From birthdays to christenings, there are so many special days in your child’s first few years. As parents, it’s easy to cherish your child’s first years so much that you want to dress her to the nines for every special event or photo shoot. We feel that this is a completely natural feeling. After all, a heartfelt baby album will be cherished for life by not just you but also your baby and her future family.
At Sara Dresses, we love sharing all our kids’ outfit inspo to help you out on your quest for the perfect baby or toddler outfit. Today we’d like to introduce one of our go-to big day accessorization tips: customizing children’s dresses with heirloom accessories! We’ve been using this one for years. The resulting outfits are always not just unique but also meaningful, especially to every adult present. If you’d like to adapt this outfit idea for your own child, you have two options: using a baby heirloom, or using an adult heirloom safe enough for kids. Both have a magical effect; it’s up to you to decide what works best!
Heirloom Baby Accessories
Kids’ accessories—especially luxury or vintage ones—can last a long time when treated with care. If there’s a baby accessory heirloom in your family matching that description, keep its adorable legacy going by letting your child use it!
Pink beaded jewelry isn’t the only kind of bling that young children can wear. In many cultures, children start wearing jewelry such as bracelets and earrings from as early as their very first days. As long as the piece is toddler-safe and used under supervision, there’s no reason not to! Perhaps there’s an heirloom baby accessory of pearl, gold, or other luxurious material that belongs to your family. If there is, it might be just the thing for a photo shoot, christening, or even the everyday.
Baby Headwear
Babies look adorable when their bare (or slightly hairy) heads are dressed with a bonnet, headband, or other piece of adorable baby headwear. Bonus points if it’s made of satiny soft silk! Since vintage headwear is often very delicate, it’s important to treat such pieces with care. It’s probably best if you only break out this particular heirloom accessory to customize your child’s dress on very special occasions such as photo shoots and birthdays.
Flower Girl Baskets
Flower girls are a mainstay at most Western weddings, so chances are there’s been a flower girl in your family in the past. If you’re lucky enough to have a beautiful flower girl basket lying around at home, then reusing it is a great way to save money while also adding an awesome blast-from-the-past feel to your child’s flower girl outfit.
Heirloom Adult Accessories
Something amazing happens when little girls wear accessories meant for adults. They look instantly wiser and more grown-up. At the same time, their cheeks also feel instantly more pinchable! Check your family heirloom collection for something mature that your child can repurpose.
Brooches
Let’s bring back brooches! We at Sara Dresses are huge fans of all things brooch. Why stop at “dressing like mom” when you can “dress like grandma”, bringing in some of the previous generations’ heirloom accessories too? When dealing with anything sharp like a pin back, however, always make sure to take measures such as putting a dab of glue on the end of the pin to keep your child safe from being pricked.
Other Jewelry
Other fancy heirloom accessories such as necklaces and tiaras can also be worn by your child under supervision. Take a good look at the piece first to inspect it for safety!
Shop Timeless Accessories at Sara Dresses
When a great dress gets a customized spin, the end result is a perfect outfit with a je ne sais quoi feeling about it. At Sara Dresses, our goal is to help you find the dress of your child’s dreams, even if she has no idea yet what it might look like. We also fill our blog with accessorization tips to help you complete the look.
Does your child need something sweet to make her outfit truly stand out? Head to our accessories collection to find that special something to wear alongside her heirloom accessories.