Fun Back To School Looks For Tween Girls

Since Natalie is getting older, she's getting pickier about what she'll wear. I used to be able to put her in anything:

But now she has an...opinion. Granted, she is 9, so I knew it was coming. But it can be frustrating going to a store and being like, "Oh, I love this!" knowing that it will look adorable on your daughter....but then she dashes your dream and goes, "I'm not wearing that. It looks like a weird bag."

So we compromise now. 

I want her to dress like a little girl. Not little little girl. But 9. Fourth grade 9. I see some of her classmates at school in tiny shorts and tight shirts that show off their growing buds (dies) and I think to myself, "No, no, and no. Not my little girl." But I can tell Natalie is beginning to want to test her boundaries. She'll show me a short skirt. She'll ask about the tight shirt. But I say no. And I direct her to other choices.

This is Gymboree. I guess they call it vintage Gymboree since the line came out a few years ago. It was the Petite Mademoiselle line and I actually bought this dress when Natalie was small. Probably like two-years-old small. My husband didn't understand. But I loved it and knew she'd eventually fit in it.

It actually comes with a matching jacket, but it made her look like Diane Keaton in Baby Boom so it was used as a prop.

The next dress is from the new Cat&Jack line at Target:

She's pairing it with some black capri leggings. 

She liked it because it's "sparkly."

The heart sunglasses are from Old Navy.

Since Natalie likes sparkly things, it's only natural that she'd want the sequined shirts from Justice.

The next choice is another outfit from the Cat&Jack line at Target:

She's always loved dinosaurs. And I love how the outfit is age-appropriate. 

Here's the back of the shirt:

Natalie loves emojis, so she "needed" this outfit from The Children's Place:

That's an emoji bracelet and headband.

And finally, we have another outfit from The Children's Place. 

I'd say she's ready to go back to school. She picked out a Disney villains backpack from Hot Topic:

Do you have arguments about clothes with your kids?