Style a mini me

Matching outfits take family bonding to the next level

The greatest bond is that of a family, and we often experience an intrinsic desire to display our love for them in myriad ways. One of the popular ways to display affection is by dressing up in matching attire when going out and about.

Many families also love to click and frame family photos in similar outfits for a picture-perfect look.

The trend of wearing matching outfits with children is becoming more common and has given rise to another variation, "mini-me", where adults and youth dress in identical outfits.

Its rise in popularity has inspired leading designers from all around the globe to adopt the concept into their collections.

Young children themselves are fascinated with the idea of twinning with their parents, and plays a role in positive in their life. Sharing the same style makes them feel special, which in turn boosts their self-esteem, strengthens family bonds and instils a sense of belonging.

Without a doubt, this new fashion trend displays a close relationship between parents and their children.

Clothing trends for 2021

The new fall-winter 2020-2021 collection is distinguished by bright colours that aim to appeal to every child. Shades of red, coral, green, blue, mint, and bright yellow are trending this season.

Fashion houses are now working towards removing gender norms and stereotypes with unisex clothing options to give boys and girls an equally chic look.

From mini-me to couple wear

Couple wear, where two people in a relationship dress in matching outfits, is a great way to

 Showcase companionship and love. For many people, part of being in love brings a desire to own something their partner has, or to share something unique with them. Many also love to show their dedication to their significant other, and this is a great way to display affection.

For me, valentine>s day was the best time of the year to launch this collection and let the couples celebrate this day by wearing matching outfits.

Buyer patterns are you noticing in the matching outfits category of fashion with younger couples vs. Family matching? Type of apparel that they are choosing, accessories like sunglasses, colours, designs etc.

Home has become an important part of daily life, with the ongoing pandemic, and this has led to a new fashion scene - "designed-for-digital". Accessories and outfits that resonate on a zoom call or in an Instagram post, ranging from statement earrings and iridescent colours. Masks, too, were never a part of the attire once upon a time, but now couples and families are donning matching masks as a fashion statement, something that was unheard before 2020.

There is also a rising popularity of DIY options, like gel manicure kits in the beauty space, which makes sense given the difficulty of staying physically distant.

Luxury fashion has been having its own DIY moment as well. Examples include a colour-blocked JW Anderson cardigan that became the focus of a viral crocheting challenge on the mobile video platform TikTok, and former Givenchy artistic director Clare Waight Keller who showed new york times readers how to make a blanket cape in the newspaper's designer DIY series.

Meghshree Sharma is the Founder and CEO of www.matchingfamilyoutfits.com