This week I was fortunate to spend some extra time with one of my nieces, Lauren. She is 12-years-old. Recently she set up an Instagram account where she anonymously posts pictures she takes. She was proudly showing me the pictures and I realized she has a great eye. Her favorite is this picture she took of her best friend.
I had a great idea and asked her, Lauren would you help me with a blog? She looked horrified and intrigued all-in-one. With a little hesitation, she agreed.
So here we go…meet Lauren. She is a goofball and never let’s me take a serious picture of her, I am lucky she wasn’t crossing her eyes or sticking her tongue out in these.
Lauren has few traits that are just like her favorite aunt…me, of course. We share a love of chocolate, sweets, ketchup, and playing volleyball.
She also has her own unique traits. She loves nature. She scored a perfect score on a standardized science test before she even had one science class. She has had soooo many pets, including a dog, cats, chameleon, hermit crab, fish, frogs, hamsters, and bunnies. She would also give every dime she has to a friend or family member if they needed it.
Why pick Lauren to give us her favorite picks for tweens? She is 100% honest – sometimes good…sometimes bad. Lauren is a typical tween, transitioning from being a girl to a young woman. Lauren no longer dreams of ruffles and tulle, she now wants to look trendy and age appropriate. Her clothes aren’t everything to her, but she still wants to look nice and feel pretty. She wants to look like she cares about how she looks, but not too much. She is just like every tween her age – she wants to stand-out and blend-in all at once.
It is a must to let Lauren help when buying her clothes, because if she doesn’t like your pick she WILL NOT wear it. For instance, when she went on spring break with me a couple years ago, I was surprised to find her mom hadn’t packed warm options for cooler days. At the end of the trip, I realized her mom did. Lauren didn’t want to wear jeans and long sleeves so she hid them under her bed.
I gave Lauren free reign to pick her top looks for summer, what she would actually wear. So from my favorite tween, here are Lauren’s picks that she is sure your tween will love.
Pick One
Lauren loved this top by Jak & Peppar. She loves light pink and the split back that opens up to reveal the lace detail underneath. I have to admit that I have always liked this tank, but until my niece showed me, I had not noticed the unique details in the back. Like I said, she has a great eye. This top could be perfectly paired with shorts, jeans, or capris.
Pick Two
Like most tweens, Lauren is up for this summer’s romper trend. This was her fav. The unique fabric patterns and color combinations were a hit. In addition, she really liked the short and skirt combination. She was also partial to the long, flowing skirt. A fun and fashionable option for summer.
Pick Three & Four
Again, you will see Lauren can’t pass-up a pretty pink top. In addition to the color, she thought the “scrunched-up” sides and bow make this tank from Splendid extra cute. In addition to pink, she loves olive which drew her to these shorts, but the fringe around the bottom put them on the top of her list. One of Lauren’s favorite color combinations is pink and olive green. I would have to agree this pairing is very appealing both casual and on trend.
Pick Five & Six
Another trend for summer, off the shoulder dresses. Lauren spotted this dress and top from Dex and declared it another summer must-have. In addition, to the off-shoulder cut, she fell for the ruffle around the shoulder of the dress and shirt. She also thought the little straps were nice and very practical, making the top easier to wear. Because, let’s face it, tweens are active and not always lady-like. This dress and top need some help to stay in place. Again, she was drawn to the unique pattern of the dress. In contrast, she likes a more toned-down color and patterned top. This seems to be a pattern in Lauren’s selections.
Must Have Shoes
After Lauren made her picks, I asked her if she could choose any shoes to go with her selections what would it be. She immediately responded, Birkenstocks. I guess I was a little surprised she is already into Birks. They are a smash with high schoolers and college students, evidently tweens have been paying attention. She didn’t believe me when I told her when I was in college I wore Birkenstocks. I had traveled to Germany where I bought three pair, one of which was covered with flowers – no one in Indiana had these. She wasn’t impressed.
She found this pair at Birkenstock.com – olive green, of course. Cute and practical, again, she’s got good taste. Unfortunately, she wears women’s sizes so she will be paying women’s prices. Bummer. My 21-year-old has just discovered because her feet are so little she can buy them in kids sizes, score-one for being 5’2″. LOL
I really think Lauren made nice choices your tween will love. Especially tweens ready to transition from frilly and pretty to a little more grown-up clothes while still hitting the mark in design and fashion.
For more great looks for tweens visit us at LaBellaFlora.com. From frilly to not-so-frilly we have great designer looks for your tween at great summer sale prices. And, don’t miss out on our free shipping coupon FUN18.
Happy Shopping!