Hand-Me-Downs Don't Hurt Kids

by Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger

01 May 2011 11:54 PM

Not all rich people are spontaneous spenders who imprudently bleed through money like there's no tomorrow. In fact, some of the most affluent individuals in the world rose to the upper echelon because they're smart enough to know that it pays to be frugal from time to time.

Take for example, one of the most well-off moms in the world, First Lady Michelle Obama. The fashionable mother of two equally well-dressed daughters is being raked over the coals by critics who claim that she is forcing her kids to wear hand-me-downs.

"First Daughter Hand-Me-Downs?" screamed one newspaper headline after 9-year-old Sasha was snapped sporting the same pink lace dress her 12-year-old sister Malia wore to the Democratic National Convention in 2008.

The Obamas were attending Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. last week for an Easter Sunday service when the now infamous photo was taken. Interestingly, Sasha wasn't the only one donning a recycled outfit on Easter. Reports claim that First Lady Michelle Obama wore the same Thakoon print dress with gray cardigan to church that she wore to another public event last year.

My response--so what?

Frankly, I can't believe that the media decided to make a big deal about Sasha wearing Malia's hand-me-downs.

Welcome to the real world.

Frankly, with the economy still in disarray I think it was a wise move for Michelle to have her daughters recycle some of their duds. After all, their outfits aren't from Goodwill. Most come directly from designers while others are bought from high-end retailers, so why not get the most bang for your buck by handing down a gently used dress?

Goodness knows the dress was probably professionally cleaned and if it did not fit Sasha perfectly, the White House's tailor would be more than happy to accommodate.

What's more, how do we know that Sasha didn't want to wear her big sister's old dress? Maybe she's been lusting after it since she saw it in '08, and now she finally fits in it, so she decided to wear it on Easter.

What do you think of the First Mom's choice to recycle her kids' clothes?

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Are you Raising a Mini Fashionista?

Parents as Fashion Police

Learn more about Michele Cheplic

Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism.

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