Here's a challenge for you fashionistas

[Sheherezade]

Can you put yourself in the place of a thirteen year old girl and dress her fashionably but not inappropriately? I've been fashion challenged my entire life; I don't feel at all adequate at advising my daughter. She doesn't like to stand out and has a daily wardrobe of layered t-shirts/camis and jeans. She's happy with that look and seems to do well with it. However, she has a few school events and trips coming up and the growing trend seems to be to demand no jeans, etc. Many of the fashionable girls opt for super short skirts. I don't think that will be happening as much since the school is trying to clamp down on it. I'm not sure that would work on my daughter anyway.

So - what type of outfit would you suggest to a 13 year old that is curvy and tall for her age? She doesn't look 13 but she is 13. She is not a girly girl but she does like makeup/nail stuff. I've tried the miniskirt with leggings look and it doesn't seem to work well on her. She's not a straight or lanky body type and it makes her bottom half look squat and blocky. Long skirts seem too old for her. Dress pants also feel matron-ish - even to me. HELP!

Someone around here must have been a cool kid.

[v-girl]

My 8th grader's best friend is a 5'9.5" 13 year old. Her mom is able to find some cute and modest stuff at Justice and in the junior department at JCPenney. Oh, and Kohls. My daughter really likes their jr dept.

[SoonerTexan]

Not me!!!

[MsSassyBaskets]

I would play around with skirt and dress lengths--they don't have to be super-short to be stylish. Maybe a just above the knee style would work better for her than a true miniskirt? Also, maybe a higher waist and a little looser/flowier fit rather than a tight mini. This would make her curves look more girlish, and they could be paired with plain tanks and long cardigans for a little of the hipster-nerdy look that's in now. Instead of leggings, which cut off at the ankle, maybe patterned or colored tights would work.

[Sheherezade]

MsSassyBaskets! I love you! That sounds like a great idea.... any shopping suggestions? I think a shorter "flippy" skirt style would look good but not sure where you find those. I've ordered a few things to see if she likes them. So far, we've struck out on the dresses and skirts we've tried because they just don't fit right--- either too loose in the waist or too tight on her hips. Also lengths are hard to judge -- it's funny how just an inch up or down can change the whole feel of the skirt or dress. I suppose I could hem up the too-long ones to make them a bit more youthful and stylish.

[diggitydot]

Do you have a Forever 21 around you somewhere? They have a ridiculously large selection of current/trendy items for waaaay cheap. The construction/materials aren't exactly top-notch, but for teens with tastes that sometimes change weekly, it's a good choice.

Our oldest is almost 17, but that girl is built like a younger, thinner Kim Kardashian. Her style is not teen typical, either. She lives for the new Vogue every month. Most of her wardrobe is from Forver 21.

Their website has a decent selection of skirts in differing lengths. DD1's favorite pants in her wardrobe are skinny-ish tuxedo-type dressy pants (she has pairs in both black and red) that she rolls up and wears with a flowy white blouse tied at the waist and some dressy shoes. About a month after she put this outfit together and began wearing it, she saw almost an identical one in a Vogue advertisement and just about piddled herself with glee.

If Forever21 is near you, I would recommend going in and checking it out. They have a LOT of clothes that I wouldn't allow any of my kids to wear, but if you can get past that, there are quite a few decent pieces at crazy low prices.

[alison]

What about the kids JCrew (Crew Cuts?). I went the other day, and their stuff is really cute (think Obama girls), super expensive ($58 for a tshirt!), but the sale racks have fantastic deals!

[Pollyanna]

Stay away from "junior" sizing if she has a figure. Also get some quality pieces that are fun but classic. When dd18 was that age we bought several classic style dresses from LOFT , WHBM, and ModCloth. She still wears them now so it was worth the extra money spent. Stores that have quality clothing are a good place to start building a base for her wordrobe and then she can fill in with trendy items from cheaper places.

[diggitydot]

I don't know guys -- I don't know many teens who like to keep clothes for very long, well-made or not.

But I totally second steering her away from junior sizing (odd numbers). Misses sizes (even numbers) are made to accommodate more womanly hip to waist ratios. Juniors are designed for far less curviness. However, it's sometimes difficult to find the same styles in Misses sizing.

[Meenah]

I once went to one of the trendy stores that I knew my girls liked, I think it was Banana Republic but not sure, and talked to one of the sales people before I took the girls. I gave the sales girl guidelines, and went back with the girls when she was there. She knew she would get a sale if she helped me steer them in the direction I wanted!!! Sneaky yes, but it worked. I also have no fashion sense, but I knew what I didn't want them to wear. That is such a tough age.

[Sheherezade]

Yes-- that's the problem we run in to. The junior clothes are what she wants, but they don't fit right. Too tight here, too loose there. If we go for something made for curves, it's too old looking and not trendy. Retro stuff works because the skirts have more of a flair to them, but they are a little too fashion forward for my girl who just wants to look like everyone else. The slouchy style stuff that's in now I thought would work well because it would not be too tight, but it makes her look like a blob. (Heck, it does the same to me.) She needs definition.

*sigh*

I was looking at skater skirts on TopShop. I think those might work and they come in less dramatic colors and fabrics so maybe the shape will fit and the style will be toned down enough with matching tights and boots to replace her denim bottoms for a dressed up field trip. She does like things on ModCloth from time to time but we've never ordered for her. She's in concert band so she has snagged one of my black pencil skirts for that and it fits her well. Still, if she wore that off the concert stage, she'd look like she was headed for the office. It's definitely not a teen casual item.

I'm traumatized. Dressing well has never happened for me. So stressful to not be able to help out your kid. Maybe my daughter will find a fashionable fairy godmother who can show her the way.

ETA: DD, I'm checking out Forever 21 online now. The mall shop (recently opened) scares me because it's so bright, crowded with teens and loud. I feel like I constantly have to say "It's for my daughter!" or people think I'm WAAAAY out of my league. (See, I'm fashion phobic!)

[Pollyanna]

I don't know guys -- I don't know many teens who like to keep clothes for very long, well-made or not.

You'd have to feel your dd out on this one for sure. My dd is likely an anomaly but prefers quality over quantity and has basics from when she was 14. She was just wearing some great jeans she got when she was 14 this past weekend. She just wears them with different tops and shoes now. She was also done growing at that age, lol.

[diggitydot]

As over-the-top as their brick & mortar stores can be, it's really best to take her in there so she can try things on. We've found some really well-fitting items there for our oldest that were trendy and worked well for her tiny waist and Kardashian-esque booty.

With their selection being so wide, there actually are some items in there that don't scream "I'm a teenager!" or "I'm trying to dress like a teenager!". You just have to keep a discerning eye. Some of their stuff is just too, too much, but you really have to just dig in and search because they have so. much. stuff.

[Sheherezade]

Yes -- I think my daughter might be in the same category as yours, Tara. She's close to done growing, I'd imagine. We've been sharing shoes for the last few years. She is not trendy but wants to fit in and look good. She loves the fact that she's found a "safety" outfit for every day. On the weekends, she ends up trying on fifty things, wearing them in her room and then changing in to jeans before we leave the house. I know she's just not comfortable in anything else. Comfortable as in "feels good about herself". We just got the guidelines for a 4 day trip the kids are taking and no jeans/sweats will be allowed. That's what has me planning ahead. Four days traveling is kind of a sucky time to wear new styles for the first time. We'll see if the school holds firm on the no jeans policy. (They want the girls in skirts or dress pants.)

[Sheherezade]

I'll be brave and try Forever 21 with her. Say a prayer for me.