It’s been awhile since I’ve updated the progress of my Goddaughter, the World’s Most Beautiful Baby who has since grown into the title World’s Most Beautiful Toddler. In January, she turned Three and has quickly become a ferociously opinionated maven of fashion. But, as you might expect from a child who has been exposed to Project Runway since she was born, she follows no trends. She sets them. As an aside, I should mention that her mother co-hosts the wonderful Project Project Runway subset of the Iron Craft blog where the weekly PR challenges are tackled on Barbie dolls. Check it out. Often Kat and Susi come up with better designs than the TV contestants. So suffice it to say, Amelia May has the pedigree, she has the exposure and she has her own personal fashion aesthetic.
So it was with some trepidation that I agreed to meet Amelia at the local mall. My friends know that I’m not exactly “fashion forward”. I shop once a year whether I need it or not. And I’m generally convinced that, if I can’t find it at REI or SportsMart, I probably don’t want to wear it. My footwear, even in 35 degree Sonoma mornings tend to be Tevas or Minnetonka moccasins. As for accessorizing, all I’m interested in is Native American turquoise and silver. It’s an eccentric style, but I’m okay with that. Except I wasn’t sure I wanted to be in a sartorial competition with a Three Year Old. I shouldn’t have worried. It wasn’t a contest. I was never even in the ballpark.
The first lesson Amelia taught me is that the mall is a happenin’ place. San Francisco isn’t really a big mall town. And I generally never find myself in one unless I’m headed straight to the Apple Store. But apparently the Stonestown Mall has a farmers market with a bouncy slide in the parking lot that is the place to see and be seen. But as Amelia May demonstrated, cold, bouncing on a slide and sampling the goodies at the Farmer’s Market are no excuse for relaxing the important rules of your personal fashion aesthetic. So here, for those of you looking to up your glamor quotient are:
Amelia May’s Rules of Personal Style
Rule One: Only wear sundresses.
On this point, Amelia, as they used to say in the old Tareyton ads, would rather fight than switch. Her mother has lost that battle and, for at least a year now, only sundresses can be worn. It was a blustery, cold 45 degrees out, but Amelia May showed how a sundress can work in winter.
Here Amelia May wears two sundresses, a sweatshirt, a hoodie and capri pants.
Rule Two: Don’t be afraid of pattern and color. The more the better.
Amelia May has clearly absorbed some of Mondo’s aesthetic from Season Eight of Project Runway. She is fearless in mixing patterns and colors. Pink used to be her signature color. But lately she’s been relaxing that rule. Pink still dominates, but now she enhances it with other colors.
Here Amelia May sports a flowered sundress under a black and white spotted sundress over capri pants paired with striped socks and sparkle shoes with pink bows.
Rule Three: Footwear Should Always Sparkle.
Amelia May has already worn out several pair of her signature shoes — the ones with the glitter and the pink tule bows. Now she is adamant about sparkles on all suggested footwear. I tend to shop at “sensible footwear outlets”. But Amelia May demonstrated that, even in those stores, you don’t have to give up the bling.
Who knew they even made sparkly Dansko clogs? Amelia May found them on the shelf instantly.
Rule Four: It Really IS All About the Sparkle.
Sparkle is everything in Amelia May’s fashion lexicon. Any clothing with any degree of sparkle has a good chance of being worn. Especially if it’s worn with a sundress.
And finding yourself temporarily without sparkle clothes is no excuse. You can always accessorize with a cupcake pop with sprinkles.
It’s simple really. Follow these four rules and you’ll be outfitted appropriately for any activity.
From March Madness: Toddler Division Hoops at the electronic floor game...
To a graceful bounce-out from the jumpy slide...
...to a sushi lunch.
Fashion. It’s Amelia May’s thing.
Very funny and very cute.
My goodness! It seems like only yesterday you were taking her to her first art exhibit! Guess that was 3 years ago, not 3 months ago. Tempis fugits!(I probably misspelled that) har Still a beautiful little gal of course!
Really fun post, Lisa. Good to see you today.