I read an article the other day in the Charlotte Observer about spring fashion, and how retailers were continuing to stock their stores with adult fashions for kids. I was totally taken aback. I have seen this trend and have to say it saddens me. I have strong feelings about the fact that children should dress like children. As it is, I have a hard time finding play clothes for my daughter. You see she is at day care five days a week, and my primary goal for fashion is comfort. Up until she could walk a few months ago, she spent 80% of her day on the floor. So maybe that clarifies why I don’t love the ruffles, glitter and dresses that dominate little girl’s fashion. Now I love special occasion clothes: bring on the Easter smocked dresses and holiday gear, but where have all the play clothes gone?
And don’t get me started on skinny jeans for infants and toddlers. Why on earth would a two year old need skinny jeans? It’s bad enough that they have taken my boot cut beauties away and replaced them with the sausage casings they are calling jeans these days, but please don’t subject my tiny girl to that torture. There will come a time soon enough that she has to keep up with fashion. I don’t think it should start year one.
And what saddens me most is that its popularity drives this trend. I suppose there are lots of moms out there that love the skinny jeans look on their toddler and knee high boots on their seven year old. On my first trip to Stride Rite in South Park Mall, I saw a woman buying her seven or eight year old knee high boots with a heel. The poor child could hardly walk. And the store clerk, with a straight face, asked her mom if she had ever worn a heel before? What?!?!? I wore my first heels in high school to the homecoming dance. What is going on? I blame Suri Cruise for this shoe nonsense.
I probably sound old fashioned and most people who know me would say I am, but I just think kids should dress like kids. They aren’t mini-me’s. How they dress isn’t a reflection of us as parents and I just wish more retailers would help this Smarty Mom out, because I can only buy so much Carter’s.
18 comments
I hear ya, Lisa!!! I agree with you 100! Let kids be kids and let them dress like kids.
I totally agree! My daughter is almost 7 and finding age appropriate clothes for her is hard. I am saved everyday by the school uniform. Swimsuits are the hardest!
Lands End is a great source for children’s clothing that keep them looking like children! Bathing suits included!
I competely agree- as the mom of two little girls, I am amazed at some of the stuff they offer. I buy most of our “play clothes” at Kohl’s now- the Jumping Beans line has cute items all year around (and AMAZING sales in the off season), they wash well and are age- appropriate.
Hi Lisa,
Someone gave me a bunch of summer clothes for my 10 month old daughter and I was shocked at how short the shorts are! My son’s shorts were long and some well below the knee, but it seems like the girl shorts are more like daisy dukes.
Check the Jumping Beans line at Kohl’s as someone else mentioned. They have a lot of good basic shorts this year…and most are bermuda length which I love for summer play.
Yay for parents dressing their little girls like little girls! Now check back in with me when they are 13. Please make sure they still don’t look like they are 22 and out for a night on the town. Their teachers will appreciate it…from a high school teacher.
I agree about the clothes! What I found equally as bad was finding age appropriate shoes! As soon as my daughter got to size 3 it was awful. Who wants wedges and heels for a little girl? Geez!
Should I mention the “shape up’s” for girls? That’s right, Sketchers is promoting those stupid wedge style “shape up your tush” shoes for 10 year olds!!!! Really?!
Skinny jeans are the D-E-V-I-L!!!!
I agree with you 100%! We buy Carter’s almost exclusively for play clothes because I love the little kid look on, well, little kids! I am just sad that my oldest child — at 4 1/2 — is growing out of most of it. The cutest styles are seldom available above 5T.
I shop the 4-6x section of the department stores with contempt for all the bedazzled, tightfitting getups I see. Since when are 4-6 year olds “too old” for kiddie clothes? And, why have traditionally cute kid stores like Gymboree started trending this way? It is frustrating for sure.
Oh, and one more comment…bathing suits are the worst! I went out looking for some cute, demure one piece or tankini options for my 4 year old and found triangle top string bikinis among other inappropriate things. Some even had padding in them. For little girls!
I second… There’s only so much Carters I can buy!
Everyone I know has little boys, and they are constantly telling me how lucky I am because I can dress up a little girl. While I am, indeed, very lucky to have a little girl, it’s not for THAT reason. The clothes are adorable, but incredibly impractical! The dresses drive me the craziest. Until they can stand up, the dress ends up in their arm-pits for most of the day!
I take it none of you are a huge fan of these?
http://www.heelarious.com/
🙂
Yes, Yes, YES!! My four year old just informed me last week that she would really like to dress like Miley Cyrus. It took all my power to keep from yelling “HELL NO!!!” (Miley, I’m sure you are a lovely girl) Also, low rise? Really?? And don’t get me started on the low rise UNDERWEAR that I accidentally purchased at Tar-jhay. Not to mention the toddler sz 11 kitten heels we saw at The Rack that my Miss M would have traded for every toy in her possession. It’s so ridiculous. If I thought I wouldn’t lose an eye or sew my fingers together (and if I actually owned a machine) I might contemplate learning how to make my own playclothes!
BabyGap and GapKids have great, comfortable, play clothes for kids.
I’m so glad that other moms out there feel the same way. I always feel so old fashioned standing at the racks muttering about how age inappropriate the attire is. And swimwear is the worst!!! I totally forgot about the search for an appropriate bathing suit. Keep up the good fight Smarty’s!!!
I agree with you and whats up with all the printed shirts/logos and silly cartoon characters all over our children’s clothes? And underwear, why is it so hard to find nice white cotton underwear? Wish I could find as cute as clothes this side of the Atlantic b/c I’m all about local, but Miniboden and Next rein in our household.