Is my daughter getting too old for smocked dresses ??

[mummyloveslucy]

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.

[mummyloveslucy]

Believe me, she dosn't give a toss what she looks like.
Motherinferior- She does acctually own one pair of jeens. They are from feu folllet. They are very soft and have a matching top.
She wears them to the farm or anywhere where she is likely to run and fall. They protect her knees. They do look sweet on her and make a change. She isn't keen on them as she can't twirl in them.

[mummydoc]

i have just stopped putting dd1 in smocked dresses this winter ( she turned 8 in jan) dd2 who is nearly 4 wears dresses ( often smocked) , white socks and buckle up startrites with hair ribbons most of the time, they are little girls and should look like little girls not miniture britney spears ( IMO of course)they both own jeans and shorts etc aswell but mostly want to wear girly stuff

[mummyloveslucy]

prettyoriginals.com/2bgal2/disp_img.php?id_img=2506

[mummyloveslucy]

The link above shows her best smocked dress. She looks gorgeous in it. She wears it when we go ou somwhere nice for the day.

[mummyloveslucy]

Thanks mummydoc. I totally agree.

[MrsBadger]

as for wearing jeans "anywhere where she is likely to run and fall", surely that is every single day round the house, in the garden, to nursery...

I think a pinafore in eg denim or cord with tights and a blouse / jumper would still be adequately girly but less partyish. Less ironing needed too.

[misdee]

that link doesnt work

[mummyloveslucy]

She does wear lots of pinafores with a blowse or polo neck in the winter, not denim though. Soft needle cord is nice. She has a uniform for nursery, which is a comfy tracksuit with the nurserys name on it.
She wears cord trousers with tops to match.

[mummyloveslucy]

You could try www.sarah-louise.com.
There are special occasion dresses as well as more every day dresses. When the sight pops up, there is a little blond girl in a white smocked dress with green on it. My daughter has this dress for summer.

[mummydoc]

i find that whenever i am out with my children dressed in what might be termed old fashioned we get lots of lovely comments, and bizarrely sometimes from people with hteir own dds in tow who are dressed in much more modern clothing , and i think if you come over ot me and say " oh your lo looks so gorgeous that is a lovely dress " or similar why don'they dress their children in similar ??

[MrsBadger]

Possibly because their dds object and/or find it impedes their tree climbing etc
or they can't afford Sarah Louise prices
or they do, but just for parties

Actually, if dd had to wear a tracksuit for nursery I'd be more likely to pretty her up on non-nursery days to make up for it.

Tracksuits... [shudder]

[Sidge]

I just tried to look at the Sarah Louise website and my firewall alerted me that it was trying to insert a Trojan on my puter! So beware.

For the OP, make the most of being able to 'dress her up', it won't last much longer

[MrsBadger]

mine too Sidge - I did a google image search to get the general idea though

[bozza]

My DD was very much of her own opinion in what she wanted to wear at 3 1/2. Obviously this was within the vast wardrobe of handmedowns and presents etc that she has. I know some of her friends went through a very all dresses, anti-trousers stage at that age. DD is very matchy but never went all that much against trousers.

Today she is wearing a navy blue with white trim cotton dress that could be classed as a a party dress but because it is age 2-3 and she is 4 and a bit, it is only knee length and fine for knocking around in the garden in.

[mummyloveslucy]

Mrsbadger- Yes the tracksuits do make me sudder a bit too. They are also bright red and clash with her hair. Can you see why I like to make the effort on non nursery days.

[mummyloveslucy]

MummyDoc- when my daughter was a baby, it used to take me ages to go anywhere as people would stop me all the time to say "Isn't it lovely to see a little girl looking like a little girl" and "I's lovely to see a baby in a proper pram". The older genoration still comment on her lovely clothes and sometimes mums but I do get a lot of "has she been to a party/wedding?" nowadays.

[mummyloveslucy]

misdee- The link will work if you tap in user name = public and password = apple.

[Trafficcone]

Sounds perfect! OR you could do what half the population does and dress her as a slag in high st stuff with glitter, high heels and bare midriffs?

[FluffyMummy123]

Message withdrawn

[mummyloveslucy]

That dosn't supprise me icod.

[tassisssss]

I think she sounds lovely.

No luck with the Lola look then?

Out of interest where do you get your traditional dresses?

[Bink]

Was having similar discussion with dh, & deciding that dd (who will be 8 in Oct) is now too old for smocking - we decided, capriciously, that the cut-off was only-just-7.

I do think it sort of depends on the type of smocking & the person inside the smocking; my dd, while objectively quite conventionally nice-looking, has a huge and lively Character (think Goldie Hawn, roughly) - so could never be mistaken for a demure child. Thus she wore the smocking, it didn't wear her. She also carries off her elder brother's cast-offs quite competently.

[mummyloveslucy]

I'm still looking out for the lola look. I'm waiting for the autum/ winter things. Smocking is a bit retro but I'm after somthing a bit more trendy with a retro twist, like Lola. She will have her smocked dresses as well, but I'd like a bit more variety. Somthing that goes with her charactor.

[LittleMissBliss]

I think your dd sounds gorgeous. If i ever have a little girl i think i will dress her in traditional dresses. I think they look stunning on little girls.

Much more appropraite than belly tops and short shorts. I will obviously have more practicial clothes too. But mummyloveslucy i think that if you have the money to dress your dd in gorgeous well made clothes and she enjoys wearing them then carry on untill you both decide that they aren't practical/she doesn't like them anymore.

My Granny used to put me and dresses and matching ribbons too!

[LittleMissBliss]

I think that people only ask if she's been to a wedding/party because people just don't usually make the effort anymore. Jeans and t-shirts are much cheaper and often practical. Girls are allot more rough and tumble these days. But if a little girl is happy being girly then indulge her!