There is a trend in Spain of parents dressing their children alike. They children may be 1, 5 , and 10 years old and all have some version of the same outfit on. In America, some parents dress twins alike, but I have never seen this way of dressing children before. It seems to be a way to show a family’s status, that they are wealthy enough to buy clothes that are matching, and a way to show that they are a respectable, posh family. I have not been able to find any insights on this other than the families and clothes advertising I saw in Spain.
My friend told me to look out for this, as she has been baffled by it since she has moved to Spain, and lo and behold, we saw a prime example. It was a Saturday in Madrid in an expensive street of shops, and a family passed us-a mother pushing a baby in a stroller, her husband walking next to her, and their two mid-elementary aged children with them. The baby had a light blue plaid smocked outfit peeking out from under his blanket. The boy had the same blue plaid fabric as a shirt, and the girl had the same fabric as a dress. Very interesting! Later that day, I saw a family-a mother, father, daughter and son- crossing a street and was able to take a picture of their outfits. The boy and girl both had bright red pants and waist length jackets on.
I then saw a window display at a classy department store advertising the latest children’s fashions. The mannequins were shown with identical hair and clothes, or slightly different versions of the same outfits. This way of dressing children in obviously marketed to the parents and children with great effect.
Children are physically an extension of their parents. Parents see their children as a reflection of themselves and the type of family they have. Some parents use their children as status symbols, to show off their wealth and perceived familial happiness. The trend I observed in Spain seemed to be a type of status symbol. It is a type of clothing that can be seen from far away, compared to clothes brand names and logos. The children become the parents logo for their wealthy lifestyle.
