My nephew and two nieces: Evan (left) Avery (Middle) and Morgan (Right)
I don’t have kids but I have quite a few nieces and a nephew. I have a lovely fourteen year-old niece named Beth through my husband, along with two nieces and a nephew through my sister– Morgan who is turning eight, Evan who is six and little Avery who is three. Not having kids myself, these nieces and nephew are my gems.
Good style runs in my genes. My grandmother, who is still alive at 84, never wore a pair of flats and we would joke that she didn’t take the garbage out without first applying lipstick. My mom is a lover of hats, is always perfectly coordinated and I think her favorite word after ‘sale’ is probably ‘outfit’ or maybe ‘scarf.’
My grandmother (left) in her younger stylish days and my mom (right) stylishly dressed at my wedding.
Well, it seems that the style legacy is continuing with my youngest niece Avery who has been requesting that my sister post Facebook photos of her in her outfits to show me. Honestly, I didn’t know that Avery even knew what I did for a living. “Post this for Beebs” she demands of my sister. (Bebe is my aunt name which has been further distilled down to just Beebs.)
Avery in a shirt I got her from The Green Onion, a children's store in Brooklyn that reads "My crazy aunt lives in Brooklyn." She thought needed to be accessorized with a pirate eye patch.
What makes Avery the most stylish is not so much what she wears, but how she wears it. She always has a bit of a ‘tude and loves dressing herself. As I like to say, being stylish isn’t so much what you wear but how you wear what you wear. Add to that, Avery has quite a personality. I was told yesterday that she was running through Target with her dress over her head and during a Skype video chat last night she had to do a dance for me. I love the freedom this child feels to do what she wants, when she wants and without any inhibitions. Though, we do need to get her dress back from over her head at some point, for sure.
Anyway, we don’t talk about kids much on this blog, but given the time of year and that many of you are thinking kids’ clothing, I thought I’d share why I think my niece Avery will be carrying out the style legacy.
Today's Outfit: Avery in a Lalaloopsy T-shirt and a pair of cropped pants from the Children's Place proving that good style doesn't need to be expensive
Avery in a Carters dress that she simply had to show me. Of course, a pose was struck
Avery insisted that the Lalaloopsy shirt be accessorized with a Dora hat
A younger photo of Avery. I indulge her interest in style by buying her expensive clothes she'll grow out of quickly. Like this awesome dress made out of recycled t-shirts
Avery in a hula skirt...just for hanging around in, there was no luau.
Avery keeping it real in the BK (Brooklyn, that is) for her Aunt Beebs
Avery pulling off a hat that was 2 sizes too big for her.
And she isn’t my only stylish niece. Next week when I am visiting my sister to attend my niece Morgan’s (Avery’s older sister) 8th birthday party, I hear that I am getting a fashion show of all her new back-to-school clothes. And given her look below, I can’t wait to see what she bought.
My niece Morgan rocking the Boho look
Bridgette Raes is the president of Bridgette Raes Style Group, author of the book Style Rx: Dressing the Body You Have to Create the Body You Want and a sought-after spokesperson, style expert and writer for many media outlets including CNN, Good Morning America and Real Simple Magazine. She and her Style Consultants are available worldwide for consultation, in-person or virtually.
