Do You Dress Your Children Alike?

Updated on June 01, 2011
C.S. asks from Carmi, IL
29 answers

I'm just wondering because I have 3 daughters, two of which are twins. I like to dress all the girls in similar styles and colors, but differently. I've encountered several people who find it odd/are surprised that the girls, mainly the two little girls, don't wear the exact same thing. One time a lady asked if they were twins, I told her yes and she said she asked because she wasn't sure since they had on different outfits. I found her rationale silly, but whatever. Other times when people have seen them or seen their photos they seem surprised that the girls are wearing different clothes.
Anyway, I know there is no right or wrong way for this, I'm just curious.

Do you dress your children of the same gender in identical outfits? Why or why not?
**ETA: The girls are ages 6, 2 & 2.

1 mom found this helpful

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

:)

Featured Answers

A.W.

answers from Kalamazoo on

I don't have twins, but I don't think they should be dressed the same, at least not all of the time. I have a boy and a girl and the ONLY time I dress them kinda the same is when we go somewhere crowded like the zoo. I dress them both in bright orange shirts so I could find them if they got lost!

4 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.C.

answers from Minneapolis on

My Aunt dressed her twin boys alike and it was a nightmare when babysitting them as if I had to change one, I had to change the other (this continued into grade school when they requested dressing alike because that is they way it had always been done). I also had to remember which color each was wearing so I could tell who was who from behind in case I needed to get their attention quickly (I could tell them apart from the front, but from behind they looked identical when they were younger now). I found the whole thing quite a hassle. Frankly, as a parent I'm feeling pretty good if the kids' clothes are clean and they match themselves. =)

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.!.

answers from Los Angeles on

I am attending a wedding in 2 weeks with my neice and 2 daughters. The older girls saw a dress they both fell in love with and asked if they could match. Just by chance they had the same dress in infant size as well. So we will be attending the wedding with the 3 girls all in the same dress and they are as excited as could be. Its their choice so I am fine with it. I would not force it on them tho.

3 moms found this helpful

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.L.

answers from Chicago on

I am an identical twin and hated being dressed alike!!! It is one thing to do the same thing in different colors but the exact same thing...drove me nuts...My mom stopped when we told her we didn't like it. Unless you are doing some type of photo or theme for a party etc.....dress them separately please LOL! I sure appreciated it.....

5 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B..

answers from Dallas on

OK...I only have one child...but I would never. I think kids deserve to have their own identity.

5 moms found this helpful

T.K.

answers from Dallas on

no I do not.
coordinating in style and color for pictures, but never matching.
that conjures images of 70s family variety shows for me! yuck.
Buying differant clothes doubles thier wardrobe because they can alter who wears what on each day. However, when I find a sale on something that's too good to pass up, I might buy it in every color. Coats often end up being very similar because I'll catch one style on deep discount and buy 2 of them but I try not to let them wear them at the same time. I don't know any twins that talk fondly about thier parents dressing them alike when they were young.

I also hate to see bffs wearing the same thing. It always flatters one girl more than the other. On her own merit, she would look just fine in the outfit - but put next to her slimmer, prettier friend, she's going to lose the who wore it best battle every time.

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.K.

answers from Dallas on

To match or not to match. Everyone seems to feel our twin girls should match. When they were babies I would find similar outfits in different colors to help people tell them apart. When they started having an opinion on how they wanted to dress, I began letting them decide whether not they would match. They are 5 and when we are shopping, if they like the same outfit I will get two of them. Sometimes they wear them on the same day but usually they don't. Every night they pick out what they will wear the next day and I will hear them discussing it. Occasionally, they will say to each other, let's dress like twins. I just let them decide. I think it is silly for people to get annoyed when kids match but then again I get annoyed when I see moms dressing their little girls in ultra short skirts and shorts. Everyone has an opinion! :)

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.M.

answers from Washington DC on

I have two children - 7 and 3 year old girls. I TRY to dress them alike occasionally (either coordinateing or matching)!! Just for fun and some cute pictures. More times than not, they want nothing to do with it. Or one of them doesn't like the outfits that match.

If I had twins, I would probably err on the side of trying to not dress them alike. However, I think it's fine to have those few cute matching pictures if they don't mind it.

I would find it weird if I saw twins or other siblings ALWAYS matching! Besides, past 16 months or so, my kids wanted to pick their own outfits!!

3 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

V.S.

answers from Harrisburg on

I have three boys and I only dress them similar for things like holidays and photos-and by similar its usually a polo shirt and khakis.

I find it hard to get clothing with their sizes that match because my boys are 8, 3 and 1. I can uaully only match up the older two or younger two because there isn't much in between hence going for the khakis and polo shirts.

I don't think its wrong if you have twins you don't dress alike. I know a set of twins who never dressed alike, in fact they hated being referred to as the twins. They are two seperate individuals and wanted to be treated as such. Fair enough!

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.P.

answers from Chicago on

I have 2 girls, ages 6 and 3. I like to dress them in coordinated clothes like different dresses in the same colors OR the same shirt/dress in different colors, but not every day. I don't think that twins need to be dressed alike all the time- they are each their own person and could have different tastes and personalities as they grow up. While they are young, I think it's nice for siblings to wear coordinated (but maybe not identical) outfits on special days, but certainly not all the time!

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.O.

answers from Harrisburg on

It's cute, but certainly not necessary to dress them alike. They might look alike outwardly, but they are different people inwardly.

2 moms found this helpful

D.D.

answers from Pittsburgh on

When out and about, I "try" to dress the kiddos in the same color. That way if one goes missing, I can recall what they were wearing. Or at least remember the color.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.G.

answers from Albuquerque on

I have boy/girl twins. Sometimes I dress them in similar outfits and other days their outfits are complete opposite. I think even if they were the same sex i would still dress them alike somedays and other days not.
When I do dress them alike, it is because I really like the outfit or that they look cute dressed like each other. I disagree with bug, I dont think dressing them the same changes who they are at all.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.D.

answers from Minneapolis on

I have identical twin girls and I like to dress them the same (they are almost 6 years old) and I will buy things that are the same and let them pick out what they want to where, today they wanted to dress like twins :)

People can be rude especially out in public. I couldn't believe the questions that people have the balls to ask (the rudest was did you use fertility drugs?). Even if the girls are dressed alike people will ask if they are twins, or where they born on the same day? After a while it just gets annoying and kinda nutty I tell you. The best was, when they were babies I had to go to the store and get some things and the girls were in a double stroller, all decked out in pink and there was this one guy who asked so are they twins? I said yes, then he asked are they identical? I again said yes and then he goes oh so you have a boy and a girl - OMG people!! Okay rant over.....

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.S.

answers from San Diego on

I always find it a bit odd when people do dress their kids alike. I think that they have their own personality and that they should be dressed differently. I have 3 Nieces (husbands side) that the mom dresses them in all the same outfits. they are aged 3-9. I don't think it's fair personally to do that. Kuddos to you for acknowledging their individuality.

2 moms found this helpful

M.P.

answers from Sacramento on

I have bought the same outfit for my 2 girls that are a year apart, but I don't put them on them at the same time......

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.L.

answers from Colorado Springs on

My first thought in response had nothing to do with twins. Long ago, my own mother had a friend, a sweet lady who had lovely clothes and wore almost every color except blue. She said once that her mother was convinced that blue was best for her, and EVERYTHING she wore as a child had to be blue. So when she grew up she never went near the color again.

I don't see why your twins can't wear non-identical outfits. Jane is Jane and Susan is Susan, even if they look like clones to the rest of the world. Do they ever ask you if they can dress alike?

My two girls were not twins but were close in age. Occasionally I dressed them alike when they were little - and occasionally they didn't mind. They looked darling, if I say so myself. It's not the style these days to do that - the trend now is to let children choose all their clothing for themselves.

I'm sort of in the middle about it. I liked the idea of my children (both girls and boys) being able to make choices most of the time, but I tried to make sure that their choices were good ones, and I tried to teach them about the differences between winter and summer clothing, what looks good together and why, and all that. It can be a good teaching opportunity without cramping anybody's style.

Oops - I need to make an exception to that. When a photography session was going to happen, then the children were told what to wear, and often they dressed alike, or were at least coordinated. But that comes under the heading of costuming.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

N.F.

answers from St. Louis on

I have twin boys that are two now and sometimes I put them in identical clothes and sometimes they are just similar (same color different style or same style different colors). My reasoning is mainly because I've had two families (one has twins and one does not) who have given me lots of hand-me-down clothes and it's almost to the point where I don't have to buy any clothes. So I'm happy to dress them this way. : )

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.W.

answers from Kansas City on

I have 3 daughters, currenty 8, 8 and 7 (so i also have twins) They are at the age now that are starting to pick out a lot of there own clothes and really don't prefer to match. When they were babies and toddlers, i would only dress them exactly the same if all three had the same outfit. When just dressing the twins sometimes they wore completely different outfits or the same outfit just in different colors. I didn't feel that the twins should always be the same, they are two different people, that is why I also didn't name them with really Matchy names. It irritated some of my relatives, especially my MIL, but they just had to live with it. Also, they times I would dress them identical were for pictures, etc. definitely not all the time and it was on rare occasion.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

T.J.

answers from Seattle on

No way, same as you. Similar but different. It's easier to spot them in public when they are wearing the same colors. But I think it's silly to be exactly matching, plus I know I can't barely find a pair of socks that matches in my house every day, let alone two or three of the same shirt! :)

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.G.

answers from Kansas City on

My boys are 12 and 9 and I still try to dress them in complimenting outfits. I try to plan when we go on vacation so that the boys have outfits that will look good together in photos.

We flew to Annapolis, MD a couple of years ago, just the boys and I. I put them in matching yellow and black polo type shirts so I wouldn't lose them in the airport! An older gentleman commented that he couldn't believe I dressed them alike.

You kiddos, your choice.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.S.

answers from Dallas on

I have two boys who are almost 3 years apart and I only dress them alike when my oldest wants too. He thinks it is fun. I say dress them alike of they want to or if they arent old enough then do it if you want too. Don't worry about what others think.

Congrats on 3 awesome girls.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.O.

answers from Sherman on

I dress mine in the same color when we go to public places, zoo, parks, etc..as so make them easier to spot, or special occasions. As far as every day, they pick their own clothes.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

B.S.

answers from Springfield on

When my 2 were younger I dressed them in similar but not identical clothes. I have a friend who had two girls close in age and she always dressed them in the same color, now she is raising her granddaughters and does the same. She says they are easier to keep up with - she only has to remember what todays color is!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

P.F.

answers from Dallas on

My girls are 27 month apart. When they were little I would dress them alike or coordinating for professional photos. Otherwise, they would not be dressed a like on purpose.

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.C.

answers from Kansas City on

I have an 8 yr. old son & 3 yr. old twin girls. I dress my girls like you do, similar yet different but rarely exactly the same. Buying things in twos, I don't feel like I can justify 2 of the exact same things all the time. I will dress them the same for some holidays & typically use those same outfits for yearly pictures. It's important to me that my girls don't feel like one person but realize they are 2 separate people & I guess I feel like dressing them as individuals is one way I can do that. Of course, now they like picking out their own outfit for the day so it doesn't matter if there are coordinating clothes in the closet or not. ;o)

1 mom found this helpful

D.H.

answers from Kansas City on

When my girls were little my mom purchased a lot of their outfits. She would get them matching or matching in different colors outfits. I would dress them alike every now and then. They are 14 months apart. People would ask if they were twins. What you are doing is fine. If you feel you want to dress them similar or exactly alike is your perogative. I said when I was trying to get pregnant that if I had twins I would dress them alike occassionally. That I would dress them identical every now and then. I pretty much did that with my girls anyway. I did it as long as I could, then they were too old and now are teens and dress totally different. More to their individual personalities. You will probably run into something similar when they are older and developing their own personalities. But then again, they may want to keep dressing similar for many years to come. I went to college with a set of twins who still dressed in the same outfits, just different colors. So you never know. They embraced being twins, but other twins I know, tried to be as different from each other as they could. Keep doing what you are doing and enjoy all three of your kids. Good luck and God Bless.

1 mom found this helpful

K.M.

answers from Chicago on

If I had twins... no, I would not dress them in the exact same, maybe something that coordinates for pictures. My neices that are 13 now have not worn the exact same outfit since they were 3 or 4 ... I think that is when it goes out the window.

1 mom found this helpful

S.A.

answers from Chicago on

I have a girl and two boys. For holidays, I dress them in coordinating outfits. I don't have the boys match exactly, but either the same pattern in different colors or sometimes I can find a sweater for one, and a matching sweater vest for the other. Then I just pick a dress for my daughter with the same colors. Other than holidays, I really don't. My boys sometimes have the same pair of shoes.

1 mom found this helpful
For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions