Because Twinning Is Winning (And How To Do It Right)
How to twin and win with your kids, family and other half.
Who says twinning is cheesy? Instagram mums and even dads are embracing this fun trend which they say makes going out together twice (or three times, or four times) as fun, and helps the family bond. It's no longer just about matchy couple tees or simply wearing the same colour as your mini-me — twinning is now legit fashionable, with designer brands and small online labels alike clamouring for a piece of the #twinning pie. It's never been easier to dress like one another and look stylish, whether you're mother and daughter, father and son, boyfriend and girlfriend or the whole brood. And we have tips on how to work the trend.
(Photo: @gwendolyn_yeo) This Instagram mumprenuer is a twinning expert, having put her entire family in matchy-matchy togs that she sources from the likes of Taobao (search for "qin zi zhuang or 亲子装" which means parent-child style), online shopping sites and Instagram businesses. She also designs and customises her own twinning costumes. And her family loves it. Even the husband. "He gets angry if the kids and I wear matching clothes without him," laughs Gwendolyn. "He doesn't want to be left out!"
Wanna twin? Go all out. (Insert dancing twin emoji here.)
People may judge lovey-dovey couples for wearing the same T-shirt, but if you wear the same dress as your adorbs munchkin, everyone will go "Awwww." Well, most people, anyway. When it comes to twinning with your mini-me, there's no need for subtlety. Go all out with big and small versions of the exact same dress, shoes and bags.
Dresses from @tullelove_by_gwen (mum's dress, $89 & girl's dress, $59; order via Instagram); bags from @pickabag_official (mum's bag, $189 & girl's bag, $129; order via Instagram)
Not brave enough to wear matchy clothes? Get matchy bags.
These stylish leather totes come in mum size ($350) and baby size ($129), complete with interchangeable pins and straps. Squeeeee. Too cute.
From @pickabag_official www.facebook.com/PickabagOfficial
Start small — twin with tees.
A little shy about twinning? Dip your toes in the twinning pond with matchy tees. Not too involving, not too hardcore — just cute and casual T-shirts. Great for twinning novices.
Uniqlo Lisa Larson tees for women ($19.90) and girls ($14.90)
Dad and Junior can play too.
It's just a T-shirt, right? Daddy and his mini-me will enjoy the special bond and it'll make for some cute photos.
Uniqlo Lego graphic tees for men ($19.90) and boys ($14.90)
Twin-derella, anyone?
Wearing matching shoes is a great way to twin without being too in-your-face about it. Check out these cute boots from EMU Australia — totally adorbs.
Numeralla boots for mum in Sand, $149 and Numeralla Kids boots in pale pink, $69; from EMU Australia at Robinsons The Heeren, Robinsons Raffles City and Isetan Scotts (Littles Collection only)
Try some Korean twinning.
For K-drama of a different ilk, how about checking out the offerings at popular Instagram and online store KSisters? Started by Korean expat mum Jungmin Lee and named for her two daughters, KSisters serves up handpicked clothes from Korea, with a focus on mother-daughter fashion. Seen here with her two daughters, Jungmin tells us, "Twinning is a great way to feel a sense of bonding and show off your fashion sense. It's a mega trend now. In Korea, we call twinning the "couple look." The mother and daughter couple look is very popular. So many Korean brands have junior lines to keep up with this trend!"
Twist check dress for mum ($133) & girl ($75) from https://www.ksisters.sg
Twinning can be same same but different.
Try the same dress or skirt in different colours for a fun twist. These matching pleated skorts for mum ($60) and girl ($40) come in navy, green and red and constantly sell out on KSisters. Says Jungmin, "Twinning doesn't always have to be head-to-toe. I usually choose very simple and basic items and mix these with other items to create a similar look. For example, twinning with striped T-shirts is a good starting point. You can either buy the exact same item in mum and daughter size, or you can buy striped T-shirts from different brands too."
Matching skorts from https://www.ksisters.sg
The devil is in the details.
Another great example of twinning that's chic and subtle. The matching iron-on patches pull these two outfits together while allowing mum and daughter to retain their own looks. A total twin win from online store Mixon Minis.
On girl: Sophia Stripe dress ($48); on mum: Sophia Stripe top ($53), from http://mixonminis.com
The family that twins together wins together.
Apparently, in Korea, families love dressing up in similar or matching togs. Try it with this classy navy blue and striped ensemble called Family Royal Garden Style from online store Pocketpig Diary.
Dad's top ($32.90), boy's top ($26.90), girl's dress ($32.90), mum's dress ($32.90) from https://shop.pocketpigdiary.com
Couple twinning can look this good.
No kids? You can still twin and win. This get-up, called Nautical Style, is way more stylish and subtle than those matching couple soccer jerseys.
Dress ($38.90) and Shirt ($33.90) from http://shop.pocketpigdiary.com
Avant-garde twinning, anyone?
Now this is next-level twinning. Instead of bright, cheery twinning outfits, the avant-garde too-cool-for-school mother-daughter pair can #supportlocal by getting the Brady Cotton Jersey Tie Top from Singapore label In Good Company.
$109 - $209 from http://www.ingoodcompany.asia and In Good Company store at Ion Orchard. Also at Tangs at Tang Plaza, Gallery & Co and Kapok Store at National Design Centre.
Twinning is happy — just have fun.
It's a cheeky trend that makes parenting a little more fun and creative. As Nix Deng, the founder of Chubby Chubby, a popular local label that makes clothes for parents and littles, says, "I think that apart from how cute it looks to have a mini-me version of yourself, it's the bonding between the family that makes twinning so popular. With social media, people see cute twinning looks and are inspired to try it, and eventually love the idea. I would choose clothes for parents and kids in the same fabric, but not identical clothes, because I believe that kids and parents should dress their age. Most of our twinning outfits sell pretty well, and we have matching clothes for the whole family — daddy included."
Orange Bubble Mom's Top ($88) and Bubble Cheongsam for girls in Orange ($62.90-$65.90) from http://www.chubbychubby.sg, selected Mothercare stores and other stockists.
Shopping
