Help! Beach weddings & girls who NEVER wear dresses

[Karin]

It turns out that we ARE going to my db's beach wedding in the tropics (not on our tab, but my parents are springing for the transportation & accommodation). My 10 yo dd NEVER wears pink/purple/flowers/lace/ruffles/cap sleeves/shorts above her knees, etc--in short nothing that could at all be construed as girly and won't until, in her words, "my hips get too big" (meaning she changes into a teen/woman.) She insists she won't wear a dress until her wedding day (according to her, but since this wedding is this winter I can't assume she'll pass this phase by then as it's been a few years now.)

So, what can she wear that fits with casual but is nice enough for a wedding? She will wear a Hawaiian shirt if there's no pink or purple on it, since boys & men will wear them (really, she's not a masculine girl in any other way, just fashion and wrestling with ds). What do you think? My sil-to-be understands and said that she didn't have to wear a dress, but something with nice fabric.

fwiw, I am generally very strict and very good about putting my foot down when necessary, but I don't want to do that since my sil-to-be is understanding about it and I have so many other areas to put my foot down in my dd's life. My eldest will gladly wear a pretty dress as long as she gets to help pick and the neckline isn't too low (she's even more strict on the neckline than I am.)

[momofkhm]

I would put her in a nice shirt with a pair of nice capri pants. Get something in the nicest fabric you can find. At 10 my girls could almost fit into junior sizes. You should be able to find a nice outfit that would fit the bill.

[muffinmom]

What about a nice tank top and casual but beachy skirt? Might not feel as formal. Maybe white on white? Or a white eyelet skirt (there are a lot out there right now) with a beachy colored tank?

[elegantlion]

I would put her in a nice shirt with a pair of nice capri pants. Get something in the nicest fabric you can find. At 10 my girls could almost fit into junior sizes. You should be able to find a nice outfit that would fit the bill.

I think capris would be nice. Maybe something that has a flare in the leg, so it could resemble a skirt.

[Shannon831]

What about white linen capris with a Hawaiian shirt? I think linen would make it a little more formal.

[JFS in IL]

Would she wear a skort????

[mommytobees]

Snicker....

Personally, I would find a nice, light weight sun dress OR skirt and then light weight tank top that goes just past the knees WITH her and then BRIBE her. The bribe doesn't necessarily have to cost much. It can be a benefit for a day, or a "date" with mommy/daddy. Or even a _______.

I'd make it worth her while. I know, out of the norm, but if you want her to wear a dress and have a good attitude about it.

BTW, this was my mom's idea. I HATED to wear dresses. Snort, wait, I STILL hate to wear dresses. I have a "Dress me for dh's homecoming" thread over on the SL board, I'm actually going to wear a skirt!!!!! One of the BIGGEST reasons I am fond of this method is because of the specific memories I have, and I've found other women with the same feelings.

I hated to wear dresses and skirts and my mom Respected the feeling! When it was Mandatory for me to wear a dress/skirt, whether "mandatory" was Mom's requirement or the Establishment's, I was well "paid" for the effort. Plus, I did feel girly even if I didn't want to.

HTH,
Kris, who had a girly-girl for a daughter and has been LOST as to what to do with "it"

[Rosie_0801]

I've got a nice pair of black pants made from a flowing crepe fabric. They hang really nicely and would look just fine with a nice blouse and a pair of sandals. I bought them a few years ago, though, so you may not be able to find them anymore...
Rosie

[Karin]

Would she wear a skort????

No, nor will she wear an white eyelet skirt--both come under the "too girly" category. But the linen capri pants sound like a great lead--she'll wear girls clothes, just not ones that are obviously girly.

[Karin]

Snicker....

Personally, I would find a nice, light weight sun dress OR skirt and then light weight tank top that goes just past the knees WITH her and then BRIBE her. The bribe doesn't necessarily have to cost much.
Kris, who had a girly-girl for a daughter and has been LOST as to what to do with "it"

This isn't a bad idea at all, but with my dd, bribery, or incentives, won't work, or I'd have done something like that (if I do it before I tell her to wear the dress I think of it as an incentive or pay, if I offer it because she's arguing, it's a bribe & I don't do that--we all have our terminology/lines, don't we;)) My eldest is a girly-girl and we've already ordered a really pretty dress for the wedding (I've been shopping for my 13 yo while waiting for replies).

[dangermom]

Yeah, I vote for linen. Crop pants/capris would look very nice and maybe a linen top too? Light green, pale aqua, yellow...any of those would look great with white or natural linen capris.