Kiddipedia
Has the wedding season already started for your family? What about graduations, family reunions, and Christmas parties? Yes, all the big events seem to come one after the other at the end of the year. And whilst attending all these formal occasions can be plenty of fun for families, it can also be a tricky time for parents with younger kids who may not be overly comfortable with formal wear.
So how do you make sure that dressing your kids up for special occasions is as effortless as possible over these summer holidays? We’ll be answering just that question today by sharing our top tips for dressing even the fussiest kids up for a range of formal parties.
Shop for versatile kids’ formal wear
Kids can be fickle in that their tastes can change rapidly as they grow. And considering that they’re still trying to figure out who they are, their tastes changing on a whim can make a lot of sense. As parents, it’s our job to make sure that our kids feel like they have the right to have options. That’s why it pays to stay flexible when shopping for kids’ formal wear.
Thankfully, there are kids’ clothing stores that don’t just stock trends alone. For instance, when you shop at Minihaha, you can enjoy a wide selection of styles across their range of formal wear. Finding clothes that have a timeless appeal will undoubtedly help your kids take pride in building up their formal wardrobe. As an added bonus, timeless pieces can also be styled in a number of different ways, so you could easily get away with buying just one or two dresses for your kids to cycle through this holiday season rather than buying a whole wardrobe’s worth of fancy formal wear.
Just remember to take their input when shopping for their formal wear as well, both when it comes to style and fit. You want to make sure that your kids feel comfortable in any dresses or suits they’re asked to wear for upcoming formal occasions or even for family portraits.
Invest in a range of accessories
When it comes to dressing kids up for special occasions, you’d be surprised by just what a difference adding a hair clip or other accessories can make. If your toddler demands to wear a tutu over black leggings and light-up shoes, for instance, adding a gold clip or other fanciful accessories can help effortlessly elevate their look from casual to formal-ready.
Your kids may also enjoy shopping for accessories more than they do shopping for clothes. After all, accessories can be held and fiddled with. If you can get your kid excited to pull out their accessories before formal occasions, it can help organically introduce them to the importance of dressing their best during special events like weddings, Christmas lunches, and other family get-togethers.
Keep them comfy in comfortable shoes
Speaking of wearing ‘light-up shoes’, if you know your kids are going to feel more comfortable in their everyday footwear, then why not just bring them along so that they can either wear them all day or even swap into them later in the evening? Even adults bring extra pairs of shoes at events like weddings, so it’s more than reasonable to let your kids step out of their tiny loafers or heels if their feet are feeling sore.
Letting your kids change into comfier footwear later in the evening is also a great way of protecting their dressier shoes so that they can be worn at future occasions. So long as you can get a few snaps of them in their fancy shoes or perhaps even hide their sneakers in photos, it’s no harm done – and all whilst ensuring that your kids stay comfy throughout that formal event. In other words, letting them wear whatever shoes they want to wear can be an easy win-win.
Embrace the art of layering
If your kids are happy to get dressed up until a certain point in the day (when they start to get uncomfortable), then you could opt to layer some more casual clothing under their formal look. For little girls, this can be as easy as putting a t-shirt and leggings under a dress. As for boys, you can easily pop a shirt under their suit and tie.
Layering your kids’ clothing is already a great way to make sure that spills or messes caused by fussy eaters on a revolt don’t end up ruining your day. Think about it – would you rather run out to your car in the middle of a wedding reception to grab a spare shirt for your toddler, or would you rather they already have an extra shirt underneath?
Be patient and stay communicative
Finally, if getting your kids to put on a dress or a suit is proving to be a little trickier than expected, try not to let the stress of the day impact their experience of getting ready for that formal occasion. You want to make sure that your kids are able to maintain positive memories on days of significance to your family, whether it be a wedding, an anniversary party, or any other occasion that’s sure to both be documented in your family photo albums, and remembered fondly by your children’s friends and loved ones.
So if your little one is crying, screaming, or just feeling generally stressed about having to get dressed up in new and unfamiliar clothes, just be there for them. Let them process their emotions in their own time (perhaps even as you get dressed), and then be there to regroup calmly once the storm has subsided. If your kids feel like they do have a sense of agency in that situation and that they can maintain a say in how they get dressed, they’ll be more likely to stay comfortable throughout the day and also have a good time with the rest of you and your family once the event is in full swing.
As you can see, getting your kids used to formal wear requires a little bit of back and forth – from shopping for dresses and suits yourself, to getting kids more interested and involved as they grow up. And truth be told, the best approach should always be decided on a case-by-case basis, with parents thinking critically about how they can feasibly fulfil their child’s own comfort needs alongside making sure that they look picture-perfect on the big day.
Just remember to stay present, patient, and above all empathetic. That way, you can position yourself to better express the excitement that accompanies getting dressed up rather than placing needless emphasis on any stress or time pressure.
