Why are ''mommy and me'' outfits so popular?
''Every woman becomes like their mother'' said Oscar Wilde.
While sisters (of all ages) have been wearing the same clothes for centuries, mother-daughter dressing didn’t catch on until the early 1900s.
The couturière Jeanne Lanvin launched the trend after giving birth to her only child, Marguerite, in 1897, at the then-advaced age of 30. Spotting a gap in the market, she debuted a high-end children’s line in 1908, using the same luxurious textiles and avant-garde styles that characterized her womenswear.
Marguerite served as her model and mini-me; the inseparable pair were often spotted parading around Paris in coordinating couture outfits.
The trend continued and intensified through World War II. The emphasis at this time was on the home front and having everyone do their part to aid in the war effort.
After that, the trend The trend remained dormant for decades, but is now making a big comeback. It’s common to see celebrities and their daughters wearing matching clothing. Simply look up the hashtag 'minime' and you're bound to be flooded with pictures of stylish parents in matching - or coordinated - outfits with their little ones.
Designers like Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci and the rebooted Lanvin are designing matching mother and daughter outfits that affluent families are buying.
Thus, why is it nowadays so popular?
There are many reasons:
It seems like one of the main reasons behind the popularity of the trend lies in the fact that it's not just about being stylish, but about being a bonding activity between parents and their children. If you're planning a day out or a family shoot, wearing coordinated looks is a lot of fun.
According to experts, matching mother-daughter outfits tend to come back in style when there’s a cultural emphasis on family and mother-daughter relationships. Matching styles may also be a sign of affluence, with moms having the budget to spend on more clothes.
Fatherly.com health/science/behavior:
''When Ruvio and her a team at Temple University surveyed 343 mothers-daughter pairs in 2011, they confirmed this suspicion with data. Mothers were asked about how much their daughters influenced their clothing and makeup purchases, and daughters were asked the same about their mothers. Results revealed that mothers mimicked daughters, but not the other way around. Unsurprisingly, daughters mostly wished moms would get their own look.
But it wasn’t just about bonding over shared tops, Ruvio found. “Mothers really respected the daughters’ opinions, and that part the girls really liked,” she says. Even when daughters were annoyed by their mothers’ mimicry, they still felt validated—imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Overall, it’s a good thing for the parent-child relationship.''
While the trend is very popular for ''mommy and me'' it is less a must with ''daddy and me''.
''It’s possible that fathers and sons engage in a similar level of outfit matching, but Ruvio predicts that the father would take the lead in these cases—Dads tend to teach their boys how to clean up good. She clarifies that when dads dress to match their kids for special occasions, that’s not the Consumer Doppelgänger Effect at work. “This type of matching is to show affiliation and a bond, but it’s not mimicking,”
Finally, among all the above we have to admit it is also very cute to see a mini-me pair.
Here are a few images of styles we love and carry:
