Why your Daughter needs to learn Fashion at a Young Age
Fashion is often seen in dismissive terms – as a frivolity that isn’t quite a serious art form, but the numbers tell a different story. Clothing accounts for 2% of the GDP, and organic clothing is taking up an increasingly large chunk of that revenue. But fashion is more than just big business, and girls who take an interest early can see some serious benefits later in life. Here are some reasons why your daughter can benefit from learning about fashion early.
To Develop Her Own Sense of Style
We all want our kids to grow up able to be their own, unique selves, and fashion can help with that. That doesn’t mean that you should let your preschooler pick out all of her clothes, but it does mean that she can have an influence on how she dresses. Whether it’s letting her pick out her accessories or talking to her about why certain outfits work better in different situations, building these fundamentals will give her the tools to start building her own sense of style.
To Foster Confidence
While judgments of women can be focused a little too much on fashion, a sense of style is the best way to develop a kid’s confidence. Compliments on style are a great way to develop a strong sense of self-worth and self-awareness, and it will be even more exciting when she starts receiving compliments for outfits and accessories she chose. While you should foster the understanding that she should be respected for more than just her style of clothes, a confidence-boosting outfit will help your daughter through some of the more nerve-wracking experiences of growing up.
To Develop Friendships
There is no one-size-fits-all solution to kids’ fashion, and that’s a good thing. It allows kids to develop their own sense of style and distinguish themselves from one another. It’s also a great entryway to help your daughter establish friendships of her own. Whether we like it or not, there’s tribal logic that goes into how we judge people, and raising a daughter who understands style and how best to dress herself will improve her odds of making tight friendships and provide a point of similarity that can be used to nurture those young friendships.
To Learn New Skills
Fashion is a sweeping discipline you can use to teach your kid about school while also instilling in them a whole range of new talents that can be useful for the rest of their life. A discussion about fashion is a great way to introduce the idea of the color wheel – a necessity if you have a kid with any visual arts ambitions. It’s also an opportunity for your daughter to think about the process that goes into making clothes.
If she helps pick out her own clothes, she should learn quickly that investing in quality results in clothing that lasts longer. This can also be an opportunity to introduce her to the idea of organic clothes, sustainable supply lines, and companies like Mon Coeur that emphasize ecologically friendly fashion. It’s an easy way to talk to your daughter about real world issues like climate change and deforestation without making things too scary or pedantic.
It Can Be a Gateway for Reading
Lookbooks and fashion catalogs are a great entryway for many young readers. They offer a high ratio of pictures to words, and it’s not an intimidating path, because kids can largely understand what they’re reading about through the pictures. Preschoolers, kindergarteners, and other kids can develop a sense of sophistication when reading and develop their own literacy at a pace that doesn’t seem rushed and doesn’t necessarily feel like they’re learning.
