A Geek-chic Chronicle : Too young for fashion?

It all started with the photo above. The young fashionista, if you can call her one, seemed more inflicted by the weight of her clothes than the glowing pride of a sartorial child. Which got me thinking, is there such a thing as being too young for fashion?

No, and yes.

The ability to carry oneself well, whether through attire, discourse or mannerism, is beyond crucial. Most humans can't help forming superficial judgments at first sights. That impression is usually based solely on appearance. While our physical appearance is something we can't change in 10 minutes, we can with our clothes. It is not about making a fashion statement or catching up with the latest trend, but about utilizing apparel as an instrument of self-expression, to appear as the kind of person one wants to project of oneself. Hence it is never too early, or late, to care about what you wear.

However, at what age should a child be taught to be fashion conscious? Is there a fine line between being well-put-together and being comically over the top?

In my toddler days, I, like just about any other child, loved to waddle in my mother's then ginormous shoes, smear her lipstick all over my face or let her necklaces dangle down to my knees. As the daughter of a vintage clothes enthusiast, I was fortunately spared from the blind adoration for brand names or certain fashion iconographies. I love my mother's unbranded leather messenger bags, Peter Pan collars, floral flocks and Oxford shoes. Early exposure to labels may incept a young mind into the assumption that having a haymarket check or a premier designer's monogram instantly makes a fashion piece beautiful. So no, I do not believe that children should be clad in labels just so parents can parade them around as the runway version of garden gnomes. That would rob the child the chance of developing a sense of aesthetics on her/his own.

That being said, I have to admit, children in miniature designer pieces are uber cute. As long as the cuteness is from the irresistible juxtaposition of effortless innocence and timeless designs, and not from the mere sight of that Chanel logo.