https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Mon, 15 Jun 2026 22:47:01 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806854 Thu, 01 Mar 2018 08:31:49 +0000 peachykeen 2806854@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mama Bird: I did wear dresses a lot while pregnant with DD2 but I've been nursing for 7 months now and haven't really been able to wear a dress all that time. She actually has been telling me lately "Mama, you would look funny in a dress". Ha! Thanks, honey :happy: </p> <p>@Foodnerd81: I love the cheap H&amp;M knit dresses! I keep checking to see when they come out with new spring/summer prints. We're in Georgia and I love how lightweight they are for the hot weather. </p> <p>@birdofafeather: I'd never heard of Alice &amp; Ames - thanks! Their dresses look so much like DD's favorite twirly dress from Hanna that I could only get 1-2 sizes too big. She insists on wearing it at home but she can't ride her bike or leave the house in it because it's so long/loose/low cut it's not decent or safe! It's been worn &amp; washed so many times I doubt it will even look nice when it finally does fit :silly: </p> <p>I do insist on leggings or bike shorts even though it's often a battle (she points out that a few of the girls at school don't wear leggings but it's my rule for her). I like dresses too in warm weather and she looks adorable in them, I just don't want her to develop an unhealthy idea that she can only be pretty in dresses, or that that's something she needs to worry about/get upset about at 3.5! We've been having a few heart-to-hearts lately about not feeling like she has to do what her friends say/do and her self-image, so I'm probably worrying way more than I have to :happy: </p> <p>Thanks! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806844 Thu, 01 Mar 2018 05:55:16 +0000 ValentineMommy 2806844@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DD is only 10m, but I was exactly like that as a child. In grade school, the teacher actually called my mom and told her I needed to either wear pants or bring them to put under my dress, as I refused to participate in gym because I didn't want to mess up my clothes. I never heard anything about it from other kids and my mom was a "tomboy", so it's just the way I was (am).</p> <p>I'm 37 and still almost exclusively wear dresses. Lol </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806841 Thu, 01 Mar 2018 00:15:51 +0000 JCCovi 2806841@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 4.5 year old lives in dresses and leggings, but that’s just mostly what I have for her. They are always cotton and comfy and bridge the gap between school, church, and play.</p> <p> The other day she specifically asked for a T-shirt and told me she looked like a boy. I told her she looked quite femimine in her pink T-shirt with flowers on it! It’s funny because I wear jeans on a daily basis. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806840 Thu, 01 Mar 2018 00:04:33 +0000 lamariniere 2806840@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DD is 4 and has been wearing dresses almost exclusively since whe was 2. She loves them and we live in a hot weather country, so all the better. I think many of the girls at preschool also wear dresses so there are definitely influences there. I was a super girly girl when I was little and would only wear dresses (with matching tights and jewelry) and now as an adult, it’s been a few years that I’m also in dresses 90% of the time. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806834 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 22:10:48 +0000 MamaG 2806834@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>6.5 and 3.3 here and they vastly prefer dresses. The 3 year old is pretty opinionated about the style. And they both prefer twirly. They wear leggings or bike shorts under as a requirement. Pajamas are my version of dresses so they aren’t getting there preference from my styling. I live in jeans and neither of them have any desire to have jeans. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806832 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 21:39:36 +0000 Miss Flamingo 2806832@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter is 3, almost 4, and whenever possible will only wear twirly dresses or skirts. And they have to be “cute”or “pretty.” I certainly don’t tell her this, and I don’t know where she gets it from. But I see her little friends at preschool and most of them are the same way. I feel sad I don’t get to pick her outfits anymore but I don’t press it. I want her to express herself and if that is how she wants to right now, I will let her. It is certainly a phase I teach at an elementary school and it isn’t like that at all for most young girls. </p> <p>But I didn’t buy any winter clothes for next year because i don’t know if she will still be in this phase! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806818 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 19:51:31 +0000 Foodnerd81 2806818@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My now 4.5 year old has been like this for years. I always make her wear shorts, leggings, or tights underneath and generally it’s fine, and she has lots of play type dresses for more active things (H&amp;M has some cute and cheap options!). There are certain activities where a dress would get in the way at now at 4 I can usually reason with her. </p> <p>I don’t blame her- her dresses are so comfy. And she doesn’t get it from me since she sees me in leggings and yoga pants most days, jeans when I’m feeling fancy. Don’t get me wrong- I like dressing up once in a while, but it’s not my day to day right now. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806807 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 18:41:55 +0000 youboots 2806807@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD is 3 (on Friday!) I ‘make’ her wear pants and shorts to school. Otherwise team dresses only. I just bought a bunch of long sleeve dresses and tights. I give up. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806795 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 17:11:59 +0000 Mama Bird 2806795@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ahhh DD is like that! So particular with clothes. Only I don't think she's hearing stuff from other girls - she's looking at me and copying what I wear. I've had to start wearing dresses more often because she saw I'm wearing pants to work, and wanted nothing but pants for herself. Now she's thankfully OK with either option, but she's on a kick where she has three favorite dresses, and everything else is chopped liver. It's usually easier to give her what she wants, unless it's really not weather-appropriate. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806790 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 17:06:27 +0000 birdofafeather 2806790@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Alice and Ames dresses or similar styles from ON? As long as she’s wearing leggings or bike shorts under, I’m all on board for dresses!</p> <p>DD2 wouldn’t wear jeans/pants at all, only leggings so I just gave up on trying. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806786 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 16:56:45 +0000 Mrsbells 2806786@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@peachykeen: my daughter loves dresses too but like you said they aren't always practical. For school i make her wear pants. If she wears a dress to school its over pants/leggings. You just have to set the rules. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806778 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 16:13:11 +0000 shabang 2806778@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter's been like this since she was 2, ditto to the twirly part. She thinks dresses are fun and says she feels good in them, so who am I to say otherwise? (always leggings, tights, or shorts under them, and there's never been an activity she can't do in a dress) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806741 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 14:27:50 +0000 peachykeen 2806741@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ms.Mermaid: Ha - peplum shirts are also our only compromise! It's still difficult to convince her though :happy: </p> <p>@Mrs D: Love all of those brands! Only the Hanna dresses seem to pass her twirl test, which is sad because I love the Tea ones and the Primary fabric is so nice! </p> <p>From what she tells me I think a little bit is coming from school. There are several girls who wear pants but there is a group that wears dresses every. single. day. and I think they "twirl" together and play Anna &amp; Elsa and unfortunately some of the girls are already pretty catty at 3/4 years old :sad: And DD1 is very sensitive.</p> <p>One thing that does work in my favor a bit is that she likes to match DD2 (7 months) but she's getting to where she'll insist DD2 wears a dress (not that I give in) rather than acquiescing to a similar outfit. </p> <p>I guess I better just save myself the headache and stay away from the cute short options for summer. With my luck, she'll change her mind after I switch my buying totally to dresses, right? :wink: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806727 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 13:16:21 +0000 PinkElephant 2806727@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ditto what @yoursilverlining: said. My almost 4 and almost 6 year olds will only wear dresses. It's not coming from school, because I'm in their school a lot and often they'll be the only child or one of only two or three children wearing dresses. My girls also prefer HA twirl or fizzy/swish dresses, or the Boden party tutu dresses, so we're not even talking casual play dresses! And the older one doesn't have particularly stylish fashion sense - so it's a hot mess of colors and patterns for her. The little one curates some pretty amazing &amp; stylish combinations of tights, socks, sweaters, skirts, and dresses - I love it. It's a little annoying, but it's also kind of cute. Personally, I've just stopped buying separates for now (they do wear leggings under the dresses when it's cold) and I'm enjoying it. I figure at least the dresses aren't offensive - I know I'm on borrowed time until they (particularly the 4-year-old fashonista) discover stores like Justice and The Children's Place and want to wear the styles the tweens/teens are wearing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806708 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 12:08:32 +0000 Anagram 2806708@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My second DD is like this--she wants a dress, and a twirly dress, every single day. DD1 is not like this at all--she doesn't really care what she wears, and my husband dresses her 95% of the time and in the most random combinations.</p> <p>My DD2 is only 2.5, so I don't think she's hearing this at daycare--she's just decided that she only likes dresses. We usually indulge her--fewer battles over clothes are better, for me. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806684 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 11:21:00 +0000 Ms.Mermaid 2806684@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Can you convince her that a peplum shirt is a dress? That’s our compromise. Though I rarely find that dresses are not practical as long as they have leggings under them. The primary ones have good twirl and hold up to playground and other use. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806683 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 11:20:11 +0000 Mrs D 2806683@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD is 4.5 now and very similar. Always wants to wear dresses. So - I have somewhat given in. She knows she has to wear something under them (little boy shorts, leggings, tights, etc).</p> <p>I buy a lot of solids from Primary, tights from Hanna Andersen and tunics from Tea Collection (which DD views as twirly dresses). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806681 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 11:12:22 +0000 babypugs 2806681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My DD went through this stage at that age, and it totally passed! I just bought a whole bunch of super cheap fancy (and totally hideous, in my opinion...) dresses from Goodwill, paired them with bike shorts, shrugged my shoulders, and pretty much let her wear and tear them. Within a few months she was happy to wear casual clothes again. :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806679 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 10:59:17 +0000 snarkybiochemist 2806679@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@peachykeen: Not super helpful, but I was this kid growing up I hated jeans and would only tolerate leggings but I preferred dresses and skirts. I also liked to match and look pretty. I totally grew out of it sometime in elementary school. My mom tells me that she tried to limit the times when I had to wear pants and otherwise tried to compromise with leggins or shorts under a dress if needed. She also found that having me pick out my clothes at the store helped some, I was more likely to wear a non-dress/skirt option if I picked it and liked it, not sure how well this will go with a 3.5 yr old but it might help. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806675 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 10:43:51 +0000 yoursilverlining 2806675@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My daughter is 5.5 and will only wear dresses, though she does wear pants under them almost every day (we're in New England, so she has little choice lol). </p> <p>I don't know about your LO's school, but most of the girls in both my LO's preschool and now Kinder don't wear dresses; so I doubt that she is hearing messages about having to wear dresses to be pretty. </p> <p>I wear dresses almost every day to work, so I've also wondered if LO picks up cues from me or wants to wear dresses because I do. I don't know....I don't have answers except to say that my LO is the same and has been for years and shows no signs of stopping! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/little-girls-and-dresses#post-2806673 Wed, 28 Feb 2018 10:40:25 +0000 peachykeen 2806673@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DD1 is 3.5 and refuses to wear anything but dresses (and they have to be "twirly" dresses - she sets a high bar for this!) I generally just accommodate her but there are occasions where dresses aren't practical. She tells me "but that's not PRETTY" or "but I won't look nice" and often cries and it kind of breaks my heart thinking she is hearing this from other girls. I have lots of talks with her and try to balance any "you look so cute" comments with other non-image-related compliments and if she ever does wear pants I make sure she hears when other people compliment her on them. </p> <p>Do they grow out of this? Should I just quit buying her any pants? Help :sad: </p>