MOMMY AND ME STYLE

It’s not for everyone, but I personally love Mommy and Me outfits. My daughter and I look nothing alike, so it’s fun to match from time to time and announce to the world that we are, in fact, related.

The best thing about matching outfits these days is that you don’t have to compromise on style in order to achieve a coordinated look. Every Mommy and Me item I own is something I would wear, and do wear, even when my daughter isn’t. Below, I’m going to show you some of my favorite brands that just happen to carry Mommy and Me styles.

Banjanan

Based in Jaipur, Banjanan is synonymous with gorgeous, handmade Indian prints. I’m huge fan of how easy their pieces are to wear; neither of the two Banjanan dresses I have have zippers or cumbersome buttons, so they’re effortless pull-on styles for you and your little one. Several of the currently available prints and styles are just perfection. These are some of my favorites, but check out all of the options on the Banjanan website:

Miranda Floral Blueprint

Shadow Bloom Black

There are also exclusive Banjanan Mommy and Me prints on Maisonette. This is a pricer brand, but worth checking out. For pretty resort prints that are a bit less expensive, consider the Mommy and Me options at Roller Rabbit.

Dôen and Rylee + Cru

I’m putting Dôen and Rylee + Cru together because they have similar aesthetics. Dôen is bohemian, Rylee + Cru is a bit more hipster, but they’re telling you the same thing: you’re not a regular mom, you’re a cool mom. Rylee + Cru is at a lower price point (and everything is currently on sale!), so if you’re dipping your toe in the Mommy and Me pool, you might want to start there:

I discovered Dôen earlier this year when a famous actress posted a picture of herself on Instagram in one of their dresses. Unfortunately, the dress was no longer available, but I discovered that they sell children clothes so it was still a win. I just purchased my first matching items from Dôen, and the print is gorgeous and the pieces are so well made. The Prancing Fawn Floral print is beautiful in person; in the above photo, I’m in the Amoret top and my daughter is wearing the Little Isla dress, both in cream/rust.

Below is the same patten in cream/blue:

The Mommy and Me Hack:

Undoubtedly, least expensive way to create a Mommy and Me look is with something that isn’t meant to be Mommy and Me at all. How to achieve it on a budget? Go to online stores that sell both adult and children clothing and look for popular prints and/or color names. Then, do searches of particular colors and prints to see what’s available for both mother and child. In the summer, it’s so easy to find seersucker and gingham. In the cooler months, prints like plaids, herringbone and houndstooth, and fabrics like velvet and faux leather, are ubiquitous. I did some of the work for you, but if you don’t like my picks there are so many more things you can find.

JCrew

Now, JCrew doesn’t seem to advertise Mommy and Me options on its website, but you can often find similar styles and identical prints in women and girls sizes. I did a quick search of the girls section and, lo and behold, there are similar items in women sizes when I searched by color or print name.

Can we talk about this dress and pant combo, in Black Watch tartan?

AND, there’s the same tartan available for men and boys, so matching can be a family affair:

These JCrew Fair Isle sweaters aren’t identical, but are close enough to qualify as matching set, I think.

And, I love the idea of a mom wearing the velvet pants and headband and her daughter wearing the dress and bow, all in a color called Spicy Jade:

And this navy gingham is perfect for your next resort vacation:

Zara

I have proclaimed my love for Zara loudly and proudly on this blog, and they do not disappoint in the Mommy and Me hack category. Again, I looked for popular prints and materials in both adult and child sizes and there were some great finds.

Is there anything cuter than matching Mommy and Me herringbone coats?