Styling your boys

I thought I would do something a little different for today’s blog post, a fashion angle for all the mum’s of boys out there.

When I had my first child, I was expecting the obstetrician to announce I just had a girl, he said boy! Being a mother of a son is one of the most beautiful gifts I have ever been blessed with and although I had envisioned dressing up a little girl, a mini me, perfectly styled every day, there was no way that the gender of my child was going to stop me from playing dress-ups with my son. In fact, I found it easier to find cute boys clothes than it was for girls and once I found the trend and style we loved most, it was easy from there.

I love nautical colours, blue, white, navy, grey, soft blue and a touch of peach and these are the colours that looked the best on Aston. I soon knew what looked good on him, what brought out his features and gave him a little styling edge. When it came to the style and fit of the clothing I would buy him, I made sure it was never over sized as he has always been quite thin and anything baggy would make him look very scrawny. When William was born, I thought all of Aston’s hand-me-downs would be a great money saver for me but with another baby came a completely different child, size and personality. Even though my boys look great in the same nautical colours, their fit is completely different, Will has chunky legs and looks best in baggy pants and long next-size-up t-shirts so they don’t cling to his belly. Styling boys can be fun but practicality is paramount.

So, here are some tips on styling up your little Princes.

• Find a colour pallet that looks lovely on your little boy and stick to it. William has blue eyes and when he wears blue, grey or white, his eyes stand out but because of his sometimes red cheeks, we stay away from bright reds and deep oranges and greens. Aston looks great in navy with his sandy brown hair and big brown eyes.
• What is your child’s personality like? Do they run around all day? or do they like to play quietly and draw? For active boys like Will, I always put him in loose and comfortable leggings, track pants or any sort of pant that has a lot of stretch in it. He is hardly in white because he will always dirty his clothes. Aston likes to sit and play so he is ok to wear tighter jeans, chinos and white clothing.
• To invest or not to invest? I am not sure if it is the first child scenario or just because Aston looks after his clothes, but I do like to spend a little more on quality for Aston as I know what I buy will have longevity in his wardrobe. For Will, I put him in a Hugo Boss jumper once and he found a muddy puddle he decided to swim in, so I like to buy cheaper and fast fashion for Will as he is very rough and tumble and there is no point setting yourself up for disaster with a ripped expensive pant when you already know your son’s personality type.
• Don’t be afraid to layer, a simple smart casual look for boys consists of three clothing items, bottoms, a top and a shirt (As seen above). This is a nice look for a party or lunch or function without having to button them up all the way to the neck.
• If you want your son to wear a shirt but they hate collars, try the grandpa shirts, they are just as dressy minus the collar.
• If you can’t get your son out of their track pants, then try styling up the track pant, put them in a nice long t-shirt and a jumper or perhaps a shirt with the middle button done up, just make sure the grey track pants aren’t paired back with a grey jumper.
• We love our Bobux shoes as you have seen my kids wear over the years (plus we are so happy to announce we are ambassadors for the brand!) these sneakers I have shown in this post are great for a pop of colour and can go from smart casual (Above) to relaxed casual.
• When it comes to shoes, find colours that your kids love, we always have velcro straps rather than laces so my boys can be independent and put their own shoes on.
• Oversized t-shirts look great on kids, especially for a stocky built child like Will. I am starting to buy oversized for Aston now also as he starts to thicken out but I still keep his pants slim.
• Always have a spare t-shirt and thin pair of leggings in your nappy bag for back up.
• A cardigan always makes a little boy look very smart, layer it over the t-shirt, shirt combo.
• Try and buy pants that have the adjustable waist, Aston has a waist of a two year old but the length of a five year old! Will on the other hand is the opposite.
• European designer boys clothes are always sized smaller than Australian sizing.
• Let your boys be boys, find what they are comfortable wearing and then make their style shine through with the colours and layers.