#1 Color-Coding for a Worry-Free Wardrobe

For growing girls, there’s nothing more precious to them than their best friend—except, maybe, their fashion choices. Whether it’s their closest classmate or little sister, little ones love to strut their stuff alongside their bestie—even the family kitty or pup can join in the glamor (with the right accessories, of course).

 

Not only is it incredibly fun for girls to coordinate their daily wardrobes with each other, it’s also a special bonding moment for the whole family. It’s timeless—from star-studded holiday ensembles to blushing Valentine’s Day attire.

 

By smartly synchronizing similar designs and styles, or simply browsing our sibling styles, your little one can choose anyone—dance partner, baby sister, newly adopted kitten—to be their “twin” year-round. 

#1 Color-Coding for a Worry-Free Wardrobe

If you’ve ever shied away from matching your kids’ outfits for fear of them being too “matchy-matchy,” color-coding each of their looks can create cohesiveness without duplicity. 

 

This entails assigning your girl her signature color and her sibling another, so, even when you buy them the same piece (or even the same entire outfit), one can rock it a pastel pink and the other can shine in yellow.

 

This way, the little ones can still enjoy the togetherness of matching sibling outfits without giving off Von Trapp family vibes. Styling your little ones in similar but unique outfits also allows your youngsters to express their individuality and personality while still showing off their friendship.

 

For wintertime, look for winter clothes for kids in jewel tones and similar textures to make for both cute and cozy style coordination. Try pairing girls in two of our Woven Luxe Smocked Ruffle Dresses, one in Rosewood and one in Spruce, as the temperatures dip down. These also make the perfect matching Christmas clothing, should there be festivities coming up on your calendar.

 

Stylist’s Tip: 

If you make this color code a general rule as you build your children’s wardrobes, you can make every morning a little brighter (and hassle-free!) with easy, casual color-coding. 

#2 Print Mixing for Siblings

Your sibling is your first best friend. Whether your little girls are performing a dance ensemble for the whole family or playing with chalk in the front yard, matching prints can keep each sister connected to the other. 

 

To cultivate each girl’s unique stye, you can incorporate the following into their closets: 

 

  • Matching motifs – When building matching outfits, try to find two outfits that share the same pattern or motif. Big sister can don a polka dot romper while baby sister wears a soft spotty one-piece, for example. Don’t be afraid to play with texture, too! Coordinating cable-knit sweaters or denim jeans/jackets is fantastic for matching sibling outfits, even if the clothes are in different styles or colors.

 

  • “Same but different” designs – Sure, two patterns might clash in the same outfit, but in separate ones for your favorite little humans? Absolutely adorable. Try pairing similar patterns of the same theme for multiple kids: autumnal plaid and orange-hued stripes, houndstooth and checkerboard, and tie-dye and ombré. With this technique, you won’t want to sacrifice florals in spring, either. Dress one daughter in dainty florals and the other in matching pastels.

 

Stylist’s Tip:

Lean into it! Patterns are such a quick way to add dimension and pizzazz to any look. And, if your little girl’s already a fan of matching with her siblings or friends, she definitely has the confident spirit for multiple bold patterns. 

 

As parents, we’ve all giggled at the outlandish outfits our kids have come up with as they first start to dress themselves, but, as long as they love the statement they’re making, it’s all the merrier to share the fun and match it with others.

#3 Focusing on Foundational Pieces for Friends

Any parent knows that setting plans with other parents can be difficult at times. Adults are busy and often run on completely different schedules. Getting your girls in matching best friend outfits might mean coordinating purchases or shopping times with other moms and fashion preferences with other children (and we know how unpredictable our kids can be sometimes). 

 

As a result, it’s not always guaranteed that you and another parent will buy an entirely identical outfit for your girls, but that doesn’t mean they can’t twin with one another.

 

Work together to collect some core accessories and wardrobe essentials that are as practical as they are pretty, like our Knit Bow Back Top or an accessory like the Emily Headband that goes well with any girls dress. That way, if other parents do need to make any purchases, they can be useful for wear outside of playdates, too!

 

In the summer, a similar combination of bright tank tops or flip-flops can perfectly pair up any poolside duo. For colder months, bundle the best friends in matching mittens and beanies.

 

Stylist’s Tip:

Easily take the twinning to the next level by coordinating more than just clothing. Do up your daughter and her friend in the same spunky hairstyle to highlight their fearless personalities. Behind a backdrop of the same pigtails or space buns, any two girls can be their very own Mary-Kate and Ashley, even if they didn’t get dressed together.

 

#4 Accessorizing: The Key to Pairing with Pets

No need to worry about wrangling your puppy into a shirt and booties for a matching family photo. Fido can fit right in with a few choice accessories, as long as they share a design with your kids’ outfits. Pair a bright kitty collar with a similarly patterned scarf for your child, or do her hair up with bows in the same color as a bespoke doggie bowtie. 

 

Stylist’s Tip:

Look for shops that sell pet accessories made from kid-friendly prints and fabrics, so you don’t have to look too far to find something matching for your daughter. 

 

  • You don’t have to root around boutique racks for ultra-specific clothing designs. For infants, any cozily knit newborn’s blanket can just as easily translate to a soft cat sweater. If your little one is more theatrical, let your pet share some of her costume jewelry. Dogs may be man’s best friend, but a girl can make both a dog and diamonds her best friend.

 

  • If you’re gearing up for the holidays, RuffleButts’ Peppermint Stripe Pet Bandana adorns your pooch in the same festive pattern as our Peppermint Stripe Twirl Dress. Your little girl probably won’t be sharing her presents with the family pet, but she’ll be more than excited to share her style!

 

#5 Switching Up Silhouettes

If you're planning around a single specific color scheme, a great way to spice it up is by adding variance in the actual cut of the clothes. 

 

Say the kiddos are posing for a family portrait in all white. Instead of posing everyone in jeans and a tee, consider mixing it up by putting your daughter in a flowy white dress to counter the other's crisp white shirt and trousers. 

 

No matter the one color, when the chosen garments feature different styles, cuts, or fits, you're able to add depth and contrast to your monochromatic matching moment. Take RuffleButts’ collection of Honey Knit pieces, for example. Because the Honey Twirl Dress drapes differently than the Honey Flutter Bubble Romper and features a bow where the latter doesn’t, the kids can express their own flairs of individuality while still joining together in style.

 

Stylist’s Tip:

Another way to incorporate some further dimension when you're embracing the monochrome method is to experiment with mixing hues of the same color in each child's matching outfit. 

 

If green's the theme, build a gradient from top to bottom: a sage-toned blouse, olive pants, and a pair of deep green sandals or sneakers. To go grayscale, combine a silver dress with black tights and a white hairband. Then, incorporate similar shades in both outfits. 

 

Make the Most of Matching Outfits with RuffleButts

There’s nothing more festive, fun, and joyous than seeing your little ones in matching outfits, and it should be a process that you enjoy, too. 

 

At RuffleButts, we open up a whole world of clothing coordination for family members, friends, and pets alike. With our quality toddler and baby dresses, rompers, matching brother outfits, toddler boys pajamas, infant pajamas and girls pajamas, family matching outfits and more, you can find a style to go with nearly anything imaginable. 

 

Our extensive catalog comes in a wide scope of colors and an even wider range of baby clothes sizes, meaning your big kid can match with others even as she grows through the seasons.

 

Find your perfect match at RuffleButts.

 

Sources: 

Goldie Socks. Why Matching is Fun. https://goldiesocks.com/blogs/news/why-matching-is-fun 

 

The Seattle Times. Mini-me mania: Why families are wearing matching clothes. https://www.seattletimes.com/explore/shop-northwest/mini-me-mania-why-families-are-wearing-matching-clothes/