Princess Dresses

I was extremely surprised to find out which of my daughter's dresses she considered princess dresses. The ones that make her feel pretty, like a princess. I figured it would be the dress-up dresses, like her Swan Lake dress or her fairy dress. But I found out that there are certain characteristics that make up a princess dress, and they put some dresses I wouldn't have imagined higher on the list than others.

Characteristics of a Princess Dress

As Told by My Daughter

And Translated by the Pumpkin Princess

1. The dress must have adequate color. All princess dresses must contain interesting colors. While pink is the preferred color, purple, other pastels, and red are also acceptable.

2. The dress must be girly. Sequins, glitter, and tulle earn bonus points.

3. Length. The longer the better. Interesting hemlines, like in fairy dresses, make the dress more appealing. While short skirts on princess dresses won't exclude a dress from making it to the princess dress category, they won't be as high up on the list of favorites.

4. Accessories. Any dress that has matching shoes, tiaras, wands, purses, fairy wings, or other accessories instantly get bumped up a notch on the scale.

5. Spinnability. This is the most important characteristic of a princess dress. When the princess spins, the dress must accommodate her image of a true princess skirt's ability to flare like a Spanish Dancer. This is why the handmade garage-sale Fourth of July Dress in my daughter's collection ultimately gained the number one spot in the heirarchy of princess dresses, even over her Swan Lake and fairy dresses.

So do you see why we're starting her in ballet lessons in the fall?