Dear Baby, Please Do Not Ignore The Following...

Fashion and beauty advice I hope my daughter actually listens to

My daughter recently turned 1, at her birthday celebration I asked our guests to write some "advice" for her to read on her 18th birthday. Reading through the responses got me thinking about which pearl of wisdom I should share with her. It was difficult to put just one piece of advice down on paper, so instead I came up with a bunch. Of course with my mommy hat on I came up with enough slices of advice to fill a self-help book. I will spare you the serious stuff and share some of the more relatable, advice. Specifically my fashion and beauty advice, of course!

So which fashion and beauty "rules" have I decided to pass down to my daughter? 

1. Well, the #1 rule is; there are no rules! Why put restrictions on something that is meant to be creative, fun and representative of each of our own personal style? Rules in fashion restrict the development of personal style. Without your own personal style what is the point of getting dressed? I say, wear a mixture of patterns at once, wear two different socks, wear white after labor day, know that you don't have to always wear whats "trending", and always wear whatever you feel comfortable in. Ignore the rules, this is probably the one and only time I will say this, since I am such a stickler for rule following in general. 

2. Invest in good clothing. After getting that "there are no rules" thingy out of the way I admit I have to impose ONE TEENY, TINY SHOPPING rule. That advice that magazines and fashion guru's give which direct us to invest in quality, well made clothing and accessories is some good solid advice! You're way better off investing a tad more and ending up with stuff in your closet that you can hand down to your own daughter one day. Quality clothing also looks better when its on your body, it washes easier (less dry cleaning, you may think better stuff = dry clean only but that's not the case), it FITS better, and makes you look more polished. 

3. Think of where your clothing comes from, and where it will end up. Elaborating on the above point, disposable clothing is just that, its stuff you will eventually send straight to a landfill. Consider if child or low paid labourers were used in the manufacturing process, also are the materials used synthetic? Cheapo clothing is just not environmentally sustainable. Many large companies are taking note of this today and are striving to create special collections made from sustainable materials and practices. H&M for example has created the Conscious line which strives to: be ethical, be climate smart, recycle, reduce, reuse, use natural resources responsibly. 

4. Read magazines. You know, like the actual paper magazines that you find on a newsstand. My mother used to allow me to have magazine subscriptions when I was younger and it sparked my love of fashion. Not to mention it encouraged me to just READ, which is still one of my favourite past times. I have never been a  fan of online magazines, and E-readers, I'm weary of tech overload, and I feel strongly that books should never become extinct.

5. Leave things to the professionals. Do not attempt to wax your own bikini (been there) don't cut your own bangs (done that) don't pick at cuticles or bite your nails (gross). Leave it in the hands of processionals who know what they are doing, and use sterilized equipment. Also it is a good excuse for a spa day! You better believe I will be encouraging my daughter to have a standing appointment for a manicure every three weeks. I've been trying to teach her about self-care since the day she was born. Every day I explain to her that I'm changing her, cleaning her, combing her hair, cutting her nails etc. I think taking care of yourself and loving yourself is something that has to start young so she can grow up to be confident and in control of her own body. 

6. Always take your make up off before bed. If you go to bed with your mascara on it can irritate your eyes, leading to conjunctivitis and cause eye lash breakage. Why would you want bacteria to build up on such  a delicate part of your face? Icky. Need I say more? 

7. Dress for yourself. Please don't dress for a man. Seriously though. If someone can't accept your CLOTHES what makes you think they are going to accept your personality, your beliefs, your quirks, your weaknesses? Dress for yourself, refer to rule #1, dont let any boy/man/woman/stranger/friend judge you based on your personal style...

8. You're more than your clothes. There's nothing wrong with having nice clothes, dressing nicely and looking polished. It doesn't make you shallow, unless you ACT shallow. If you enjoy styling and dressing yourself in chic clothes remember there is always more to the woman than her clothes. Your outfit may speak to your personality  but it shouldn't determine your personality.

Would you add anything to my rule book? Feel free to share below your thoughts on fashion and beauty rules for young girls.