Single mum buys daughter, 8, so many clothes she never repeats outfits

8-year-old Jessica Allen is the poster child of little fashionistas and has the kind of wardrobe many adults can only dream of. The little girl has so many clothes, she never wears any outfit twice.

Her mother, Tammie Allen, 25, is a single mum from Stirling, Scotland, and she admits that she splurges on dresses, shoes and accessories for her daughter but insists the girl is not spoilt.

Jessica's has a colour-coded wardrobe so that everything she wears matches and it's all thanks to her mother's eye for fashion and her willingness to spend on her daughter. Tammie, a healthcare assistant, said that she sometimes gives her daughter a change of clothes up to three times a day just to ensure that she has a chance to wear all her clothes before she outgrows them.

She went on to say that she has set a strict budget of £100 a month for Jessica’s new outfits, which often come from shops like Primark and New Look, as well as boutique stores and even charity shops. She, however, said she did not like to put a figure on how much she's spent on her daughter's outfits. Tammie told how she first started shopping for Jessica after her 30-week scan revealed she was expecting a baby girl. She shopped so much that by the time Jessica was born in December 2008, her wardrobe was already bursting with outfits

She explained: “I saw how cute the pink, frilly dresses were and got carried away, buying way more than she’d ever need.”

She recalled: “I worked full time and was canny with my money – I didn’t go into debt. While every spare penny I had went into Jessica’s wardrobe, I did car boot sales and used Facebook to sell the outfits she’d already worn so I could afford new stuff."

Tammie disclosed that her little daughter took pleasure in her pretty dresses and as soon as she could walk, she would toddle about in her dresses and admire herself in the mirror.

"She was such a cutie and took as much pleasure from her outfits as I did."

When Jessica clocked 4, Tammie said that she became shy so, to get her out of her shell and boost her confidence, she decided to enter her into a local charity pageant. Tammie said it was a great decision and though Jessica did not win any medals, she was able to find herself again on the stage.

She explained: “She was so relaxed and beamed at me, her confidence just radiated. Jessica asked me to enter her into more pageants and loved coming shopping for new dresses and accessories. She may have been young but she knew her style and had a big say in what she wanted to wear."

Jessica continues to enter pageants and has been crowned Junior Crown and Glory Scotland. Her younger brother, Bannan, 4, is not interested in clothes, unlike his sister who has so many clothes that she hasn't repeated them and sometimes the carpet in her room cannot be seen because it's covered in clothes. Jessica has a walk-in wardrobe, two clothes rails, two chests of drawers, two shelves crammed with shoes, yet it's still not enough for all her collection. Her clothes have also taken up half of her mother's wardrobe.

Every month, Tamie and Jessica go through her wardrobe to take out old clothes and make room for her latest additions. Tammie revealed that Jessica never agrees to wear an outfit more than once, so it's necessary to take out the old and buy new ones.

Tammie said: "When she was little it was me who wanted her to wear a new outfit each day. But now, that’s Jessica’s decision. When we buy her a new outfit she’ll change into it straight away, and the old outfit will never see the light of day again. She tells me once-worn outfits are 'done' and asks to be paid pocket money to do her household chores so she can save up for outfits herself. I think that’s a pretty entrepreneurial spirit!"

Tammie disagrees that she has spoilt her daughter and says that Jessica has learnt to give to charity because of all the pageants she's been in which takes up different charity causes. She said her daughter loves to feel like a princess and loves other girls to feel like princesses too so she sometimes gives her old clothes to charity. She believes her daughter's love for fashion is preparing her for the future.

"People are quick to think I spoil Jessica, but I don’t think I do at all. It’s not like she only wears designer or makes crazy demands. I love that Jess takes such an interest in clothes and her style. She is a diva who knows her own mind and how to put an outfit together. If she does end up being a fashion designer, she’ll thank me for all this training. I think she deserves to wear lovely outfits because she’s a good girl with a strong work ethic. The clothes are just a bit of fun."

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