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I’m starting to see a lot of “twinning” lately. It used to be and probably still is tacky to wear matching outfits with your spouse but now it’s cute to wear matching outfits with your toddler and even your best girl friend.  I didn’t come up with the term “twinning” but I love coordinating outfits with Luke and therefore I love twinning with him. I think it’s rare to see a mother and son have coordinating outfits but when it’s done right, it’s a total win!

I have to add a disclaimer that I’m not an expert on this twinning thing or that we do it all the time. It’s just fun to do when I have the time and energy to make it happen.  These are just some things that have worked for me. Also, I know my days of twinning with him may be ending soon so I figured I should have a post dedicated to it.

1. Start it or experiment with it when they’re still “babies.”

I started twinning with Luke when he was about a year old. You know, that time when he had no say on what to wear (well, he couldn’t talk then).  And come on, babies look cute in almost anything so it’s fun to experiment. Nowadays, I have a  threenager (being a toddler but acting like a teenager). He is starting to make his own outfit choices, which normally includes shirts with superheroes or cars on them . I try not to stop him from making his choices on what to wear, but I know my days of twinning may be coming with a lot of push back so I’m giving it a few more attempts.  Sooner or later, I’ll have to post on father and son twinning because Luke wants to be just like his daddy, which I find to the best greatest compliment as a mom.

2. It does not have to match. Work with what you have. 

Don’t get me wrong, matching is fun but it can be hard to find the exact match, especially for something in toddler and adult sizes.  I normally look through our closets (piles of clothes to be exact) and find if there are any good color combinations. Most of Luke’s clothes are gifts from family. So I try to figure out what we may have in common. I’ve found that we have black pants, stripes, and plaids in common.  Sometimes I’ll add to my wardrobe or his, but it has to be a good deal.

If you’re absolutely set on finding matching outfits, there are some awesome shops that sell twinning outfits/tops. One of my favorites is Whistle and Flute (see our shirts in Tip #7 below).

3. You don’t have to break the bank.

When I buy new clothes for Luke, it’s normally on clearance at the end of the season. To be honest, I’ve been shopping that way for myself for as long as I can remember. I don’t shop for his clothes or mine for the purpose of twinning or coordinating but sometimes a piece just jumps out at me and I know that one of us has something similar. For example, I bought the Hawaiian J.Crew shirt on clearance about three years ago. I saw a very similar one on Gymboree’s website earlier this year (on sale!) and knew I had to get it. I bought it in a size 4T for Luke, knowing he would grow into it for more opportunities to twin. Stores that I have found success are: Target, Carter’s, Gymboree, Zara, GapKids, Old Navy, and H&M.

4.  Shop/Look outside the box. 

Try to shop in both the boys and girls sections for your toddler and find items that are gender neutral. Girls jeggings can work well for boys leggings and vice versa. Also colorful pants are always adorable on toddlers, no matter the color. Finally, I found a plaid scarf for Luke that was in the girl’s section at Zara which looks very similar to a scarf I have. He’s starting to warm up to the idea of wearing scarves so hopefully a twinning scarves posting will make it the blog and Instagram very soon.

5. Don’t forget about the holidays. 

I find holidays such as the Fourth of July or Christmas as good reasons to dress up or dress down (if you just want to wear pajamas). For instance, red, white and blue are pretty easy to coordinate. Remember, I consider coordinating outfits twinning, especially for the Fourth of July. For Christmas last year, Luke and I got these matching Pajamagram PJs. It was so fun to lounge around the house in them, especially on Christmas morning.

6. When in doubt – Stripes.

I think wearing horizontal stripes made a comeback when people were convinced it doesn’t make them look bigger. I mean, look at the French, they have been wearing stripes for decades and always look chic. I own about a dozen striped shirts and I think Luke has about half a dozen. But sometimes mixing the stripes up is also fun. I found this dress at Old Navy this summer and happened to find a similar shirt for Luke there.  I love wearing this twinning outfit around town because the stripes are so bright and colorful.

7. Have Fun and Rock It! 

Last, but finally not least, have fun and rock it! Someone once jokingly asked me if Luke and I will still be coordinating outfits when he’s a teenager. My response: No! But I hope he looks back on these pictures and memories with fondness. Just as much as I have enjoyed writing this post. So get out there, find a fun mural/wall, and rock both your twinning styles!