When I was a little girl, I loved all things stereotypically girly. Lace, chiffon, beads, dresses, long hair, jewelry, tights, satin– all of it (though I preferred green over pink)! I was constantly begging my mother to allow me to get my ears pierced, and I even started ballet so that I could wear a tutu. Yup, that was me.
I think all this “girliness” baffled my parents, neither of whom would have intentionally perpetuated that in me. Both of them were raised in post-war Taiwanese families, where they were taught to value intelligence over apparel, and character over beauty. Still, I was just about the girliest little girl in town. Any form of adornment that would make me look more like a Disney princess– I ate it up.
3-year-old me! (Those are clip-on earrings.)
As I’ve grown, I’ve learned that there is so much more to beauty than a face, and so much more to being a woman than dressing up. While I still have my insecurities when it comes to makeup, I have learned to enjoy pretty things for what they are, no more and no less.
What I’m wearing: Ann Taylor blouse / Sisley skirt / Lace tights from Target
When I put this outfit together, I was reminded of who I was as a little girl. This is not an outfit I’d wear everyday, but perhaps to a special event in winter where I feel compelled to get a little more dressed up than usual.
Just enjoyed our complex’s playground to remind myself of the little girl inside!
Did you like “girly” things when you were younger? How have your tastes changed over time? I’d love to know!
Aw thanks so much! Yes, almost winter break! 🙂
Thank you so much Serli! I love wearing tights, especially under shorts!! And it’s so cool to learn a bit more about how you dress, because you do vintage so well! I’m really impressed actually! And good luck with everything going on at school– it’s a busy time of year, but you’ll get through it! 🙂
Lovely outfit!!! I love the blush colored top and printed skirt with the matching tights. This year in particular, I am having a lot of fun adding tights to my outfits. It’s such an easy way to turn summer outfits into fall :). I’ve been MIA lately because of a busy semester but I’ve still been dressing up often ;). I love your baby picture! You are sooo cute! It’s funny, I never used to be girly. My mom would dress me up in cute dresses when I was too young to dress myself but once I was old enough, I just wore “whatever clothes” to school, up until I graduated college. I just needed something to wear to get me to class and back. Two years ago, I discovered vintage inspired clothing and my wardrobe has changed completely! It’s become part of my identity and it’s been such a big positive change in my life. I love that people notice, too!
xo, Serli
http://www.lesoleilchic.blogspot.com
Thanks Amanda!! xo
Thank you so much Jasmin! Hahaha that must have been a funny moment for your mom! And I’m glad I grew out of my obsession… I was pretty ridiculous!
Thank you!!
Thanks so much!! 🙂 Ooh I would have loved lacy socks if I knew about them… And I never really thought about it but children’s clothing does tend to be in bright colors, especially girls’. I remember wearing tons of printed leggings, pretty sure I looked ridiculous.
Thanks girl! I appreciate it!! 🙂
Considerably more practical, especially for climbing trees & frolicking & what not. :]
Such a great post! Loving these photos, both past and present!
xo Southern Style
Cute photo of three-year-old you! When I was really little, I also loved girly stuff – I still remember I always had to wear lacy socks. I spent large part of my childhood trying to avoid skirts and dresses though. Not because I didn’t like the form, but because I never liked the stuff in my size or general children’s stuff in bright colors!
You were so adorable! And I love love love the blouse you’re wearing! x
What a lovely post and cute outfit! I was exactly the same way when I was a little girl. I still remember how I nicked my mum’s lipstick, hid behind the TV and smeared it all over my face – all at the age of 4. It was hilarious. I still love girly things from time to time, but other things have definitely become more important…just like you said 🙂
Jasmin xx
http://www.whatdefinesus.com
such a pretty outfit! love the pieces you’re wearing!
styleandchocolates.blogspot.com
Thank you so much Laura 🙂
Thank you Gina! I enjoyed putting it together 🙂 Really appreciate your sweet words, friend!
Thank you Denise! You are so kind! And I love your style… it’s not super girly but it’s YOU and it’s great!!
Aw thank you Heidi!! 🙂
Aw I loved sparkly things and jewelry… good thing the holidays are around the corner!! 🙂 And thank you Jackie!
Thank you so much Kimberley! so glad you enjoyed this, and thank you for stopping by 🙂
Hahah that’s so funny– my parents probably felt the same way. And I love lace, bows, and sequins too 🙂 They’re especially perfect around this time of year!
Aw thank you Maggie! You are so kind and are such an encouraging person all around!
Thank you Katherine!! You are so kind 🙂 And you might not be super girly, but you have an incredible eye for aesthetics, as evidenced by your amazing photos!
Aw thank you Audrey! And you’re right, there are so many different things that go into what it means to be feminine, and we get to define that for ourselves! So glad you enjoyed this post! 🙂
Aw of course! I loved reading your blog post and getting to know you better 🙂 And it sounds like we were very similar as children… I would have wanted to be a model too if I knew what that was back then! And I can tell that even without dance classes you grew up to be a sweet and elegant woman!! You always say such encouraging things here and I so deeply appreciate it!! So glad to be getting to know you through blogging, Jeannette!
Haha that’s funny– I tried to be a tomboy for a few months in elementary school… it did not go well. And thank you Rachel!
Hahah I’m glad I wasn’t alone Sarah! Oh, sequins– I almost forgot about those. Loved them. So glad we have that in common 😉
Thank you Rachel!! You are so sweet:) Oh my goodness I LOVED velvet back in the 90s as well.. haha.
Aw thank you so much Francesca!
Thanks Carolyn!! Hahah yes, my mom also tried to squelch the super girly part of me, and it didn’t really work. And I love your style Carolyn!
Thank you Erin! You’re always so sweet. And I’m glad I got over my princess obsession… eventually 😉
Hahah thank you Carmen!! I like the blouse too 🙂 And I feel you– actually, I’ve been wearing shorts a lot more lately because it’s more practical!
Aw thank you India! And YES!! Princesses totally had long hair, I wanted long hair all the time. Ironically right now, I’ve been dying to get a haircut… and making do with a curling iron meanwhile. You’re so kind, thanks so much:)
Thank you Corinne! I loved frills too; thank goodness that’s calmed down a bit. And thanks– I’m actually pretty bad at doing my own hair, and really need a haircut!
Aw thanks Ivete!! And oh my goodness I loved stealing my mom’s jewelry and accessories… haha.
Aw thank you Kathrine, that’s really kind of you!
Thank you Nabihah! And that’s fun– I think I liked going outside, but had to pretend I was a princess of some sort (I know, I was ridiculous!). And yes, stereotypical “girliness” is definitely not all it means to be a woman! Thank goodness we can grow out of that notion!
Thanks Deniz! Well I’m glad you are because I seriously love every single one of your outfits!
Aw thank you so much Shannon! 🙂
Haha sometimes I think living with boys makes you feel like you have to stand up for your own femininity! I’m glad you get to do that everyday with your style, I love seeing your outfits! And thank you– that is really kind of you. 🙂
Haha that’s so funny, I used to think I was supposed to be a hippie but I’m much too Type A for that. And that is so sweet about you and the swings… I love the swings too!! They really are so fun and carefree 🙂
Thank you!! Yeah, I’ve definitely become a little less girly than I was back then, thank goodness! 🙂
Thank you Rachel! And I love the way you think about style… as art. It helps us to find more creative ways to express ourselves on a daily basis!
Thank you so much Hannah! I really appreciate you stopping by 🙂
Thanks Chelsea!! So glad you’re back to being girly, you rock so many great looks!
Thanks Jlynn!! Yeah, I had a few fashion identity crises throughout my life… Is your blog up, by the way?
Wow! And hahaha I know exactly what you mean by the styles of the Barney kids… and it sounds like your style has been everywhere. As you know I had an Abercrombie phase where I thought I had to wear it or I would die… haha so glad we’ve both recovered and regained confidence in our own favorite pieces!
Haha that’s great. As a kid i think it’s much more practical to wear jeans and a t-shirt…
Haha me too! Thanks girl!
Thank you so much Brooke! And me too, I would even cry when I wasn’t wearing a dress and one of my friends was… I was obsessed. And like you, I eventually had a tomboy phase around age 10; it didn’t last! So glad you’re back to your feminine style now because I love it!
Thank you so much Shauna!! Bows are adorable, and can also be super elegant.
Thank you Jaelan! And that’s neat, I wish I weren’t so obsessed back then.
Thank you Shannon!! 🙂 It was fun to reminisce. And my mom wanted me to be into Power Rangers because they were… empowered! Haha
I love your blouse, it’s so pretty
xo
http://www.laurajaneatelier.com
This is so cute! I think the outfit you put together looks beautiful! It’s chic, pretty and unique! I love all the texture and girly-ness about it!
Loving how adorable you look! I hated girly things for a giant part of my life, so I try to do it a bit more now. You put this together so well and I really love that top and that bracelet. So gorgeous, as always!
Denise
http://www.fashionloveletters.com
I love this feminine look on you! The blush blouse is so beautiful.
Heidi D.
http://www.wishesandreality.com
i didn’t love dresses when i was a kid but i did love sparkly things and jewelry. aaaand i still love those things! love your outfit!
Your photos are amazing, I love that I found your blog!
Eleventh & Sixteenth
I was exactly the same way. My parents are both engineers, so they always just wanted me to be smart. They’re not into all of the extra stuff, but all I ever wanted to do was play with my dolls. I think I shocked them at first. I haven’t really changed either. I still wear anything with lace, or bows, or sequins!
Emily
http://adorableandaffordable.weebly.com
I always love reading your inspiring and thoughtful posts, Daisy. You always offer such personal insight to this blogging world, and I appreciate it so much! And besides, your outfit is gorgeous! 🙂
Maggie
http://www.PolishedClosets.com
Aww I love this post! You look so pretty!! I wasn’t that girly growing up. I have a brother so I didn’t grow up that girly and only had one Barbie doll and not a tutu in sight! Nowadays, I’m a little girly but I think I’m still the same as I was growing up! I wear a lot of dark colors!!
Katherine Lou
http://www.wanderhour.com
Love your post! It’s so nice to get a personal look into what inspires someone’s style. I think we all go through our girly phases and as women, embracing that femininity on top of the intelligence we’ve acquired can be very powerful. Love seeing both of those qualities in motion with you! xx
Audrey | http://www.keygypsy.com
Hello beautiful Daisy! First, thanks so much for the lovely message you left on my blog. It meant a lot to me:-) I, like you always dreamed about having long hair and wearing tutus… My mom always kept my hair really short (like the boy cut) when I was younger and limited resources didn’t allow my parents to enroll me in dance class or modeling courses like I would’ve loved to. However, I was raised with lots of love and good values and that is what have allowed me to be who I am right now. And after getting older I have kept me hair long for the longest time!!! You look adorable in that outfit, so feminine and lady like. That baby picture of you is adorable and yes! You were a very girly girl! You have cultivated an interior beauty that shines through your physical self and that is beautiful. Wanting to celebrate who we are by expressing our passions and likes is part of this human experience and we do it by wearing lots of pretty clothes, earrings and writing about what we love through our blogs. Blessings to you always! XOXO, Jeannette
http://www.msjeannieandhercloset.com
I feel like I’ve actually started appreciating more “girly” things like….sparkles (haha!) as I’ve gotten older! I was a bit of a tomboy as a kid. I love your ruffled skirt!
I definitely was exactly like that as a little girl. My mom tells people my toddler-style icon was Madonna – lace, satin, and sequins. And yep, I still love them all. The girlier the better.
Love those colors together!
– Sarah 🙂
http://www.thecrownbijoux.blogspot.com
Looking stunning Daisy- I love the blouse! How cute is your childhood picture?! I totally had a floral and lace dress like that too! I was the girliest child- forever in florals, sparkles and velvet (gotta love the 90s) and I would say I’m still pretty girly now 🙂
Rachel xx
http://www.thedailyluxe.net
These outfit’s details are really cute *_*
kisses
Francesca http://everydaycoffee23.blogspot.it
adorable throwback picture! my parents never indulged my desires to be a princess when I was little, so I think I grew up more girly because of that 😉
http://heyprettything.com
Aw love the depth of this outfit post! So fun to hear about how you were when you were little. I think most little girls went through their princess phase at least once! 🙂 Love this outfit on you. So pretty!
xo Erin
http://www.winkandatwirl.com
I love this look. It’s totally, fully, wholly 100% girly, maybe even 101%! The blouse is my favorite. As for me, I grew into (& still am growing) into my femininity & girlishness. I’ll wear shorts over a skirt any day. Baby steps. :] // â–² itsCarmen.com â–²
Thanks Joanna! And yes I love your feminine style 🙂
Right! I actually forgot to mention that I didn’t love pink growing up either. I liked green… oddly enough!
Hahaha oh my goodness that is so funny!!! You were quite the active child! I was the opposite of active… I pretty much just wanted to sit around and have tea parties with my friends… haha. And thank you, Shireen!
Thanks Katie! I appreciate you stopping by 🙂
That is so, so funny! I had friends who hated being girly too, and I didn’t understand it (I had a tomboy phase when I was 10… that was not good). And I wish I could have stayed with ballet! I quit when I was 12 because the performances were getting a bit too demanding!
Thanks so much Amy Ann!
Thanks Amanda!! 🙂
Thank you so much Miri! And I loved ruffles as a little girl. And you have great style, so why change? 😉
Happy Monday to you as well 😉 Yeah… I was over the top (though my mom kind of held me back).
Thank you so much!! 🙂
Ah you were so cute! I was exactly the same, I used to wear long pretty dresses and bangles and cried whenever my hair got cut as “princesses had long hair”. Speaking of, your hair looks amazing here! So sleek and long and curled beautifully 🙂
India / Touchscreens & Beautyqueens
Too Faced Giveaway
Aww, you were adorable as a little girl. I used to love wearing big frilly dresses when I was younger.
Your hair looks so nice styled like this.
Corinne x
http://www.skinnedcartree.com
Omigosh, how adorable were you?! Such a little cutie. I was never really a girly girl per se, but I did enjoy dressing up in my mom’s slips and hair scarves. You look very pretty in your grownup girly outfit!
http://www.girlinahotcity.com
Love this feminine look! I am not super girly when I dress but love seeing this style on beautiful ladies like you. 🙂
http://www.kathrineeldridge1.wordpress.com
I love that blouse! Was definitely not a girly girl, I had dozens of barbies but I always opted to play outside and run around! I’m now much more into makeup, fashion and beauty as well as reading and watching documentaries (the feminist inside me is trying make being girly more than just about pretty things!).
thesundaywardrobe.blogspot.com
This is such a cute look! I especially love the silk blouse with the gold button details (: I have always been a girly girl and I feel like it won’t ever change (:
– Deniz
http://www.dressedupdeniz.com
So gorgeous!! Loving the blush paired with the print of the skirt! And what a cutie you were, we’ll still are! 🙂
<3 Shannon
Upbeatsoles.blogspot.com
I am still a girlie girl at this age. Love dressing up and sometimes I feel weird specially since I live with three boys but this is who I am and it does not mean I think looking pretty is my priority but I always make sure I give that time to myself.
I love your outfit and your beautiful picture from past is so so adorable. Thank you for sharing that with us.
xo
Elmira
http://www.wellputtogetherstylebyelmira.com
I loved all things girly too. My oldest is definitely like that now too…she prefers skirts and dresses above all else. I swear she was born in the wrong era…she would have been greta with the classic styles of the 50’s! By the way…when I’m at a playground I can’t pass up the swing…they take me back to childhood and carefree days!
Such a pretty look! I was girly when I was younger but then in middle school – college I turned away from it, haha. Although now I enjoy a girly look from time to time
http://www.closet-fashionista.com/
That’s an adorable outfit, I absolutely love it! I was the same way when I was little, however I got my ears pierced at age four. When I got a little older I had a couple awkward years, and the pictures of both my hair and clothing were pretty awful. 😉 For me I love style because it’s like art; I match colors and textures the same as I do paint. I love being able to use a few items and get many different outfit. I also just love pretties.
what a great top!
http://www.jjfaust.com
by Hannah Josephine
I like this outfit, I have never been a fan of tights but maybe it’s because I rarely wore them as a teen and such. But i do love this top color and style, it would be great dressed down or up like today’s look. My mom dressed me well, I was a skater tomboy in HS but now back to being girly (thank goodness) 🙂
XO Chelsea http://www.shesaidhesaidfashion.com
I was on a roller coaster. I was girly then I was a tomboy… I did that cycle quite a few times and I guess I’ve ended up somewhere in the middle. I guess I’m still trying to figure this one out haha! Cute post, Love love that top!!
I’ve actually gone the opposite way. I grew up a 90’s child so as for “tastes in fashion,” there were none. My mom dressed my sister and I like every child you saw on Barney. Which meant lots of colorful “swish” shorts/ pants and bright T’s. As I crept into the teen years I was really unhealthy and over weight. So it was dark colors, big shirts, anything to “hide.” My confidence came around in high school when I became more active and joined more extra curriculars. But really I dressed like a mirror image of an American Eagle magazine. I didn’t have a “style.” During my college years my actual “style” became prominent. To my surprise I guess you could label my style “girly.” I love soft colors, but enjoy the occasional darker trends. I wear pearls with absolutely everything and love putting makeup on. When you look into my past it doesn’t get much more drastic than that. (;
I think I was a girly-girl until I was about 5 years old, then I HATED wearing dresses. I had to always wear jeans and a t-shirt. I look back at photos of me in elementary school and I look super grungy. haha. I ventured back to my girly ways later in life. 🙂
Was girly then, am girly now, will always be girly. 😉 Glad to know I’m not alone! Beautiful Daisy! Xo, Alison
http://www.simplyfairbyalisonjeanine.com
You are so feminine and beautiful! When I was little, I was super girly, my mom said I refused to wear anything other than dresses. The funny thing is, right around eight years old, I took turn and was a total tomboy, my mom said it was the craziest thing, lol. Now of course, I’m back to being my girly self!
Brooke
http://www.pumpsandpushups.com
I am obsessed with bows right now! This blouse color is so different, I love it! Beautiful all the way around 🙂
Shauna
http://www.lipglossandlace.net
I wasn’t super concerned with girly stuff growing up. I have always liked dresses, but I was perfectly happy in a pair of jeans and a t shirt. Now, though, I feel like my style has definitely turned into a much more feminine style.
LOVE your outfit, Daisy!
Love this feminine look, Daisy! That picture of you as a little girl is just too cute…and I love hearing about how girly you were! I definitely wasn’t girly growing up, I was mostly into sports and Power Rangers 🙂
Shannon
Clothes & Quotes
I have always been a girly girl! This look is right up my alley, love everything about it!
lovejoanna.com
I’ve always loved being a girl – but pink has never been my color!
Uhmm….not sure about girly stuff, I had Barbies but their head came off because I was using them as soldiers or something. I swear I’m not a serial killer. LOL! But I’ve always enjoyed climbing trees and getting into punch up with boys, much to my mum’s horror. Your skirt is seriously lovely and you look gorgeous as always Daisy. xx
Reflection of Sanity
Lovely and girly!
Great blog and outfit <3
Katie Loves ~ A Fashion & Beauty Blog.
Follow on Bloglovin’ ~ ‘Katie Loves’
Cute outfit! 🙂 I used to HATE anything girly when I was little. My mam struggled to get a dress on me growing up. Now I feel like I’m a little more girly. I too love the lace and tights, I love dresses, skirts, make up and ballet is freaking stunning! I wish I did it when I was younger!
DiscoverMe
Love the feminine feel of this look.
xo, Amy Ann
The Real Arnolds
I love that skirt! x
I love this girly look! I always wore ruffled blouses and skirts when I was small. I think my taste has not changed in fact:-)
Have a great day!
X
Miri
http://currentlywearing.com
I wasn’t over the top girly but always loved clothes, shoes and accessories! Happy Monday…
charity
lifeafterbaseball.net
So pretty!
xx
http://www.theblackblush.blogspot.pt