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Two Bow Colors That Work With Any LSU Game Day Dress Purple and gold sound like the obvious answer, and they are... but not the shades you're probably p...
Purple and gold sound like the obvious answer, and they are... but not the shades you're probably picturing. The bright, primary purple and the neon-y school-store gold fight with most dresses instead of finishing them. What actually works, on a toddler in a seersucker sundress or a nine-year-old in a knit set, is a soft antique gold and a deep true purple.
Those two are the ones I'd tell any Louisiana mama to keep in the drawer.
Here's why those two carry a whole closet's worth of game day looks, and how to actually use them.
Antique gold is warmer and quieter than the shiny yellow-gold you see on cheap game day gear. It reads more like honey or brass than a highlighter. That warmth is the whole trick, because it sits next to almost any purple dress without competing, and it plays nicely with the creams, whites, and denim that show up in kids' game day outfits anyway.
Put it against a purple dress and it feels intentional, like the outfit was designed as one piece. Put it against a white or cream dress with just a touch of purple, and it pulls the LSU colors together without leaning costume-y. It even works on a plain chambray dress when you're doing a casual tailgate look and want the smallest nod to game day.
The reason it's so forgiving is that antique gold behaves like a neutral. A true bright yellow-gold demands attention. A soft antique gold just... belongs.
The purple I reach for is deep and saturated, closer to eggplant than to grape. On camera, and Louisiana moms know we're always on camera at these things, deep purple holds its color in shade, in stadium lighting, in that flat afternoon glare in a Youngsville driveway before you load up for Baton Rouge. Lighter, brighter purples wash out or turn pinkish in photos.
The deep one stays true.
It also does something practical: it grounds a busy outfit. If your little one's dress already has a lot going on (ruffles, a print, a big skirt), a deep purple bow anchors the top of her head and keeps the whole look from floating. On a simpler dress, that same bow becomes the star.
And it pairs with the antique gold beautifully, which brings me to the part that actually saves you time.
You don't need a rainbow of bows to survive a season. With just antique gold and deep purple, you can match nearly any game day dress your kid owns, plus mix them when you want.
On a purple dress, go antique gold so the bow reads as a separate, finished detail instead of blending in. On a white, cream, or denim dress, either color works, so let the dress decide. And on a printed dress that already has both colors in it, pull whichever one you want to emphasize.
That's three or four different dresses covered by two bows. It's the kind of small system that means you're not standing at the dresser at 8am on a Saturday trying to make something work.
The color does the heavy lifting, but the bow shape matters for how it sits and how long it survives the day.
For babies and young toddlers, a small nylon-band bow stays put and won't dig in, which matters when she's going to be worn on a hip and passed around at a tailgate. For preschool and up, a clip bow gives you more size to play with, and a slightly bigger bow reads better in photos on an older kid. For the biggest girls, a single larger statement bow on a half-up style tends to look more pulled-together than a bunch of little ones.
None of this changes the two colors. It just changes the size and the attachment.
A bow is the finish, so build it last. Get the dress and shoes settled, then choose the bow that ties them together. Nine times out of ten the antique gold is your safe pick because it flatters more dresses, and the deep purple is your "make it pop" pick when the outfit needs a focal point.
If you're coordinating siblings, this two-color rule keeps them looking like a set without matchy-matchy sameness. One in a deep purple bow, one in antique gold, both in their own dresses, and they photograph like you planned it. You did plan it.
It just took thirty seconds.
We keep both shades in stock at Littles Boutique precisely because they're the two that mothers come back for all fall, from the first home game straight through to the ones that get chilly at night.
Skip the bows that try to be too clever for game day. Sequins that only sparkle from one angle, a purple so bright it turns lavender in the sun, a gold so shiny it looks like foil in photos. They photograph worse and pair with less.
The two shades that keep earning their place are the calm ones. Antique gold that behaves like a neutral, and a deep true purple that holds its color no matter the light. Keep those two clipped and ready, and any game day dress in the drawer is already handled.
Geaux get 'em.