My daughter's individual sense of style is budget friendly! #jcpback2school

SocialMoms and JCPenney have invited me to share my child's individual style. As I look forward to back-to-school shopping, I've actually been pondering this subject quite a bit. My daughter is picky, yet trendy in general. She either immediately likes something or doesn't.  There's no in between.

Ever since my daughter was little, she has shunned frilly, lacy items.  As she transitioned from a toddler into a preschooler, she got even more vocal in pointing out clothing or accessories that she liked.  She's not a "girly girl" by any means, even now.  She's quite comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt... just like her mom! And if it is a favorite, she wears it all the time.  I've even told her that I don't want to see 'that shirt' on you again for a few weeks!  She loves what she loves and that's what she wears.

Christmas -- Note the peace sign

Over the years, though, she's had some color preferences.  Her pink period lasted from first through third grade.  Like Picasso's blue period in painting, she had a definite love of the color pink.  There were times I wondered if she would ever wear anything other than pink.  Oh, she had clothes that weren't pink, but she would never wear them, which frustrated me completely.  Because of her pink period, I learned to just go with the flow as she abandoned pink in favor of her new favorite color... purple!  Now, unless she specifically asks for an item like a shirt, I won't buy it if it isn't purple. 

This saves me money since no mom wants to see last year's clothes stuffed in the back of the closet with price tags still on them.  Kids need to like what they wear or you've just wasted your money because they won't wear what they don't like.  She loves to shop for t-shirts and jeans at Target, which makes back-to-school shopping affordable.  I did let her get one outfit at Justice last year, and nearly cried at the register when it came to $100 for three pieces of clothing.  Ouch!  Fortunately, her casual style can be easily achieved by shopping at Target, Walmart, JC Penneys, and a few other less expensive stores.

Wedding shower -- Note the peace sign is back

Another style she went ga-ga over was peace signs.  She wanted everything she owned to have peace signs all over them, from her back pack, t-shirts, book covers... everything.  She loves her accessories to express her style.  I might be happy with a plain, blue notebook, but not her.  She wants it to have peace signs or other tie-dye colors all over it.  She wants to surround herself with items that show a sense of style.

One area we do clash over is her absolute love of cami tops.  I don't mind that she wears them around the house or to bed, but she tries to leave the house to go to church, the library, out shopping, or anywhere else while wearing them.  It drives me nuts!  Camis have been a favorite of hers for several years, so I'm afraid this will be one of those perpetual arguments that we always have.  That, and that she always wants to wear her hair in a pony tail... every single day.

What is your child's sense of style like?  Do they bust your budget or are they a cheap date?  Let me know in the comments!

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I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and jcpenney blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.