When Michael Gardner’s daughter was just 3 years old, he thought it might be fun to alter some thrifted clothes to better suit her budding style.
Although he had never sewn before, the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, dad has always been a creative type. He sat down with several YouTube and Pinterest tutorials and taught himself how to make custom outfits. These days, Ava is 9, and her dad has created more than 200 incredible looks just for her!
Michael’s ultimate goal is to boost Ava’s confidence! She serves as the model for all his outfits, and the colorful stylings have attracted an audience of over 21,000 fans on Instagram. Even better, their “Daddy Dressed Me” page has morphed into a social media campaign to encourage other fathers to help their daughters feel more confident.
Here are a few of our favorite creations from the Daddy Dressed Me by MG fashion line.
1. Here’s one of Michael’s first designs. Look how tiny Ava was!
2. Michael recently got engaged, and his fiancée is fitting in nicely.
3. The proud dad is never afraid to rock a bold print.
4. And Ava never fails to bring the fun!
5. The outfits are extraordinary, but their smiles are the perfect accessory.
6. Watching Ava grow up in their modeling pictures is an added bonus.
7. Real men wear fuchsia!
8. We’d totally wear this outfit!
9. How many third-graders have this much style?
10. This might be our favorite of the whole bunch, and she is working it.
11. Despite their success, Michael said his true passion is being a good dad.
12. “Being a father is my most important responsibility and what I am most proud of in life,” he said.
This is such a great use of creative energy and talent. Michael hopes to inspire more parents to take up a hobby they can do with their kids. You never know what good may come of it!
Share this story to show off Michael and Ava’s stunning fashion.
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