Styled by a six-year-old

Yes, you read that correctly! This shoot was in fact styled by a six-year-old.

Some time ago, I promised via Twitter to share some hilarious and adorable fashion tips given to me in the form of an essay by my photographer's six-year-old daughter Veronica. So I decided to deliver on this promise with a fun twist and let Veronica herself help me style what I wore in this photo shoot. Basically I gave her options and she chose which outfit and jewelry I should wear and also how I should style my hair. Oh and the red lips, those were her idea, too. And for a girl who has always been more interested in playing "fashion show" and having me paint her nails when I babysit her and her older sister, I think it's safe to say that Veronica was having the time of her life on this assignment.

Here's the cheapskate outfit breakdown V-girl helped me pick out:

1. Dress, Clever Boutique in Santa Monica, CA ($26.99)
2. Belt, Payless ($9.99)
3. Heels, Nine West Outlet ($29.99)
4. Chain purse, Charlotte Russe ($9.99)
5. Black diamond ring, Charlotte Russe ($4.00)
6. Disco ball earrings, ATL Market ($2.50)
7. Square sunglasses, Forever21 ($5.80)

I'll leave you with just a few of my favorite tips she gave me as well. I am writing them verbatim because the misspellings are too cute not to include, but I'll put the "real" word in parentheses after each mistake. And let me reiterate that she came up with these ALL on her own.

Chapter 1: Veronica's Tips of Fashion.
• Fashion is a way to show who you really are
• You can make yourself beautiful by makup (makeup)
• You can wear anything you want to wear to be beautiful
• You can wear braslits (bracelets), earrings and other essories (accessories)
• But most important you have to be nice to be beautiful. Kind people are really pretty people.

Chapter 2: A Good Way
• Fashion is a good way to make people like you
• You get pretty when you go to reshrots (restaurants), pardys (parties) and far away plases (places)
• A good way to keep your skin hethy (healthy) is magicsmoth.* It helps your skin.

* Laura and I still can't figure out what "magicsmoth" is?! I thought maybe it was Laura's made up word for lotion, but she denies it. So I'm thinking maybe Veronica is just way ahead of her time on a beauty secret?

Chapter 3: The Boyfriends (this one is so great I'm including the whole paragraph)
What kind of boyfriend do you desire? Do you like athletic boys? What about the strong type? There are also rock-n-rollers. It is best to choose a boyfriend that treats you like a princess! How wold (would) you treat him? And he wold (would) treat you the same. The best kind of boyfriend is the one you pick and your tipe (type).

Chapter 4: Marriage (again, this one is so great I'm including the whole paragraph)

You have to be beautiful to get married. If you look grose (gross) the boy will not take you as his wife. You have to look ladylike with a white colored dress with flowers or sparkels (sparkles). If you look like a dirt girl the boy will not like you. You need to have a good personalaty (personality) so the boy will take you. If the boy is funny, you can be funny too. 

Well thanks Veronica! Now I know what my problem has been with guys considering sometimes I do in fact look like a "dirt girl" and I never wait to see if the boy is funny to determine that I can be funny, too. 

I'm only kidding of course. I can't wait until she grows up and rereads this and laughs. I love how simple minded children are, and sometimes wish we as adults could think just as simply. I also think it's interesting to see how someone so young already has all of these view points about life and fashion that she has clearly developed on her own, with probably only the guidance of what she has seen in movies, television and her mommy's magazines. So watch out fashion world! Veronica is coming soon. And I'm happy to say that I was the one who gave her her first job.

Photos: Laura Menconi (the stylist's mom)