Fashion at the Circus

We're not particularly fashionable here at the circus. Sure, Mama would like to be a fashionista, but she just doesn't have it in her. Even when she had more than five minutes to select an outfit, shower, and dress herself, she was never on the cutting-edge of fashion. It was a short trip from tried-and-true classics to the much-maligned mommy fashion, characterized by convenience (must be endlessly washable) and comfort (if you can't stoop, jump, run, reach, and nurse in it, it's no good). She doesn't mind, though, really. It can't be all that bad to look like a mom when you are, in fact, a mom.

Daddy could really care less about fashion. He's all about function -- not so much about form.

Our girls, though? They have their own distinctive fashion sense. It currently tends toward the froufy and colorful, incongruous and humorous. And now that both Kathleen and Madeline are (generally) able to undress and dress themselves, the fashion emerges at unexpected times.

The other day Mama glanced out the backdoor while preparing dinner and caught of glimpse of true toddler and preschool fashion in action! (Let's not dwell on the fact that they somehow undressed and re-dressed themselves without Mama noticing... We're still not quite sure how that happened.)

It was a bit of a blur, so it took a few moments to figure out the elements of each ensemble.

That's a flower fairy skirt with a receiving blanket cape... Kathleen must be some sort of cross between fairy and super hero!

And that's another fairy skirt, but paired with a Little Mermaid pajama shirt... Remember, we were cooking dinner -- no one had been in pajamas in ages!

The girls are also quite interested in accessories. They tromp about the house in Mama's heels (you know, the ones that wouldn't see the light of day were not little girls parading in them). They frequently require two purses each to carry their treasures. And jewelry! They're constantly accessorizing their outfits with necklaces and bracelets. When they can't find actual play jewelry, they manage to fashion their own from ribbon or what-not. And apparently Madeline applies the same make-it-yourself approach to headgear. She danced around the yard in this hat another night.

Yes, it's an empty plastic flower pot, left over from planting our Trader Joe's basil...

Take it for what it's worth -- but we think it actually works on her!