How do you dress your kids? - Our love affair with Coco & Ginger

"It's all about keeping a little girl... a little girl.

Keeping her youthful.  Keeping her spinning and twirling and carefree. 

And most importantly, bringing her happiness"

Denise DeMarchis, MJC Founder.

How do you dress your kids?  Do you even think much about it?  Do you micromanage their wardrobes?  Or do you let them make their own clothing choices - whatever they may be?  I've seen extremes on both ends of the spectrum.  Me?  I'm somewhere in the middle.

I love fashion.  I adore kids fashion.  I love seeing my girls looking good and feeling confident and comfortable in their clothes.  I have pretty clear ideas on what I do and don't like to see on my children and if it ticks all of these boxes then we know we're on to a winning brand.

Coco & Ginger Coco de Mer Lilac Dress in Periwinkle Almond Blossom

Firstly... Mama has to like it...
I am a huge fan of "let them be little".  While I want to encourage my girls to grow in to capable young ladies, I am so conscious of not pushing my girls to grow up too fast and this extends to almost every facet of their lives including their wardrobes.  I'm not strict by any means but there are certain fashions which should be for dress ups only and others that will never ever enter our house.  I'm not trying to keep them babies and I just want their clothing to be tastefully age appropriate.

In some ways I feel it's kind of my right of passage as their mother to dress my children however I want to.  I was the youngest of three who had no say in what I thought at the time were some truly terrible 70's and 80's hand-me-downs (which I'd probably kill to have now!) from my older sister AND brother that my mother dressed me in!  But I wouldn't do that to them because...

Coco & Ginger Coco de Mer Lilac Dress in Periwinkle Almond Blossom

The girls have to like it too...
It's not all about me.  I would hate for someone to make me wear something I was uncomfortable in or and truly hated.  I make sure I take in to consideration their own likes, preferences and personal style.  I know some wee girls have very strong opinions on what they wear.  At 7 and 4 years old my girls know what they like but are still mostly delighted with and trust my choices on their behalf.
While it's mostly smooth sailing I've know it's important to let them have a degree of input or compromise in their outfit choices.  We've had the odd incident where I've forced bribed asked my girls to wear something they really didn't like or one of my girls has insisted on wearing something I couldn't stand and then we start the day off on the wrong foot before we've even left the house.  I'm just hoping that in trying to raise these capable girls of mine I can gently steer them away from the trash to make more tasteful age appropriate choices as they slowly become independent.

Coco & Ginger Coco de Mer Lilac Dress in Periwinkle Almond Blossom

Lifestyle...
is an equally important factor in the clothes we choose.  As a family we live a very beach orientated lifestyle.  We spend our summers following the surf from beach to beach.  In winter we tend to hibernate a little or when we can we follow the sun to tropical locations.  Plus for as long as I can remember I’ve been drawn to anything retro and tropical.  My own summer wardrobe is full of distressed denim cut offs and easy to throw on dresses.  I love white and colour and prints.  You'll rarely (if ever) see me in black.  So it's really no surprise to see my style rubbing off on the girls in their choices.  Don't get me wrong - they still think bright pink sparkles are sssooo pretty but they'd choose a delicate floral print maxi dress or a tropical sun suit over pink sparkles any day because that’s how we roll.

Extended sizing...
A more recent problem I've encountered is that a lot of our favourite brands stop at size 5 (some stretch their ranges to a size 7 but not many) and I'm hunting high and low for new age appropriate brands for my tall and skinny 7 year old.  There are some tween ranges out there for kids aged 8-14 but I find there is a dramatic shift in style, design and cut between the kids and tween ranges, and generally not in a good way.  The tween age ranges cover late primary to early college aged kids and there is a big difference in just about everything between these two age groups.

Coco De Mer - September 2017

So where do we shop?

I like to mix and match my girls clothes from all different brands.  I love to check out Kmart as much as the next Mama, picking up a couple of fast fashion items for a few dollars.  Who can say no to $7 leggings that are going to get covered in paint at kindy.  It definitely has its place.  I like to invest in good quality basics (Jamie Kay tights and tees are wonderful) that will last the distance for layering through the seasons.  And I love to indulge in special items that the girls have helped pick out that reflect my ideals - my style, their style, extended sizes plus our casual, beach loving lifestyle, and Coco & Ginger ticks all of those boxes.

Coco De Mer - September 2017

Coco & Ginger is designed by the talented Saffron Pugh and beautifully hand made by a team of talented artisans in Bali.  I first discovered Coco & Ginger when Maddie was a baby and have continued to shop and support them ever since.  2017 marks 15 years of Coco & Ginger and will see the release of two new highly anticipated ranges (which run from newborn right up to size 14!).  The first range in the process of being released is called Coco de Mer which is inspired by the giant coconuts and thick jungles of Africa's Seychelles.

Coco De Mer - September 2017

"The prints in the Coco de Mer collection feature waterlilies and playful chains of blossoms. Shades are sea glass, eggshell blue, periwinkle and sea-shell pastels; the look is pretty and windswept, light and whimsical."

My girls were lucky to preview the range and even get to take some pieces to Hawaii with us in July.  It's absolutely gorgeous!  I loved it!  They loved it!  You will not be disappointed!  You can view the full range of Coco de Mer plus purchase from the range online at Coco & Ginger New Zealand and select New Zealand retailers from September (click here for stockists).

Coco De Mer - September 2017