Why I dress my twins the same.
I admit it. I am that twin mom. The one I swore I would never be. The one I kind of judged a little before I even had kids. Now I have twins, and I totally get it. I dress my twins alike. Not just once in a while, I dress my twins the same almost every day.
No, I’m not crazy. Yes, I recognize I have two unique children that just happened to be born at the same time. There are several good reasons for doing this. Here is why I dress my twins the same.
What's In This Post?
Why I Dress My Twins the Same
I’m sure if you don’t have twins or don’t dress your twins the same, you have wondered what in the world a mom like me is thinking. Well, here is what I am thinking when I dress my twins the same.
It Is Easier
The number one reason I dress my twins the same? It is easier!
I only pick out one outfit for both girls. It’s a little thing, but it saves on the mental load I carry. We all know how big that can get so anything I can do to be easier is a good thing.
It is easier to keep my twin’s clothes organized. Outfits are stored as sets so there is no digging for clothes. Clothes don’t get lost because they are kept together.
Shopping is faster, cheaper, and easier. I am on a budget and shop sales only. This makes it harder to find cute clothing in the right size sometimes. So when I find something I like I grab two.
Yes, I look for similar shirts in different colors, but that isn’t always an option. If I find something cute for cheap? You can bet I am grabbing two.
(Learn the easiest way to store your twin clothing—> How To Organize Twin Clothes)
It Eliminates My Fear of Playing Favorites
My husband tells me I am crazy to think this, but other twin moms have confirmed this fear. I worry I am playing favorite by dressing one girl in a ‘cuter’ outfit.
While I think I have a nice sense of style and I do my best to dress my girls in a cute manner (easy to do, they are adorable), I am not a fashion expert. Playing around and getting distinct yet cute outfits is not my forte. Nor does it fit into my time-saving goals.
The other issue that comes up is when I find a particularly awesome shirt or outfit for my twins. I love all the girl power slogans right now. So how do I decide who gets to wear that? Who do I want to embrace all the ideals I love?
It’s easy. I buy two, and both girls wear them.
They Like It
Ali and Sammy are two years old now, so I can ask them what they think about matching. And so far they always say yes to matching. They really seem to get a kick out of wearing the same thing! Seriously, they point to their sister, then themselves, and smile and giggle. They like it.
I’ve let the girls pick out their clothes from time to time. This isn’t an everyday occurrence. I’m the mom and I have final say. But when I do give them the freedom to choose they always choose the same shirt. I don’t know if it is just a twin thing or coincidence, but they come out of the shirt bin with the same shirt every time. I take that as a hint they like it.
The moment my girls tell me they don’t like to match it is done. Their opinions of what they wear matters. But as long as they like it I see no harm in it.
Safety
Ali and Sammy, as I said, are just 2. That means they are big enough to walk on their own and run around, but they are still little enough to run off or make some bad choices. Having them in matching outfits makes it easier to visually keep track of both of them.
This is especially true when we drop Ben off at preschool. There are a lot of little ones running around, and it is a safe place for the girls to get to play a bit. They don’t need to be right with me. I can easily pick them out of the crowd of little people by looking for the two matching outfits.
Fortunately, I’ve never had to use this one, but if one of my twins gets lost, it is easy to remember what she is wearing. She is wearing what her sister has on.
Seriously, even though I dress my kids every morning in a stressful moment I might not remember what they are wearing. If we are out somewhere and one girl gets lost it will be easy for me to share what she is wearing with helpers. I hope I never have to use this, but it does make me feel a little better.
(Learn when I make sure to always dress my twins differently for safety—> When You Should Dress Your Twins Differently)
It Forces Me To Know My Twins as Individuals
Wait, dressing twins alike means I know them as individuals more? Absolutely. When my girls were newborns I rarely dressed them alike. I wanted to make sure I knew who was who.
Babies, while all unique and wonderful, don’t always have a ton of identifying personality traits now. Let’s be real, they eat, sleep, poop. Dressing twins differently is super helpful during this time. Now that my girls are toddlers they do have distinct personalities. What they wear doesn’t change that.
Wearing the same clothes makes me really look at my twins. I don’t just see a pink shirt and think ‘Ali!’ I look at the girl and know who she is. Even though my twins are identical, there are subtle differences between them.
Ali’s hair falls more to one side than Sammy’s. Sammy has a twinkle in her eye when she thinks something is funny, but not always a huge grin. These little differences are what make them Sammy and Ali and not just ‘the twins.’
(Learn more ways to focus on your twins as individuals—> How To Encourage Individuality in Toddler Twins)
Individuality Is More Than Clothing
I think the biggest argument against dressing twins alike is that you don’t see them as individuals. I think that is not true. You can completely know your twins as two unique people and still dress them alike.
There are a lot of benefits to dressing twins the same. And I think age is a big factor. Dressing two-year-olds the same is very different from forcing 12-year-olds to dress alike.
I think the biggest factor, the most important factor, is how your twins feel about dressing the same. As long as my twins like it, I don’t see the problem. The moment Sammy or Ali says she doesn’t want to dress like her twin? We’re done with it.
My twins also recognize themselves as individuals. If I ever fear they are having trouble with their own sense of individuality, no more dressing alike. But these are issues that I don’t think come up with toddlers.
My twins like dressing alike. It is easier for me when my twins dress the same. So I don’t care what other people think. I am that twin mom, and I own it.
Here are some more posts I think you’ll like!
How To Tell Identical Twins Apart
Should You Dress Your Twins Alike?
How To Get Your Twins on a Schedule
Breastfeeding Twins: The Ultimate Resource Guide
How To Help Your Twins Sleep: A Resource Guide
Tania
Wednesday 16th of October 2019
Thanks so much for this article. Really needed to read it! I have 3 year identical twin girls who I dress the same. They are different personalities and love being dressed alike. I am being asked to dress them differently by their nursery and have been debating how to approach it only shows laziness on the part of the staff!
Kim
Wednesday 16th of October 2019
I'm so glad it helped you out! If your twins like matching they should match! It's fun. I hope the nursery staff takes the time to get to know them as individuals so clothing won't matter so much. :)
Laura
Thursday 4th of October 2018
I've never thought it's weird to dress twins alike. I don't dress my twins alike all the time simply because they look so much alike that people mix them up, even I mix them up sometimes. Also, my twins are boys so they don't care much about what they wear. But, I think it's cute to dress twins alike.
Kim
Thursday 4th of October 2018
If someone else is watching the girls I usually dress them differently too. Why make it harder for others to tell them apart? I think it is cute to dress them alike too. It's fun!