Dressing Siblings in Matching Outfits

Jennifer - posted on 01/18/2012

I'd have literally died had my mom done that to me! But my two youngest girls do it on their own every once in awhile. It can be cute, and I don't stop them, but I usually roll my eyes! They are 10 and 7, and look NOTHING alike, so it gets alot of chuckles.

Samantha - posted on 01/18/2012

It's cute, but after they get to about elementary school age they should be picking out their own outfits....I think it makes the mom look controlling.

Susanne - posted on 11/27/2010

I did it with my oldest two (18 months apart) until they were about 6. The only time all my kids have dressed the same since then is when we went to a wedding and they all had to wear matching suits. Oh and school uniform of course, forgot that. So really i dress them in matching outfits every day to go to school pmsl.

Krista - posted on 11/27/2010

I saw twin girls yesterday at the grocery store. They were both wearing plaid jackets with a gray hoodie underneath, red sweatpants and sneakers.

They were probably about 50.

I just about shit myself.

I do think that kids should be able to wear whatever pleases them, as long as it is decent and weather-appropriate. Why not? It doesn't hurt anybody if they're wearing mismatched socks or a tutu with rubber boots (hell, if I could get away with it, I'D wear a tutu with rubber boots -- it sounds like fun!)

Kathy - posted on 11/27/2010

No! No! No! They're individuals, with their own personalities. It doesn't even look cute when they're babies.

When my daughter's twin girls were born, everyone assumedhe was going to put them in identical outfits (even though they're not identical.) But she insisted they are 2 separate individuals, not 2 peas in a pod.

Amanda - posted on 11/26/2010

I have 4 children. My son is my oldest and he's almost 7. Than I have 3 daughters ages 4, almost 3 and almost 2. I tend to dress my 2 youngest alike most of the time. I think it's cute having matching outfits for siblings! People constantly ask if they're twins. I'm like no they just look so darn cute dressed alike! I don't mean alike down to shoes and hair, but maybe the same shirt with different pants and shoes and one will have ponytail while the other has pigtails. I think it's cute when they're young but I agree that once they get older maybe for pictures but not everyday!

Kelly - posted on 10/07/2010

I think its ok when they or itttle, or if they like it, but not when they cleary do not want to. I have five kids, I while I dont dress them alike, I tend to put them all in same color (or color family) when we go out, just makes it easier to keep track of them, esp at the park.

Sally - posted on 10/07/2010

It can be cute when they are little. Even big, it can be cute for special occasions. BUT once the kids are big enough to make their own choices you shouldn't force them into it. My girls are far enough apart in age that I can't buy them matching clothes. The pattern my six year old chose comes in a wide enough size range that she and her baby sister will have motching wool jumpers for Chistmas this year, but probably won't wear the same things under them.

Mylene - posted on 10/04/2010

I think children should be able to choose what they want to wear. If the kids choose to match, then it's their choice but i would not dress my kids in matching outfits unless it is for a special occasion and the kids agree to it (past 2 years old or so).

I think kids need to learn making their own decisions early on (within limits of course). It teaches them that they can be themselves and have choices of their own. If they want to match fine, if they don't fine.

Danielle - posted on 10/02/2010

I agree with most that if the children want to wear matching outfits that fine...and it's even fine to have it done for certain situations (such as a family picture or buying the same shirt when you go somewhere special if both kids like it or its just too darn cute for younger children) However, my rant is when a certain person in my family buys the 3 boys the same outfit and 2 girls the same outfit that typically have the same theme! These kids range from 3 months to 5 years and it drives me NUTS! Each family has different tastes and so do the kids. For example, she bought my son (and the other 2 boys) green shirts w/ brown moneys on them and brown pants and bought the girls pink shirts w/ brown monkeys and brown pants...grrrr! My husband and I are more country/rural than the other families (who all live in the city and try to buy the "popular" clothes for their kids). I actually liked the monkey outfit on my son, but it annoyed me that the urbanized families shuned them and that it doesn't show any of the kids personalities (personally my son doesn't like monkey stuffed toys lol). Also I don't think the person realizes that the clothes they buy aren't the best suited for a 1 yr old that enjoys being outside in the dirt (for example, white tennis shoes of which I STILL haven't gotten the "brown" out of). Maybe I'm being ungrateful, but...

Sherri - posted on 10/02/2010

Well Lyndsay I never forced it on my kids they chose to wear the same thing when my 12 & 13 yr old were little. They would cry if I hadn't bought two of the same outfit. They wanted to dress the same until they were in Elementary School. Even now my 12 yr old loves to get the same shirts and outfits as my 4 yr old. It is there choice. When we went school shopping this year my 12 & 4yr old probably got 3 shirts that were exactly the same just different sizes.

Lyndsay - posted on 10/02/2010

I don't think matching outfits for siblings is cute even when they're little. I mean, maybe if the outfits were different colours... but the EXACT same? Where's the individuality? Even young children are individuals.

Jennifer - posted on 10/02/2010

I think if the kids are the ones that want to dress alike there's no harm in it.
But I don't understand why mom's force it on children that are older than about 5. My mom on occasion would do this to me and my 2 younger sisters.
As the oldest I can tell you I HATED it. At 6+ there was no way I wanted to wear baby clothes! Which I thought was anything that matched what the baby wore lol.

Fiona - posted on 09/30/2010

I'm not a fan of matching outfits for siblings at all. Not even on 'young' children or for 'special' photos. But then I am not a fan of set-up style photos or staged portrait photos either. I prefer relaxed, natural shots that capture a person's real personality and character. I can see why people choose matching outfits for their kids, but I would never do it, it is too cutesy for me and like Loureen said, I think that dress sense is an important part of self-expression.



I used to work in a bakery and one of our regular customers was Alannah Hill ( a relatively famous Australian fashion/lingerie designer); I loved that whenever we saw her with her son, he was almost always dressed as if he chose his own outfits: spiderman suit with gumboots? no problem-o, painting smock over a pair of stripy tights, sure thing! etc... And this was on Chapel Street (Melbourne) a busy, trendy, fashionista area, where all the pretty young things would doll up and parade their fashion sense up and down and she would have been recognize on a daily, probably hourly basis there. She may have been a crazy, fashion orientated woman herself but I loved that she let her son just be a child and feel free to express himself like that regardless of 'appearances'.

Beck - posted on 09/30/2010

oh my gosh I am guilty of buying matching outfits for siblings:) Just today I bought 2 dresses for each of my two girls, 16 months and 2 and a half and they are the same but different colours or slightly different patterns. I think it's cute but they won't always be like it. They are for certain two very different little girls and like I think Theresa said in an earlier post when you don't have much money and are restricted a bit to certain shops you tend to find something and stick to it :) I won't always have them dressed in those things at the same time, but they do have stuff the same

Jennifer - posted on 09/28/2010

My parents bought some matching outifts for my sister and I and I agree it was a 90s thing. I was born in 1990, my sister in 1986. I think it's quite cute but once the child is old enough to decide what they want to wear they should be able to in order to develop and express their own personality =]

Stifler's - posted on 09/27/2010

People did it a lot more in the 90's I have lots of pics of me and my sister wearing the same things. It's not a big deal. But when they get old enough they shouldn't have to wear the same stuff as their siblings if they don't want to.

Cat - posted on 09/27/2010

My fraternal girls are two and a half, and rarely ever dressed identically... Special occasions or pictures only, for example I ordered them matching Christmas dresses... Even though they're twins it never occurred to me to dress them identically, although for saving money, I have done the same as Teresa and bought same style but different colors for them... Recently they've started having opinions about what they wear,and I really encourage it, I think it's great when kids get to express themselves through clothing choices, it makes them feel grownup lol

Jocelyn - posted on 09/27/2010

Hell no! Similar or coordinated? Yes that's fine (for photos of something) but exactly the same? God no. But I am also a big believer in letting kids dress themselves (for the most part, I've got the veto for special occasions)

Sherri - posted on 09/26/2010

No my kids don't wear uniforms. I mean there own regular clothing.

Charlie - posted on 09/26/2010

Do you mean picking their uniform Sherri ?? i understand having to wear a uniform but there is nothing cuter than a 4 year old dressed in gumboots , a life vest and a superhero cape because " i like it " .

Amber - posted on 09/26/2010

I only have one child right now. But I don't think siblings should always be wearing the same thing as each other. They need to be able to show their own personality.
@Anika~ I would say that it probably was a holiday/tourist thing. I rarely see parents dressing their children alike where I am. I let my almost 4 year old pick out his own shirt and then help him pick out pants that go with it, or vice versa.
We always color coordinate for family pictures, but not matching outfits. Although, my son did find a tie in his and his daddy's size and begged to "look like daddy". How do you say no to that? lol
I do find myself wearing the same color as my SO all the time; not on purpose though. We get ready in separate bathrooms, and I'll walk out and he has on the same color as me. Five years later it's still happening. I'm really not sure why.

Sherri - posted on 09/26/2010

Funny Loreen I didn't allow my kids to pick out school clothing till they were going into 3 and 4 grade and even then they only had a few options to choose from that I would first deem appropriate. My kids are also not allowed out of the house unless they match, no stains, no tares. That goes for my teenagers as well as my toddler.

Charlie - posted on 09/26/2010

I think kids should choose their own outfits no matter how outlandish they are , choosing outfits is cute for going somewhere special but i think clothing is an important part of self expression even as a child , two children dressed the same UGH ! embarrassing i see photos of my cousin and i dressed the same and cringe 0_O

Alli - posted on 09/26/2010

I love it! I have 4 kids ages 7-2 and one more on the way. There is no better way to keep track of the group than to have them all wearing the same color. Sometimes we go out to eat with another family, its easy to say "split the check please, my kids are in blue". They don't dress the same daily - just the occasional outing.

Barb - posted on 09/26/2010

My mom did it to us once, my two older brothers wore brown corduroy pants and orange floral shirts and i had on a brown corduroy pinafore with a matching orange floral shirts. I stayed clean long enough to have it taken forever into evidence then went out and played in the mud and lake, of course ruining the outfit. Parents divorced shortly afterwards and we were poor so after that i got my older brother's hand me downs, needless to say, we only matched because we were all wearing jeans and t-shirts.

I do have twin nieces and they were dressed alike until around 6 or so. I would always buy them same style but different color. around teenage years they developed their own style and now never dress alike although they do borrow eachother's clothes. and yes, i do recall them doing what Teresa's kids did. They would even switch classes, like if Jackie was better at math and Jessie was better at english, Jackie would go to Jessie's math class and jessie would go to Jackie's english class. They got busted for it but just like detention for a few days. nothing serious.

April - posted on 09/24/2010

are they religious? sometimes people in large families, religious families or large and religious tend to dress everyone alike because it's part of their religion/way of life. I'm sure you've heard of the Duggars.

I agree that it is cute when they are little...BUT I don't see anything wrong with older siblings dressing alike. I wouldn't do it for my family, but it's none of my business either how other people wish to dress their families.

Elisabeth - posted on 09/24/2010

Guilty! i have three outfits that match, however my girls are 11 mo and 2.5 yo. When they get a bit older I won't dress them the same.

Dawn - posted on 09/23/2010

Cute when they are younger, for family pictures, or if the children choose to. Creepy if they are older and the parents are forcing the issue!

Sapphire - posted on 09/23/2010

With the 2 1/2 girl twins I know, one of the middl enames is "Star" so she usually wears tiny star shaped earrings, or a shirt with a star on it. Actually, she happens to have a A LOT of star shirts! Both girls wear bracelets with their name on it too so I can tell them apart quickly. I do think matching outfits are darling for family pics, holidays, and even as an easy eye target while in heavily populated vacation places. But for day to day, I'm not a fan of it. But if the kids are older and request to look the same, I guess it's their choice!

Amanda - posted on 09/23/2010

I do not dress my girls in the same outfits all of the time but on special occasions i will buy them the same outfit in different colors like for photos, christmas, easter etc. They are only 3 and 1 though and my oldest thinks it is so cool for her baby sister to look like her. I have been guilty on occasion of buying the same outfit for them for everyday BUT only if i really love it and they hardly ever wear them on the same day.

Sherri - posted on 09/23/2010

I have two friends with twins 1 set was a boy/girl set and they were always dressed alike if one wore a red shirt and shorts so did the other. Then the other set is girl/girl twins never dressed alike and I hate it. So annoying!

Shannon - posted on 09/23/2010

I agree.. Once the kids reach a certain age they should be allowed to dress how they want. We have a set of twin boys (6 yrs old) in our church & I've never seen them dress differently. Nobody can tell the difference between them because of it. Annoying!

Joanna - posted on 09/22/2010

I had my best friend make matching outfits for my 3 year old and my baby that's due in a couple weeks, for the first family pictures. They aren't the same, but they are matching fabrics. And Then I got some exact matching outfits for some pictures that'll be in about 6 months. Other than that I have the big sister/little sister shirts, and then some Target shirts that have owls on them. That's as far as I've gone with matching. I think it's cute now that they are 3 and newborn, something fun to do on occasion. I think as the child gets older though they need to have a say in their wardrobe, and if they want to match, fine, but if they don't, I'd hate to see the parents force them just because they think it's cute.

Sherri - posted on 09/22/2010

I loved it when my two older boys were younger. I love looking back through old photos and seeing there matching outfits. So much easier when you are shopping also to just grab 2 of something that you love then to have to search for different outfits for each child.

Anika - posted on 09/22/2010

@Teresa - ah, got ya. :)

Brittanie - posted on 09/22/2010

I do not like dressing my kids in teh exact same outfits, but for Christmas or family pictures I like to have them all in outfits that compliment eachother. Similar style or colors. I have 3 boys and one girl and find it looks nice for occasions that we will be taking a lot of pictures or having them taken professionally. The Children's place actually caters to this by offering complimentary pieces for boys and girls of all different ages.

Candi - posted on 09/22/2010

@Anika, we see a lot of newlyweds that dress the same. I'm not sure if they are trying to say "look at us" or "keep away, he's mine" or something like that. My husband and I find it dorky. My uncle used to dress his whole family in matching shirts when they went on holiday(vacation). I guess that made it easier to keep up with them. My family and I got recruited to be in the National Memorial Day parade in washington DC and we all got T-shirts. My husband and I poked fun at ourselves for having matching shirts! My 10 yr old does try to be a little 'motherly' toward my 5 yr old and a lot of times they will pick out matching clothes for church. It makes my 5 yr old feel older b/c she's dressing like my 10 yr old. and like I mentioned before, for Easter we did the matching outfits. It loooks so nice in pictures. As they get older, its hard to find similar styles in such different sizes. Its kind of funny though. Just by looking at my girls, you'd never guess they were sisters. they look nothing alike!

Good Day! - posted on 09/22/2010

Here the "boutique-y" clothes are popular for boys and girls. I think it's a Southern thing. It drives me nuts when I see a poor little boy in smocked john johns that match his sister's smocked dress. And then the moms add the long socks and leather shoes. Sissy.



As far as girls wearing the same dress (or boys wearing the same t-shirt) sure. I'll do it if this next baby is a girl, especially for special occasions. When Eliza gets older, I'll let her chose and co-ordinate her younger sister (if we have a girl) to her (but not match) for special occasions like Easter and Christmas or weddings. If this baby is a boy, I'll most likely coordinate the colors for special occasions.



But for everyday, no.

Teresa - posted on 09/22/2010

It didn't HAVE to be and it wasn't always, but when you don't have much money, only shop at sparsely stocked Walmarts and Kmarts, and find something CUTE... you work w/ it. ;)

Anika - posted on 09/22/2010

I've had this conversation before with people. To me, I find it creepy to have matching outfits for siblings. If the children choose to do it, well, that's totally fine, but I don't understand parents who do it. Teresa, your example kind of makes sense to me. The colour coding for identification makes sense but why did it have to be a similar style too?

And please correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems to be quite an American phenomenon. I have seen it occasionally here in NZ ( I even have a friend who said she'd do it) but when we're been to America, this is one of the things that has really jumped out at us. Even adults appeared to dress the same (not all obviously but a lot more than you'd see in other countries). Can someone explain it to me? Do you just think it looks cute or is it something more? Or maybe this is just something some people like to do on holiday and hence, because I've been on holiday too and mostly at touristy places I've noticed it but wouldn't necessarily if I was out in the 'real' USA? Does that make sense? :)

Sherri - posted on 09/22/2010

My older two are 18mo's apart and insisted they dressed alike all the time when they were younger until they got to elementary school. It stopped maybe around 1st grade for the youngest and 2nd grade for the oldest. However, my middle son who is now 12 likes to get the same shirts as my 4 yr old. They love to look alike. I never pushed it but when we go clothes shopping they will run for there sizes and 9 times out of 10 they will come back with the same shirt in there sizes. They both wore identical outfits for Easter, Fourth of July and have several of the same school shirts even though they don't even attend the same school.

Teresa - posted on 09/22/2010

As a mom of identical twins.... I bought most of their outfits in same style/different color and had them wear those outfits on the same day quite often. 2 reasons: Most of my friends knew I 'color coded' them, so they were easier to identify and also so that if they were far away from me I would know who was who. We also bought a lot of non matching outfits and they also received hand-me-downs from people, so they certainly weren't always matching.

Now.... they are almost 9 and in the 4th grade and if I take them shopping... they 'make' me buy EVERYTHING identical... not even in different colors. They have several things that they call their 'same-y clothes' and they like to wear them on the same day and mess w/ people's heads ALL THE TIME! ;)

Candi - posted on 09/22/2010

some people just take it a little too far. I dressed my girls alike for 2 Easters. They are 5 yrs apart. For Easter I will also try to get my son's shirt to match. I also tend to dress my girls alike when we go somewhere like Busch Gardens. It just makes it easier to keep an eye on them. They each hve their own style and I let them wear what they want usually, as long as its appropriate!

Caitlin - posted on 09/22/2010

I dressed my kids in the same things on occasion.. For instance, this summer, I bought 2 "My sister is my BFF" shirts for my girls, but they only wore them at the same time twice, otherwise, it just became a part of regular wardrobe.

I think it's important when they are older (like over 3 or 4) to let them choose what they want to wear, even if they are twins, because it gives them a sense of being individuals, not just a pair and all kids have their own personalities. If they chose to wear the same thing, why not?

Amanda - posted on 11/26/2010

I have 4 children. My son is my oldest and he's almost 7. Than I have 3 daughters ages 4, almost 3 and almost 2. I tend to dress my 2 youngest alike most of the time. I think it's cute having matching outfits for siblings! People constantly ask if they're twins. I'm like no they just look so darn cute dressed alike! I don't mean alike down to shoes and hair, but maybe the same shirt with different pants and shoes and one will have ponytail while the other has pigtails. I think it's cute when they're young but I agree that once they get older maybe for pictures but not everyday!

Lyndsay - posted on 10/02/2010

I don't think matching outfits for siblings is cute even when they're little. I mean, maybe if the outfits were different colours... but the EXACT same? Where's the individuality? Even young children are individuals.

Fiona - posted on 09/30/2010

I'm not a fan of matching outfits for siblings at all. Not even on 'young' children or for 'special' photos. But then I am not a fan of set-up style photos or staged portrait photos either. I prefer relaxed, natural shots that capture a person's real personality and character. I can see why people choose matching outfits for their kids, but I would never do it, it is too cutesy for me and like Loureen said, I think that dress sense is an important part of self-expression.



I used to work in a bakery and one of our regular customers was Alannah Hill ( a relatively famous Australian fashion/lingerie designer); I loved that whenever we saw her with her son, he was almost always dressed as if he chose his own outfits: spiderman suit with gumboots? no problem-o, painting smock over a pair of stripy tights, sure thing! etc... And this was on Chapel Street (Melbourne) a busy, trendy, fashionista area, where all the pretty young things would doll up and parade their fashion sense up and down and she would have been recognize on a daily, probably hourly basis there. She may have been a crazy, fashion orientated woman herself but I loved that she let her son just be a child and feel free to express himself like that regardless of 'appearances'.

Beck - posted on 09/30/2010

oh my gosh I am guilty of buying matching outfits for siblings:) Just today I bought 2 dresses for each of my two girls, 16 months and 2 and a half and they are the same but different colours or slightly different patterns. I think it's cute but they won't always be like it. They are for certain two very different little girls and like I think Theresa said in an earlier post when you don't have much money and are restricted a bit to certain shops you tend to find something and stick to it :) I won't always have them dressed in those things at the same time, but they do have stuff the same

Anika - posted on 09/22/2010

I've had this conversation before with people. To me, I find it creepy to have matching outfits for siblings. If the children choose to do it, well, that's totally fine, but I don't understand parents who do it. Teresa, your example kind of makes sense to me. The colour coding for identification makes sense but why did it have to be a similar style too?

And please correct me if I'm wrong, but this seems to be quite an American phenomenon. I have seen it occasionally here in NZ ( I even have a friend who said she'd do it) but when we're been to America, this is one of the things that has really jumped out at us. Even adults appeared to dress the same (not all obviously but a lot more than you'd see in other countries). Can someone explain it to me? Do you just think it looks cute or is it something more? Or maybe this is just something some people like to do on holiday and hence, because I've been on holiday too and mostly at touristy places I've noticed it but wouldn't necessarily if I was out in the 'real' USA? Does that make sense? :)