"I grew up in a household of all boys, with a mom who didn’t really care much for anything to do with fashion. I suspect a psychologist would be able to tell you that it’s that very reason that I went in the totally opposite direction. From my teenagehood until now, I’ve been obsessed with clothes, even going as far as letting it inspire my college major in fashion merchandising.
Now, I’m a mom to a daughter, and while I fully want her to develop her own love (or not!) of fashion, I also have cultivated items in my closet I want to pass down to her when she’s older. From timeless items to clothing with a story, these are the five fashion pieces I hope to pass down to my own daughter one day.
Vintage-Inspired Pieces
Over the years, I’ve cultivated a closet filled with dresses that look straight out of Taylor Swift’s Folklore era. Flowing maxi and midi dresses with vintage silhouettes are my forte, and my closet is chock full of different colors and patterns that are deceptively comfortable and easy to wear.
I fully acknowledge that my daughter may not have the same style as me, but as some of my favorite closet items, these vintage-inspired dresses are some of the clothing items I’m keeping for her to have one day. I know these are the types of items I would’ve loved to have found in my mom’s closet as a teen!
A Few Trendy Pieces That Will Be Out of Style
My mother-in-law did something for her kids that I absolutely loved. She would hold onto pieces that were particularly “trendy” at one point or another and then add them to the costume bin for her kids. This led to lots of fun opportunities for the kids to dress up to the ’70s or ’80s in particularly fun vintage finds.
While trends come and go (Y2K’s low-rise jeans are, unfortunately, back), instead of ditching every impulse trend purchase after it’s gone out of style, I plan on keeping a few clothing items for my daughter (and any other future kids) to use. Who knows, it may come back in style just in time for it to fit!
Quality Sweaters and Coats
Over the years, I’ve tried to cultivate my closet a bit more so that I have less clothing at a much higher quality. While I can never help myself when it comes to picking up an Amazon sweater or two each season, I’ve also invested more in timeless sweaters and jackets that I plan to have last for decades.
The higher quality pieces are the ones I plan to pass down, knowing they are less trendy silhouettes that will likely be just as wearable years from now as they are today.
Clothing With a Story
There are a few sentimental pieces in my closet that I’ll always hold onto, even if they only get worn once every blue moon. The dress I wore to my bridal shower, an outfit that makes me feel particularly beautiful for date night… these may not be the outfits that I reach for time and time again, but they are the ones that hold memories. I would love to give my daughter the chance to hold onto those memories as well.
My Wedding Dress
OK, so this is hardly the most original item to hold onto, but it’s one I plan to pass along to my daughter. While my own mother didn’t have too many clothes that fit my style in her closet, she did offer me her wedding dress when I got engaged. Spoiler alert: It was very early ’90s, and probably two sizes too small. However, the intention meant quite a bit to me, and with her blessing, I did use some of the intricate embroidery from it as part of my bouquet so that it would be part of my wedding.
While I fully expect my daughter won’t want to wear the same style that was hip in 2017 decades from now, I do want to have the option available for her to use in whatever way she may (or may not) want to.