A dad’s annual tradition of buying his daughter a Christmas outfit has melted hearts online.
Ava Liv Mabry (@avalivsmusic), 18, from Nashville, Tennessee, went viral on TikTok for sharing her “outfit of the day” video featuring her dad, Mark William Mabry Jr., 47. The sentimental clip, showing Mark’s thoughtful gift of a church outfit, garnered 1.4 million likes and 7.7 million views.
“He has such a good eye! There’s never been a dress I didn’t like! I think that’s because, no matter what, I just love how much effort he put in to make me feel beautiful. He truly does such a good job and puts so much thought into it,” Ava told Newsweek.
It is a long-standing Mabry tradition; Mark has seven sisters, and his parents would buy them dresses each Christmas.
He started buying Ava dresses when she was a baby with her mom, Tara, but he took over when she turned 5, noticing it had become “their thing.”
“It didn’t start out to be a tradition,” Mark said. “I just thought she’d look cute in a Christmas dress.”
Mark takes the task seriously, paying close attention to Ava’s style. “It’s a good mental exercise trying to figure out what she might like,” he said. “Teenage girls can be tricky, but Ava has never once complained about a gift.”
This year, Mark chose a black knit Anthropologie dress paired with red Freebird cowgirl boots. “I often wear boots when I perform, and I think he took note of that this year,” Ava said.
The coziness of the dresses is always a priority for Mark. “I don’t like hugging crunchy dresses,” he said. Last year’s pick was a warm green Anthropologie dress.
Ava treasures their relationship, describing it as both honest and supportive. “My dad has never made me feel like I couldn’t open up to him,” she said.
Mark echoed her sentiments, calling their bond one of the greatest gifts in his life. “We’ve always been super close, spiritually and in proximity. She learned to sing on my lap; we have continued to make music together.”
The video’s social-media response has been overwhelming.
“Some men are born to be dads—it’s beautiful to see,” commented one viewer. Another wrote: “Your husband-to-be has BIG SHOES to fill!”
Anthropologie even joined the praise, saying: “We must protect dad at all costs—now we NEED to see all the past dresses!”
Mark shared his simple rules for choosing the perfect outfit:
- Go to a store his daughter already loves (Anthropologie and Freebird.)
- Choose something soft.
- Add a touch of Christmas—this year, he achieved a sprinkling of festivity through the red boots.
The post Dad’s Lifelong Christmas Tradition With Gen Z Daughter Melts Hearts appeared first on Newsweek.
