Fashion vs Function

As I walked my little one to school on a bloody cold January morning, completely bundled up in a giant down coat that could double as a sleeping bag, I suddenly wondered when I stopped thinking about fashion and concentrated more on function.

I still remember as a teenager, I avoided wearing things like snow-pants or winter boots like the plague. In fact, the only time I ever wore my super warm Sorel boots was when I was walking my dogs, and only if it was -30C outside. I figured the only other people out at that temperature were other dog walkers (or were crazy), and they, like me, were probably too busy trying to keep their eyeballs from freezing off, but just incase they glanced my way, I did not wear my snow-pants.

And then, in my twenties, when I used to go out and did not think 9:00pm was very late, I chose freezing over wearing a big coat, granted part of the reason was because of economics – big coat required coat check, which meant less money for drinks...

I believe my turning point towards function happened one year while I was skiing. I was the proud owner of a pair of skin tight ski pants that tucked into my ski boots. I thought I looked very cool. And then I fell. I spent the rest of the day skiing with a lump of snow wedged between my shin and my ski boots. And then I realized that I was stuck with those stupid pair of pants for the rest of the season, and a giant bruise on my shins every time I fell. Yep, I learned that year that I am not the type of person who will suffer for the sake of fashion; and the next year, I bought the biggest, warmest pair of snow-pants that I could find.

These days, if I can walk around in sweatpants and a blanket, I probably would. But, that is not setting a good example either. I want my little girl to have pride in how she looks, and to dress smartly and weather appropriately. However, I really do not want her to put such importance on her appearance. She already spends more time picking out her outfits and worrying about different shirt/skirt combinations than I ever had.

I am desperately trying not to make a big deal about her clothing choices, though by trying to not make a big deal, I think I am actually turning it into an issue. For the most part, I let her pick what she wants to wear. However that does not mean we do not battle - really, is it so mean of me to try to get her to wear a pair of shoes, that she wanted in the first place, before she grows out of them?

So for now, I will try to live with the turtleneck, sweater, pantyhose, and summer dress combination, as long as it can be tucked under a nice warm snowsuit.

So which are you, fashion or function?