Question of the Day: Coordinating Outfits

by Mandi on June 9, 2009

three-sisters-2

Three Sisters Going for a Walk

I have a bit of an obsession with dressing my girls in matching and/or coordinating outfits.

Although they are all wearing matching dresses in the picture above, I don’t actually dress them in the exact same outfit that often, but I find myself obsessing about whether their outfits coordinate on almost a daily basis basis (which might give you the impression that I have too much time on my hands…). It’s usually as simple as their outfits being from the same color family (i.e., oranges and yellows or blues and greens), but I think it’s so cute, and I can’t help myself.

So, here’s the question(s) of the day:

Do you dress your kids alike? Do you like – or hate – matching outfits? Do you try to coordinate the colors they wear?

Can’t wait to hear from you!


  • http://www.siestasandsewing.blogspot.com Cindy

    Guilty here! My 2 youngest girls (4 and 2) have several outfits that are either the same or coordinate. My 4 year old even asks that I put her younger sister in the matching outfit.:) For group pictures of all our 4 kids, the girls are dressed in outfits that match and our son wears a shirt in a coordinating color. I realize at some point our oldest (10) will not want to do this so I’m enjoying it while it lasts.

    Cindy’s last blog post…Watermelons!

    • http://momsmagic.blogspot.com RLR

      I rarely dress my kids (son – 5 1/2, daughter – 3) in coordinating outfits, and usually it’s for a special occasion or because it’s a theme day at preschool, Sunday school, etc.

      RLR’s last blog post…Got a mention over here…

      • Lauren

        Only on photo days do I obsess about it. But sometimes I end up dressing in the same color family as my son and husband even without thinking about it.

  • http://www.thecreativemama.com Angie @ The Creative Mama

    Count me in! :)

    I usually make sure my boys coordinate rather than totally match. In fact I take my own advice on this one… for photography clients I urge them to think of the entire family (or siblings) as 1 complete outfit. So I ask them to pick one person’s clothing and work around that. For example, my oldest will wear some cute plaid shorts and a solid colored shirt that matches a color from the shorts. The younger one will wear shorts (color pulled from older brother’s shorts) and a coordinating shirt.

    I hope that makes sense? :) It makes for great pictures, and I take pictures… all. the. time ;)

    Angie @ The Creative Mama’s last blog post…Your Go-To Bag, revisted.

  • http://www.appellationmountain.net Abby

    Not deliberately – but I’ll admit, I’m strangely pleased when I realize that we match. Since I buy all of our clothing, it happens more often than not. I usually go scurrying for my camera when I realize that we’ve coordinated. :)

    Abby’s last blog post…Name of the Day: Lachlan

  • http://ohamanda.com oh amanda

    When I lived in Birmingham, matching outfits was the RAGE. I think it’s very Southern. In fact, there was one family that had 3 preschoolers (2 girls & 1 boy) and EVERY Sunday they were dressed in clothes of the exact same fabric. Poor little guy.

    oh amanda’s last blog post…Top Ten Tuesday: Best Breakfast Foods EVAH

  • http://www.afreshspace.com Liz Jenkins

    Now I only have one child but, as soon as my daughter was old enough to express an opinion, any hope I had of even having her own clothes match, much less coordinate flew out the window. Think homeless child crossed with a hippie bohemian crossed with Punky Brewster. Imagine going out with a child wearing striped tights, a flowered skirt, a polka dot top, blue cowboy boots, a color blocked sweater and a furry cat ear headband – none of which have any colors that even closely resemble each other.
    Here are my clothing rules:
    1. All clothes must be clean (this does not eliminate stained clothes)
    2. Apparel must be seasonally appropriate (no swimsuits in winter, or parkas in summer, etc.)
    3. Clothing must cover all appropriate body parts
    and the one we added last year:
    4. Underwear must be worn when leaving the house
    I pick my battles when it comes to child rearing and clothing is not one of them. I just figure that if it is so bizarre and out there, that no one will ever imagine that I did it. Surprisingly, though, we get a lot of positive comments on her attire – she actually has a distinct style and ends up having many imitators at school – to the chagrin of moms who like their kids to match.
    When she was little, she was always adorable with matching outfits. And then she talked . . . .

    Liz Jenkins’s last blog post…Customer Service at FedEx…why I couldn’t get a quote…and an update to the story!

    • Miechelle

      Ah Liz, your post could have been typed by me. My daughter has taken it a step or two further in that criteria of coolness include things that she knows I would never wear and dyeing her hair pitch black so that she looks as little as possible like me. We have exacty the same rules as you do though and she sticks to them fairly well – I’m well satisfied with that ….

  • http://hughesfamilywestfield.blogspot.com/ TracyH

    I absolutely LOVE dressing my girls (ages 2 & 4) in matching outfits. I almost never purchase my kids brand new clothes (unless I find a super awesome sale) so it doesn’t happen as much as I would like but there is nothing cuter than two little matching girls. It cracks me up too because whenever they are matching and we are out people always ask if they are twins. I am lucky to have a friend who has girls each a year older than my two and she gives us all of her matching hand me downs…too cute!!

    TracyH’s last blog post…Our little runners!

    • Kalebarkab

      I want to find good pop music. Help me please.

  • http://spacious4him.wordpress.com/ Sara Ross

    I found your blog through a comment you posted on Anne Jackson’s blog. I have enjoyed reading your organizational tips. Keeping my home, from being chaotic, is one of my biggest challenges. This is a verse that encourages me to work on having a peaceful home.

    “My people will live in peaceful places and in safe homes and in calm places of rest.” Isaiah 32:18 (New Century Version)

    My favorite outfit for my two boys is orange (University of Tennessee)shirts and camouflage pants. My daughter, the oldest, usually does match her two little brothers (but I do like it when they are coordinated). Fun question.

    Sara Ross’s last blog post…His mouth-my mouth

    • http://morethana-mom.blogspot.com More Than A Mom

      Geesh ~ I’m glad if I get the kids dressed some days! LOL
      However, for special occasions I like them to be coordinated.

      More Than A Mom’s last blog post…Hemming Curtains

      • http://www.overcomingbusy.com Marci

        Are you kidding? Much like Liz, my daughter has her own sense of fashion – Punky Brewster is pretty accurate. My son is actually pretty good at putting outfits together. Most of the time, as long as they are covered and clean, it isn’t worth the fight to make them change clothes.

        Marci’s last blog post…Are you too busy to bless someone?

        • sarah

          Oh my goodness, but I’m lucky if I put a shirt and pants on the kid that match. Thank goodness I don’t try to coordinate anything more than that! And I must say I would NEVER put matching outfits on any kids of mine. Why? I HATED it as a kid. Despised. Seriously. Could I not just look different than my sister?

    • Melissa Walker

      Nope, not at all. My girls are 1 and 3 and they wear anything I can manage to find that’s clean. I love the picture of the girls, though!

      • http://littleredhen4@blogspot.com Bekki

        Of course! It’s so easy to pick up the same thing when shopping. My boys are only 14 months appart and wear the same size so I never was able to use hand me downs. I guess that’s what started it. My girls also match but we also have coordinating outfits as they are a little farther appart in age. Everyone likes to match here and they decided on their own if they are going to match or not that day. If we are going out we alwasy match it’s so much easier to keep track of them!

  • http://www.savingqueen.com Maria@SavingQueen.com

    I have two boys, ages 6 and 8. I love to dress them in matching outfits. I think it is so cute when siblings wear matching outfits. I am not sure they will go for this in a few years, but I am enjoying for now!

    Maria@SavingQueen.com’s last blog post…FREE free Kid’s Meal at California Tortilla on June 10, 2009

    • http://thuecrue.blogspot.com Amy

      I wish that my girls would let me dress them in coordinating outfits more often. They are 8, 6, & 3 so this is not as easy as I would like. My 8 and 6 year old already have very strong opinions about what they wear. Usually it is only on really special occasions like Christmas and Easter that I can pull off coordinating outfits.

      • Tamara

        Yes, especially since I can buy still buy the same outfits for them. Right now my boys are 34 months and 11 months. There will come a time when Childrens Place or Old Navy won’t have the coordinating outfits for toddlers and kids. I love it when my younger son looks like a miniature version of his big brother, and my older son thinks it cool that his brother looks like him .

        • Lori

          Oh wow! So many thoughts! I only have one kid now, and like some of you above, I am glad that he is dressed. He’s at a very independent 2yo right now and wants to pick everything himself. I let him, even if it doesn’t match.

          I guess I don’t get the matching thing…maybe if I ever have another kid I might? Not sure. When I see kids dressed exactly the same I feel bad for them…like they aren’t an individual but just a copy of their sibling.

          • Aimeemomof2+

            There is NO WAY! I struggle to get something even partially coordinated for a family photo. With a boy, girl, and a boy spaced 4 years apart…it is physically impossible to find clothes that match in size 10 (boy) size 7 (girl) and size 3T (boy). That is hopeless!

          • mary b

            My 2 youngest boys are now 5 & 10, so they do not get true “matching” outfits anymore. Usually we would try for the same (or similar) shirt & pants for holidays.
            When we go somewhere like a fair or amusement park I try to have us wear the same color shirts (or hats) so it is easy to keep track of each other.

          • Kimberly Tidwell

            I don’t really do the matching or coordinating on a daily basis, but if we are going out somewhere, especially church, I try to have my daughter and I in coordinating colors. On holidays, even Mother’s and Father’s Day, it is a MUST all family members, even grandparents have on the same color scheme!

          • http://adventuresofpipandsqueak.blogspot.com Christy@pipandsqueak

            I have 2 girls, age 1 and 3. I love to have them match or coordinate but right now my 3 year old has opinions on what she wants to wear. usually I let her pick what she wears and then I coordinate baby sister with that choice. Often she wears dress up clothes over it so it does not matter. I buy most clothes at consignment sales and get very excited when I make a match.

            Christy@pipandsqueak’s last blog post…Playing with Ben

          • Mandi

            Whew – I had no idea this was such a hot topic!! I feel compelled to say that I never force my girls to wear anything. I’m actually really laid back when it comes to clothing, but all my oldest cares about is that she gets to wear a dress, so most days I’m the one picking the clothes. For now, they like to match and will often ask if they can wear matching clothes. When they have coordinating outfits on, I’m not sure they even know they match because it could be three entirely different outfits that just happen to have one or two colors in common.

            Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!!

          • Jennifer

            I only have one child, but my sister-in-law has 4 children. I always joked with my husband about how she always dressed them in matching outfits. Then, I agreed to keep the boys (ages 5 and 8) for a week. She ended up packing them all matching clothes and told me that when we go out somewhere it is easiest to keep track of them if they are matchy-matchy. What great advice that was. We went to a very crowded museum and they were so easy to keep track of because I didn’t constantly have to keep remembering who was wearing what. So, no more joking for me. While I am not sure I will employ the practice on my own children. No more wise cracking about those that do.

          • Mary

            I’m with Scout. When we go anywhere that is crowded and unknown (traveling, airports, theme parks) we wear matching Aloha prints – makes it much easier to keep track of everyone. Also, when on the beach my kids wear the brightest bathing suits I can find. Other than that – all the kids dress themselves and I am never quite sure how that might turn out!

          • http://vikkislckitchen.blogspot.com/ Vikki

            As the middle daughter of three that was dressed like my sisters all through grade school, I still have nightmares of some of the things our mom made us wear…giggle
            So be prepared to be ragged on about it later in life.
            Hugs,
            Vikki

            Vikki’s last blog post…How hard can you pinch a penny?

          • http://burcawbunch.blogspot.com Nancy

            I have 4 children – girl 11, boy 9, girl almost 7, girl 5. I have always dressed the girls in matching dresses for Easter and Christmas and the boy in a coordinating outfit. It is getting a little harder with the girls now. Otherwise, I try to coordinate everyone. If we are going somewhere where there is a crowd, I will dress them in jeans and a matching t-shirt to help keep track of them. People notice that they all belong together.

            Nancy’s last blog post…Great Givaway

  • Scout

    I like my kids to be roughly coordinated, if possible, but it gets less and less possible the more kids we have! (We have four, now.) But on a recent trip to Disney, I very carefully packed so that the kids were wearing the same colors just so that they were easier to find. One day they even had matching Hawaiian print outfits that were a souvenir my MIL brought back with her. On that day, all of the *other* parents knew which kids were mine too, and any time I had that peering, “Where is my child?” look, they would point me in the right direction!

    • http://www.organizing-life.com abbie

      when we go out I try to coordinate my daughter’s outfit with my son’s. I usually pick a color my son is wearing, since he usually wears solids, and I choose an outfit for my daugther with that color in it. I tollay agree with Angie that taking an extra second to pick out something that coordinates (not necessarilly matches) helps make your photos come out great!
      Great post, I loved reading through the comments!
      Abbie

      abbie’s last blog post…Reclaiming the Basement – Week 2 Update!

  • http://www.sydandkay.blogspot.com Jill Foley

    absolutely!!! And I often try to make myself match or blend if we are going out of the house!!!

    • http://www.savintheday.com Tonya

      I have a son and a daughter with 5 years between them, so I never dress them *exactly* a like. I will coordinate them at times, esp. if I find a skirt or dress for her and a shirt for him that are made out of the same material.

      I have to say that my daughter has the dress your daughters are wearing, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think the one closest to the camera was her!

      Tonya’s last blog post…Great Offer for 10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget

  • http://www.sydandkay.blogspot.com Jill Foley

    I should add that we just went to a family wedding and I was thrilled to find matching dresses for my girls at a garage sale!!!

    Jill Foley’s last blog post…The Wedding

    • Lari

      My oldest 2 boys are 2 yrs apart and during the toddler/preschool yrs would wear matching shirts quite a bit…more to stave off meltdowns if one was wearing a Thomas the train shirt and one wasn’t LOL! I do coordinate them when we travel for my peace of mind and for things like Easter or time when I know lots of pictures will be taken, but not matching anymore…the older 2 are getting too old for that..sigh.

  • http://sunflowermama.blogspot.com/ Patricia

    When I had 1, yes, I was a tad obsessive about the two of us matching. Now I have 4. We match on Christmas, Easter, some other random lucky Sundays and it is a MUST when we’re going somewhere crowded. The rest of the time, I’m just happy to have them in something clean. =)

    Patricia’s last blog post…baby giggles

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