Girls love wearing dresses. And I don’t believe that they choose this type of clothing for its comfort as much as because they want to look nice. What has led me to this conclusion is seeing my friend’s daughters wearing fancy dresses while playing in dirt piles just because they refuse to wear anything else. But my friend doesn’t seem to worry about this anymore.

Being a mum to two boys, I’ve noticed that girls develop their own sense of style at a very young age and don’t necessarily want to wear what their parents choose for them. This explains why my friends take their daughter with them when they need to shop for girls clothing. They say that taking the girls to a girls boutique is a good thing because they can tell what they like in terms of style and colour.

However, due to the current COVID-19 situation, traditional shopping is in a sense off-limits. Luckily, online shopping is at an all-time high. What my friends do now is, they browse the pages with their daughters so they can see the models a girls boutique has to offer. When they like something, my friend just orders it online and has it delivered to their door. Here are some of her tips for buying pretty dresses online.

Tip #1: Check the Quality

When buying clothing for girls, the first thing to do is assess the quality of the product. Due to the sensitivity of kids’ skin, they might get allergies from low-quality materials. That is why you need to be aware of the kind of material the piece is made from, especially when buying online. So, before putting a dress in your shopping cart, you need to check the following.

Fabric

Clothing made from natural fibres like linen, wool, cotton and silk is durable and comfortable. Garments made with synthetic fabrics are okay as long as they are mixed with natural fibres.

Brand

You don’t have to buy branded clothing to make sure it’s of high quality. Nowadays, a number of manufactures design high-quality clothes to keep up with the high competition on the market. This means you can still buy nice-looking dresses made from a high-quality fabric in any girls fashion boutique.

Tip #2: Consider the Sizes

Different countries may have different sizes. However, not all children are the same size at the same age. This means that a dress with a tag 8T, for example, may fit girls 8-10 years old but it may be too big or too small for certain girls. Here is how you can find a dress that fit your daughter right.

• Know the weight and height of your child as some brands use these as the basis.
• Measure the size of your daughter’s hips, chest and waist as some brands use them when sizing, especially for toddlers and near teenage years. This way you can use your child’s actual measurements to compare them with the exact measurement of the dress.
• For occasions when your child needs a longer dress, double-check the length of the dress.

Tip #3: Ensure the Dress Suits the Occasion

Consider what will be the weather like in the period when your daughter is supposed to wear the dress. For hot days, sleeveless dresses may be the right option so she won’t feel too hot. Don’t forget to apply sunscreen on her shoulders and arms to prevent sunburns. Long sleeve dresses should be kept for cold seasons.

For formal occasions, a floor-length gown could do the trick. But if it’s for daily use, then dresses that are comfy or relaxed would be best. To save some bucks, buy dresses in the off-season. For example, you can buy summer dresses during the winter season as their prices may be significantly lower. Or, do it vice-versa. Just make sure you buy a slightly bigger dress as your girl will probably grow up until next season.

Tip #4: Choose Comfort Over Style

Of course, you can have both, but when your daughter has an entire closet full of ‘dry-clean only’ dresses, chances are she will feel somewhat limited in those garments. When choosing a party dress, check whether the fabric breathes and whether the cut allows your child to run, play and act like a kid. Ask yourself these questions:

• Can my daughter comfortably bend over, climb, run, sit or twirl in her dress?
• Can she relax during the event, completely free of the fear that she will rip, tear, or stain her outfit?
• Can she go the bathroom without asking for your help to unbutton or unzip the dress?

If you’ve answered “no” to any of these questions, then the dress, as cute as it may be, might not be practical. Avoid models with lots of buttons, ties, and flimsy poorly-stitched flourishes. These design details can easily fall off or go missing while your child plays. You may also want to avoid dresses that your kid will need a lot of help when putting or taking them off. Keep in mind that dressing up should be fun, not stressful!