If you have ever visited this site before, you know that two of my most favorite things are pop culture and fashion.

Don’t believe me? Well, not that I need to give you any proof, but I can tell you that in addition to this place over here, I write for two other websites. I write for yummymummyclub.ca—about fashion, with a pop culture angle. I write for mamapop—about pop culture, with a fashion angle.

So, you can probably imagine how I felt when I heard that Gap was teaming up with TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) kids for a ridiculously awesome contest—I knew I just *had* to be a part of it.

The prize, you guys? 4 tickets to the exclusive opening night of TIFF Kids, and super cool and cute clothing from GapKids, valued at up to $100 per child. The prize will allow the winners’ kids to be glam in their red carpet gear! And the very best part of it? There will be THREE grand prize winners.

For my fashion writing gigs, I spend a lot of time searching online and searching in stores for the perfect outfits—for amazing tops, pants, jeans, accessories, shoes.

For my children, I spend a lot of time searching online and searching in stores for the perfect clothing—good quality and fabrics, great lines and fits, and little things like adjustable waists and styles that my two fashionistas and my, erm, fashionisto (?) will love to wear. You see, I am raising three children who want a say in what they wear. Gone are the days that I can put together adorable matching outfits that will make great coordinating family photos. Oh no. They want a say.

And so I gave them a challenge: CREATE AN OUTFIT OF CHOICE that they might wear to a red carpet TIFF event.

Here’s what they came up with, with exactly zero help from their mother, the fashion and pop culture writer.

Emily, age 12.

Emily went through a black and white stage for a very long time, but something about turning twelve has her coming out of her un-color shell a little bit, and she’s open to experimenting with greys and purples. I allowed her to choose the lavender scarf from the women section of the Gap website, and she built her entire outfit from that. “From the women’s section? No way!”

1. Denim jacket in grey wash, 39.95, gapcanada.ca

2. Tulle embellished cami, $16.95, gapcanada.ca

3. Silver flower headband, $6.75, etsy.com

4. Lavandula chandelier earrings, $48, anthropologie

5. Lavender lightweight solid scarf, $34.95, gapcanada.ca

6. Shirred tulle skirt, $39.95, gapcanada.ca

7. Metallic wedge sneakers, $49.95, gapcanada.ca

Joshua, age 10:

“It was ALL about the hat and jacket. And all the girls will be happy with my pink shirt.”

1. Aviator sunglasses, $12.95, gapcanada.ca

2. Braided belt, $16.95, gapcanada.ca

3. Uniform twill blazer, $46.95, gapcanada.ca

4. Chambray trousers in navy, $39.95, gapcanada.ca

5. Mini-checkered shirt in pink, $32.95, gapcanada.ca

6. Straw hat, $16.95, gapcanada.ca

Isabella, age 7:

“Being on the red carpet is about looking like a princess, but also still looking like me—so I want to wear a beautiful dress that twirls, but I also want to wear comfy shoes and a headband. I love pretty colors! Also, red carpet princesses need pearls. NEED.”

1. Glitter flower headband, $7.95, etsy.com

2. Tulle dot dress, $44.95, gapcanada.ca

3. Puff-sleeve cardigan, $32.95, gapcanada.ca

4. Converse All-Star in mint green, $41.63, landau

5. Child’s classic Swarovski pearl necklace and bracelet, $30.18, etsy.com

It looks like they don’t need me anymore.

I couldn’t be more proud.

Now on to the best part—THE CONTEST! Just head on over HERE to enter. It’s simple and will only take a few seconds. Good luck!

Prize Eligibility: Only persons residing in Ontario who are at least 13 years of age can enter.

Sweepstakes Ends on April 02, 2013 @ 05:01 pm (EDT)

This post is sponsored, of course, and I was compensated for my time and my words, but all opinions are mine (and, well, my three children’s). You can take a look at my VISA bills to find out how much I love GAP if you’d like.