A flower girl dress she can wear again? Reader Q+A

My four year-old daughter is going to be a flower girl in my sister-in-law's wedding. It's somewhat informal and they told us to buy whatever we want. I don't mind spending some money, but I would love to find something that's not so poofy and over the top that she can wear it again. Just something light and pretty and summery. Any ideas?

If you want to get more use out of a flower girl dress, I'd suggest not searching for "flower girl dress" or you'll end up with lots of tulle crinolines and bows the size of your daughter's head. But there are sooo many beautiful little girls' dresses that could work. Plus, so much on sale right now! Here are just a few that I love. -Liz

 

Arte Bebe always has lots of great boutique brand dresses for girls. I adore the very simple styling of this Dagmar Daley dress that has just a little sparkle in it. I'm sure your daughter will want to wear this dress every day, and not just for special occasions.

Noko Baby offers a gorgeous selection of Japanese inspired dresses for girls. Some are more structured and formal, but also take a look at the Yuko kimono style dress for something you'll definitely get a lot of use out of.

I'm always recommending Ses Petites Mains to moms who are okay with a little splurge. There's a whole line of Ocassion Dresses to take a look at--this white shift was a Martha Stewart Weddings pick. But also browse the sale section where some beautiful 2010 styles like the Annalissa dress, shown here, are discounted.

If you want her in white, this lace maxi dress for girls from Gap is a great deal, now on sale for under $30. A quick click over to Janie and Jack and I also found this hand-smocked Camelia dress with little red floral accents, or a pretty white halter dress that's on sale.

Another idea--go in a totally different direction with the spectacular dresses from Australia's Tutu Du Monde (also shown at top). When the wedding is over, a tutu dress will be well-loved staple of the dress-up trunk, guaranteed. Tutu Du Monde's dresses are on sale right now, and in June only, designer Andrea Rembeck is offering free shipping worldwide. (Though if you can wait until July and August, the new style coming out are gorgeous!)

My own daughter wore a Tutu Du Monde dress to her birthday party and I've never had so many people ask me about something my kids were wearing. It's a beautiful and unexpected choice if you're not worried about her upstaging the bride. But then, isn't that part of the job of the flower girl?

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