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To Pink It and Shrink It…Or Not

There was a concept I learned about while at Spanx, one that companies like Under Armour were trying to get away from: Pink It and Shrink It. Essentially, it meant that for a long time, women’s athletic apparel was just a smaller, pinker version of the men’s. Spanx, of course, was and is ultra-focused on fitting each garment to perfection, making sure it makes sense for the actual consumer (one of Sara’s favorite stories to tell is that when she first went to hosiery mills to try and get them to make her product, they were fitting garments on mannequins. “Ask her how she feels,” became her rallying cry of sorts.). I digress. I’ve been thinking a lot about personal style as it relates to “pinking and shrinking” but not necessarily in the way of sizing. I’ve been asking myself a lot lately: Is Elle’s wardrobe just a shrunken version of my own?

Mommy and Me Style

I’ve come to the conclusion that there are certain guardrails I’ve established for my own wardrobe, and those are being mirrored in the closet of my mini. We favor neutrals, florals, denim or chambray and the occasional leopard or black piece. Color really doesn’t have a place but for, perhaps, a shoe or purse (or bow, in Elle’s case). I realized that while I wouldn’t choose the matchy matchy look, it’s likely because the brands that offer Mommy and Me outfits also happen to be those that are filled with bright colors and prints, which I don’t tend to wear on my own. If a brand like Tocoto Vintage (one of my favorites for Elle) made clothes in my size, I would probably jump for joy (and pick complementing styles…twinning at this stage may be a bit much). Thinking of it from big to little, J.Crew now makes most of their clothes in size xxx-Small, so perhaps once Elle’s in elementary school she will, in fact, start wearing some of the same styles as me (Riley of Little Lux gave me this tip, by the way).

All in All

I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way on the Mommy and Me conversation since everyone’s personal style is just that…personal. If you want to take a look at the ways we’re coordinating this season, I’ve linked a few pieces I’m loving below.