Do you have a tween in your life? If so, then you know the struggle is real. Tweens are at that awkward stage where they find it hard to fit into kids’ clothes, but their style is still too young for adult clothes. Let your tween thrive by getting them the right wardrobe.
Wardrobe Tips to Help Your Tween
Here are some tips on how to dress your tween so they feel confident and comfortable in their skin. While every girl is different, most tweens will go through similar awkward phases in their lives.
Help her embrace her passions, hobbies, and interests while steering clear of things that don’t flatter her natural beauty or simply aren’t age-appropriate. The result? A happy tween who feels confident in her own skin—in whatever outfit she chooses to wear!
Tweens Have Different Needs When Shopping for Clothes
As your tween’s body changes, so will her needs when it comes to clothes. When your tween was younger, she probably wore t-shirts, jeans, and shorts. As she gets older, she might want to wear things like leggings or yoga pants because they feel more comfortable.
She might also want to start wearing long-sleeve shirts or sweaters because it gets colder outside. If you’re shopping for something like a winter coat, make sure it fits your tween properly because she’s probably growing taller. She also might have broader shoulders.
As your tween’s body changes, she might need to shop in the juniors section or even the women’s section now and then. If your tween is taller, she might need longer shorts or pants to cover her growing legs. If your tween is curvier, she might need a larger size or bras that fit her fuller chest.
As your tween gets older, she might need to wear bras meant for a woman’s fuller bust. If your tween has broader shoulders, she might need shirts that fit better and are long enough to cover her chest.
Know Your Tween’s Body Type
Regardless of age or gender, everyone has a body type, and it’s important to understand what yours is. Knowing your body type can help you and your tween dress for their best features.
If your tween is more pear-shaped, then she should try to wear clothes that balance out her hips and thighs. If your tween is more apple-shaped, then she should wear clothes that flatter her bust. People have varying body types for many reasons. It could be hereditary, due to metabolism and environment, or due to lifestyle choices such as diet or exercise.
Even if your tween is shorter than most of her friends, she can still wear clothes that flatter her body type and make her feel good. For example, if your tween has an athletic build, she can wear clothes that emphasize her broad shoulders and long legs. If your tween has a smaller bust, she can wear outfits that draw attention away from her chest.
Pick the Right Brands
As your tween gets older, she’ll likely want to express her own style. In some cases, this might mean wearing clothes that are more adult-like in design and style. When shopping for your tween, you might notice that certain brands feature more grown-up styles, fabrics, and designs.
This is because the brand is marketing its clothes to older teens who want to wear more “mature” clothes. These brands often have longer hemlines and more grown-up fabrics like wool or cashmere. When shopping for your tween, it might be a good idea to stick to brands that offer a variety of styles: from more mature to more youthful designs.
This will help your tween express herself however she desires while also staying within the realm of what’s age-appropriate.
Help Your Tween Find the Right Fit
If your tween is taller and/or curvier, she might need longer styles. If your tween has a smaller frame, she might like shorter tops and dresses. If your tween is pear-shaped, look for clothes that balance her hips with her bust or vice versa.
If your tween is apple-shaped, she might want to draw attention away from her bust with longer tops. If your tween is growing, she may need to shop in the juniors or even women’s section from time to time. Your tween might also need to buy bras in a larger size as she gets older. If your tween is quite tall, she might prefer to wear long pants because kids’ pants are often shorter than those for adults.
If your tween has broader shoulders, she might want to steer clear of tighter tops that draw attention to her chest.
Pick Some Statement Pieces
One way to dress your tween in more grown-up clothing is to pick statement pieces that aren’t necessarily long or loose. For instance, you could buy your tween a black wool coat or a black suede jacket.
You could also buy your tween black leather pants or a black blazer. You could even buy your tween black leggings or black tights. These can be worn with almost any kind of top and will make your tween feel like she’s dressing in more grown-up clothing.
If your tween wants to wear jeans, try to steer clear of skintight styles or extremely short cuts. Instead, try to find a pair of jeans that are long enough to cover your tween’s growing legs.
Don’t Be Afraid of Color
As your tween gets older, she might want to start incorporating more colors into her outfits. It’s common for tweens to shy away from bold colors, but their favorite hobbies and interests might inspire them to try out new colors. For example, if your tween likes to play tennis, she might want to wear tennis clothes that aren’t black or white.
If your tween likes to skateboard, she might want to wear bright-colored skate shirts that aren’t black or white. If your tween likes to paint, she might want to wear clothing that isn’t black or white. If your tween is artistic, let her use her outfits as a way to express herself. She might want to wear blue hair or blue leggings.
She might want to wear sandals with flowers printed on them or a stylish tee with a picture of her favorite artist.
Prints Are a Great Way to Help Tweens Express Themselves
One of the best ways of giving your tween some freedom is to let them pick out some of the clothing that will fill their wardrobe.
After all, they have to be the ones to wear it. If you want to give them a challenge they’ll enjoy while also being able to make the process more fun, see how many prints they can come up with. While many of us think about animal prints and camo as the only options, anyone in clothing stores lately will see there are far more options for tweens than those!
Mix It Up With Layering
As your tween grows taller and/or puts on weight, she might want to start layering her clothing to make her outfits more modest. For example, your tween might want to wear long-sleeve shirts with a t-shirt underneath or oversized sweaters or cardigans layered over a t-shirt.
This can be a great way for her to layer her outfits without letting her clothing be too revealing. Your tween might also want to layer her clothing when the seasons change. In the fall and winter, she might want to wear sweaters or long-sleeve shirts underneath hoodies or parkas. In the summer, she might want to layer tank tops or long-sleeve shirts with a cardigan or sweatshirt.
If your tween wants to continue wearing sweats all day and all night, let them. It is a rough phase to maneuver, so the more we can do to help them through it, the less likely they are to struggle with our rules while they struggle to begin the process of finding themselves.
Always Opt for Versatility Where You Can
When shopping for your tween, you should always be on the lookout for versatility. For example, your tween might love a pair of black leggings, but she might also love a pair of red leggings.
Your tween might love a black wool coat, but she might also love a navy-blue coat. Your tween might also love a pair of black ankle boots, but she might also love a pair of tan ankle boots.
Your tween might love a black cardigan, but she might also love a cream-colored cardigan.
This is a Phase, and As They Say, It Too Shall Pass
As your tween grows older, she’ll need more grown-up clothing. If your tween is taller and/or curvier, she might need longer styles. If your tween has a smaller frame, she might like shorter tops and dresses.
If your tween is pear-shaped, look for clothes that balance her hips with her bust or vice versa. If your tween is apple-shaped, she might want to draw attention away from her bust with longer tops.
