 year old's everyday clothes to be something practical and hardwearing. That's probably why you're getting the "wedding" comments; I think most of us would only be putting DDs in Sarah Louise dresses for special occasions where they weren't going to be playing in the mud. From a practical point of view I expect DD to wear jeans a lot at that age (partly because they are the only things of DS's that seem to survive what he puts his clothes through) even though I really like the Sarah Louise style dresses. But if you are happy to wash/iron/replace dresses on a regular basis, and you're sure it isn't the dresses and ribbons that are inhibiting your DD from climbing trees, then keep at it .

themoon66 · 01/08/2008 22:55

Just saw the OP and thought 'smocked dresses at 35 is pushing it'

time i went to bed LOL