How much influence do you have over your teen’s wardrobe?

Moms facing off this week

Our mom bloggers this week are Janell Poulette of Saving You Dinero and Vera Sweeney from Lady and the Blog. Both moms are SheKnows Experts Among Us, and they have plenty to say about this topic!

Question: How much influence do you have over your teen’s wardrobe?

Vera Sweeney

Lady and the Blog

@VeraSweeney

Right now, my children dress like their friends, which isn’t all that unusual. The town we live in is actually quite preppy and I doubt that this will change over the next five years or so. There’s no doubt in my mind that my children will follow the crowd and the trend. And I’m not complaining because I actually love the look! There’s nothing cuter than a teenage boy in a polo shirt and seersucker shorts. What? I can’t be the only one!

When I was younger and living in Queens, it was very popular to dress in boys’ clothing. [Looking back], the photos are just so embarrassing! I don’t think my daughter will feel the same way when she looks at photos of herself in high school wearing a Lily Pulitzer dress! LOL

I will — of course — guide them and make suggestions based on my own taste because I love to shop and I have a vision about what my children should look like on a regular basis. But my mother had no say about my look by high school — so I have no expectations that this will actually happen.

Janell Poulette

Saving You Dinero

@Janellcp

I think that regardless of who buys the clothes for teenagers, parents should have the final say about what their teenagers’ wardrobes will include. Many teenagers might argue that if they use their own money, they can buy the clothes they want to buy. Even if they use their own money, parents still should have a say in what they are able to wear.

Once my teenagers are in college they can decide what to buy, but I would hope that I have taught them what is acceptable and what is not acceptable to wear.

There is a time and a place for everything, and I think that applies to your wardrobe. You have clothes you wear to the beach and you have clothes that you wear to school. You would never see a business professional wearing a miniskirt and a tank top to an important meeting.

I also think what you wear affects your personality. You do not want your clothing to be a distraction. I know this is something that can be more difficult for your teenage daughters — but hang in there and your teenager will start to make good choices!

I hope that I will be able to teach and influence my children what is appropriate and what is not appropriate so this would not be an issue. If your teenager is around people who dress modestly, he or she should pick out clothing that is already acceptable to you as a parent.

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