The Point of Dressing your Kid Well
Last year we visited my Mom in Boulder, Colorado. She whipped out the old slide projector (an indication of someone's era) and loaded up the old slides of my sister and me. Since these were pictures of little kids in the early seventies, you can imagine what kind of hilarity ensued. Since my parents were quasi-hippies, of course I had the rainbow-striped long pants. Comical. Colorful. But not Classic.
I don't mind seeing myself in a funny get-up. Or dealing with the mockery. I can even join in. But where's the picture of me looking stylish? The main argument against spending the money for nice kid clothes, smocked or otherwise, is that the kids grow out of them so easily. Much better to buy some cheap clothes, hand them down once and then send them off to the landfill (the clothes, not the kids).
My answer to this argument is that, yes, kids grow out of them fast. But a PICTURE can last forever (for better, or worse in my case). On top of that, if the clothes are made well, not only will it last for the sibling or neice/nephew but also for the grandkids. How many times have I heard of would-be Grandmother's stashing the smocked clothes in a trunk in anticipation of breaking them out at the right time for their new grandkid? All the time.
My point is that you can have the cheap chain-store duds for the kids, nothing wrong with that. But like eating cheap burgers, it is not something you should do all the time. For those special moments (to be captured for eternity) go for the classic clothing and the kids may get big but you'll always have visual photographic proof. With luck it won't be in a slide-show.
