Helping your children take steps in life is a part of parenting, but helping them take steps towards tattoos? Well that might not be on every parent’s list.
But one mum who is certainly embracing the idea of tattoos on toddlers, decoratively and temporarily at least, is North Dakota parent Tera Christianson. Mother of four daughters the professional photographer decided she wanted to embark on a new career path, one motivated by her children.
According to Christianson when she struggled to find “unique, hip and fun” clothing for kids that she “had not seen a million times’ she was coming up empty.
So she started her own kids’ fashion label, calling it TotTude.
TotTude
On the TotTude website and online store, Christianson describes what she is aiming to provide for parents with her clothing line:
“Do you wish that there were more clothing options for your baby, toddler, or child that are hip, edgy, trendy, and that reflect their personality? Are you tired of dressing your son in boring polos, button downs, and sweater vests? Are you looking for styles for your daughter that are cute and fun without being too “grown up” looking? You’re not alone! Many of the apparel options for children are so limited and that’s why TotTude exists.”
The line includes something that has drawn quite a lot of attention, and not necessarily for the right reasons: fake tattoo sleeves. The sleeves are a part of t-shirt and romper designs, and are worn in a similar way to a long-sleeved shirt. They feature designs like hearts, skills, flames, barbed wire and tribal motifs. Basically the full bikie design booklet.
Despite some backlash over her choice of designs and clothing options, Christianson is holding true to her original intention. She explained that while working as a photographer she was constantly seeing kids wearing the same outfits, ones that didn’t really show off their personalities. She wanted to create some “rocking” clothes for the kids in her life, starting with petti dresses and eventually moving into tattoo sleeve shirts.
Expanding Her Line
As Christianson and TotTude have been gaining attention in an international market thanks to her tattoo sleeves, so she has been expanding her line. The TotTude line now includes bodysuits with tattoo sleeves, embroidered tattoo tees, a punk princess line with lots of tattoos and fishnet, and a range for older kids that includes punk hoodies, faux leather biker vests and more. Along with her clothing options, Christianson has also expanded into a range of kids accessories like do rags, suspenders, leg warmers, fingerless gloves, hats and more.
What Do You Think?
While some parents are overjoyed at the range of clothing options from TotTude, and have encouraged Christianson for creating something so unique, others aren’t so sure. They say that encouraging children to dress in such a way, embracing rock and punk, without really understanding it isn’t doing anybody any favours. TotTude haters, particularly in Australia, have also accused Christianson of creating the world’s ultimate bogan fashion line… We aren’t sure.
