A mother who dresses her young daughter in bold and stylish outfits for Instagram defends the mature fashions she chooses.
Kamil, a mom of three, often dresses her 2-year-old daughter Queen Kye in trendy, over-the-top ensembles, photos of which she shares on social media. Most love the girl's look while others say her fishnet tights, designer purses, wigs and structured, belted outfits are too grownup for her age.
"(People) say she looks 'old' and (from) the way she projects herself, that I'm making her act grown." Kamil tells TODAY.com. She spoke to TODAY.com on the condition that her last name be withheld for privacy. On her daughter's "managed by mom" Instagram, YouTube and TikTok accounts, she posts videos of the girl for her more than 1M followers.
Kamil says negative comments are minimized by adoration for her daughter on social media and in public. "A lot of moms take inspiration from Queen for themselves and their kids," she says.
Kamil, who is also a mom to sons ages 7 and 11, admits her own aesthetic is baggy jeans and sweatpants, but she takes inspiration from celebrities when styling her daughter.
According to Kamil, Queen Kye wears plenty of traditional play clothes to the playground, grocery store and the park. For specific social media posts, Kamil usually wears children's clothing from stores like Target and Walmart, which she styles with accessories. Some of Kamil's social media posts featuring her daughter represent clothing brand deals.
Kamil doesn't allow Queen Kye to wear false eyelashes and makeup, except for lip gloss marketed to children. She adds that some of her videos are shot with a filter that has a makeup effect.
Kamil says people accuse her of spending too much money on her daughter, however, she says she is generous with the clothing, either donating them or passing them down to friends. She adds that any earnings from her daughter's social media deals are saved for her future.
"They make it seem like if my daughter doesn't have cartoons on her clothes, that she's acting grownup or is materialistic," says Kamil. She also receives comments on social media that she's depriving her daughter of a true childhood.
Kamil says her daughter particularly loves wigs and clip-on ponytails. When Queen Kye develops her own stylish preferences or expresses displeasure with her wardrobe, she says, Kamil will step back. "For now, she likes it."