Male Pattern Boldness is proud to be the world's most popular men's sewing blog!



Nov 17, 2010

Designer Fashion for Kids - yea or nay?



Dear readers, you know I do not have any children.  In fact, I avoid children whenever possible and when it isn't possible, interact minimally and hope the elevator door opens ASAP.

But I do have strong opinions about the way children should dress.  This is based on a lifetime of watching Shirley Temple musicals and Our Gang comedies, and a strong appreciation for the young Haley Mills.  I want kids to look like kids.  The girls don't have to have ribbons in their hair (though that's cute); the boys don't have to wear short pants with knee socks -- it's not 1935 anymore, alas -- but children should be unobtrusive and clearly identifiable as creatures who spend most of the day in the sandbox.


When I was a child, I wore my brother's hand-me-downs.  My clothes were functional, comfortable, sometimes color-coordinated, and nothing more.   Perfect for an afternoon at the World's Fair:



Or playing in the grass.



Back then you didn't spend a lot of money on kids' clothes for three reasons: 1) children quickly outgrew them, unless 2) children wore them out first, plus 3) expensive children's clothes weren't readily available.

That's why I nearly threw up when I stumbled up on this new fashion line from the prolific Marc Jacobs.



And Marc isn't alone.




Friends, what kind of person would buy their toddler Gucci?  Perhaps someone like this:


The list of major fashion designers designing for kids -- and not just kids, toddlers -- is long and growing: Paul Smith, Fendi, Donna Karan, Dolce & Gabbana, and many more.  It's big business.  Designers and the global fashion companies know that even in a recession, parents are going to splurge on their kids.  And since a lot of kids clothes is purchased as gifts, it's a very resilient market.

Now I know that there were always little French boutiques on the Upper East Side of Manhattan where wealthy families bought expensive clothes for their children.  But the clothes weren't advertised and the average person (let alone the average kid) knew nothing about them.  The clothes posted above are advertised, and designer lines like these are just one more way our society reinforces social and economic stratification.

I would be embarrassed to send my child to school looking like this, frankly.


Or wearing these...


Anyway, you know where I stand.  How about you?  Is this an issue you've had to deal with?   Is this designer fashion for kids really as awful as I depict it, or is it just another sign of the power of the global brand?

If the kid picks it out for him or herself, should the parent veto it?  What do you think? 

Do you, like me, long for the days of Margaret O'Brien?  How do you like kids to dress?


Jump in!

48 comments:

  1. Ughh, let's let kids be kids. They learn about designer labels soon enough. When they're little, they need clothes they can play in and get dirty.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Let's be realistic. Only a fraction of the population can actually afford to keep their kids in high-end RTW brands. In my world, that's just something you flip pass in a magazine, and keep on flipping. I've never even given it a second thought and I've been a parent for almost 21 years! Sure, my kids wear the usually suspects: Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Aeropostale, Hollister, Abercrombie, Lacoste, The Gap, etc... In essence, if it can't be purchased at an outlet store or a TJ Maxx/Marshall's, my kids have probably never worn it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Couture for kids? Loathsome. But then, you've just asked someone who actually obliterates logos and "designer" names from clothing if I deem them too obvious.

    If I bought it in the first place, you can bet that there's some kind of a quality argument, and not a "designer" one, for having made the purchase. Needless to say, this doesn't happen often, since RTW tends to be garbage no matter how much you spend.

    One ironclad rule for our kid while growing up: We do not wear clothing with advertisements on it. And we're not stupid enough to dress a child in clothing that inhibits actual living.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I am totally okay with dressing my kid in designer clothes if I find them in the dollar bin at my local thrift store. Honestly, people are ridiculous. My baby has been dressed in thrifted clothes and hand-me-downs for the last 8 months- her wardrobe is amazing, and she never runs out of things to puke on. Babies and toddlers grow out of their clothes in a matter of weeks!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good luck with this, trendy parents. Children like what they like - usually something comfy and/or pretty - and if they don't like something they wont wear it. My daughter spent about 10 years in (various sizes of!) combat trousers, roadsweeper jeans and Gap sweatshirts. Anything else was torture.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I am fortunate that my children have no concept of designer clothing. Almost everything they wear comes from Old Navy and The Childrens Place. My oldest is 9 and has started to name some of the things that other kids wear, but she's commenting on the color or style she likes not the desire for the name brand. I could buy them all jeans from the thrift store and they would love then because I bought them for them. There is not a chance in hell of me spending this kind of money on them, even when they're adults ;o)

    If other people, like my cousins, want to waste that much money on something that will be outgrown/ruined in a matter of months then it's up to them.

    ReplyDelete
  7. My favourite kids' shop recently closed in my hometown---they sold quality kids clothes on consignment (which brought us in the door) but then there were the racks of designer clothes to tempt you once you were in. And damn, some of that stuff was nice...

    I'm torn on this issue. If the extra money buys quality (and we know it doesn't always), and the kids like and are comfortable in the clothes, go wild (assuming you can afford it... I can't, but I'll catch your rejects at the thrift store next year ;) ). Most of those pieces you highlighted didn't look any less practical than T-shirts and jeans from Walmart... just classier :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. For me it's those logos -- I just can't see past it.

    I'd be surprised if these clothes were more durable; I'd guess just the opposite.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You wrote: "but children should be unobtrusive" - and that I disagree with. Let's face it, kids are NOT unobtrusive! At least, my two year old is definitely not! As a responsible parent I recognize that so the public places we frequent are appropriate for my bubby child. So we won't be interrupting your candlelit steak dinner, but we might apoligize for tossing a crayon your way at the local diner.
    Anyway - about this designer clothing - I don't think it is any more or less offputting than an adult wearing big labels. Clearly they will grow out of the clothes quickly so they don't seem like a wise investment, but if the parents can afford it and it makes them happy - who cares? Am I a better or worse parent if I dress my kid in a $6 shirt versus a $60 shirt?
    Kids need comfort - and they will be messy. If wearing a designer outfit will stress their parents to not allow them to be kids - that is wrong. But if they are cool with their little one smearing playdoh into their Burberry wool coat, whatever.

    I love Tshirts from Old Navy for my kid. I just bought some nice, thick, comfy, warm, pants for her at Kohls for less then $5 a pair. She's adorable in them. But when I sew clothes for her, I splurge on japanese fabrics and Liberty of London prints. Given the costs of my imported textiles, I could easily spend $100 on an outfit - and that's not counting the time I put into them.

    But she, and I, are worth it.

    ReplyDelete
  10. That Gucci ad is the funniest thing I've seen all week.

    I live in a fairly upscale town and have 2 small children. No one dresses their kids in logo-wear. Ditto for London, where I lived a couple of years ago. However, in London, many children wore cashmere sweaters every day. No logos, though. I wonder who buys this stuff?

    As for my kids, they wear whatever their aunts and uncles buy them, along with a few things I make them. Thankfully, that has not yet included D&G sneakers.

    ReplyDelete
  11. I can't say this for sure because I don't have kids but I hope I never "brand" my children- with high or low. I don't think turning them into consumers at that early of an age is healthy! Not the Disney princess screenprints and huge embroideries, and not big name, high end designers. A kid doesn't need a status symbol, and parents should really let kids be kids. And the mini-versions of adult clothes? Why not let them be kids? Little girls should get twirly skirts and frills, not miniskirts. And while putting a little boy in a suit can be cute, why not let him wear something he can run around in?

    ReplyDelete
  12. With you all the way on the logo front. Also there's something so 'mini me' about all these luxury brands' children's clothes which seems quite grotesque. Having only made brief forays into sewing until then (a couple of unwearable outfits for myself and a few tablecloths), having girls is what got me into sewing proper. I first started copying little dresses of theirs which I liked and didn't seem overly complicated, and it escalated from there... I also developed quite an ebay habit, buying past seasons' NWT or second-hand French children's clothes. The French do have some impossibly cute children's clothes (with brands like Petit Bateau, Catimini, Sergent Major, Okaidi, etc.) which can be expensive if you buy them in the shops (although nothing like Dior, Burberry, etc.), but which I would always get at hugely reduced prices. I then passed them on to friends' children, as at that age they outgrow the clothes before they've had a chance to wear through them.

    My two girls are now 11 and 8, and only the youngest is grateful for my sewing efforts these days. The eldest is becoming brand contaminated and it is quite distressing...

    ReplyDelete
  13. Oh you provocateur you! Given this, how do you feel about people who sew for their kids? I mean that's a big investment in time and money. I did and do . . . I generally agree with you on keeping kids clothes comfortable and out of the advertising bracket. But what about whimsy and fun? Tutus, colorful clothes, clothes like Hannah Anderson, Boden, or Oilily that are made for kids to look like kids . . . not little adults? Not to say, I buy many of these, but they have been an inspiration for sewing projects -- especially Oilily. We've been on the receiving end of some rather high-end hand-me-downs in the past which did make me have to draw some strict limits . . . like the t-shirt that said "juicy drama queen" could only be worn as pajamas and never out of the house.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I could not think about spending that kind of money for kids clothing. They grow out of it so fast.

    My two kids have grown up with most of their clothing coming from Target. I've sewn most of their "Sunday" clothes.

    My son is very tall and thin. Sewing comes in most handy for him. I have made many of his pants, since I can't find ones that are long enough and fit. I make almost all of his pajama pants. What I don't make, I have to alter. I just bought him several pairs of Target track pants, removing the elastic, shortening it and resewing.

    My kids are older than those ads now. Some of those clothes I see them wear is so much like adult clothes. I think my kids would not have cared for the adult muted colors. They liked more wild colors. I also find the logos a turn-off.

    I think it is kind of interesting though. More inspiration for sewing. How can that be bad?

    ReplyDelete
  15. I dressed both my girls right off the clearance rack at Baby Gap. It was cheap, they were cute,functional (letting girls look like girls whilst climbing all over everything)and resilient. The best part was that I could usually sell them to the resale shop and get roughly what I paid on the clearance rack.

    I am really drawn to the whimsical even as an adult, so I would say much of what I make for myself has inspiration in childrens' clothes, so when I see sophisticated styles on kids it seems too staid to me. I think kids should dress as jubilant as their spirits.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I tend to try and find the cheapest, sale-bin clothing items I can find for my daughter. She grows like a weed in a rain forest. I just bought her an entirely new wardrobe this fall because NOTHING (right down to socks) fit her anymore and I bought it all BIG. 3 months later - all too small again. She's gone from a size 5 this May to somewhere around a 10 now. NO WAY would I be spending designer $$ on her. Although I do admit to attempting knock-offs if I like the design enough!

    ReplyDelete
  17. I've seen the mother of a 3 year old boy willingly buy him 3 pair of baby air jordan's..these ish are expensive and though I don't have any kids of my own I've been around long enough to know that in a couple of months they won't fit any more (this was about 10 years ago though) but I know this practice continues today.
    I don't a lot of the designer RTW is more durable than the cheaper ones considering that most of them are manufactured in the same places by the same (poor) standards.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Designer for kids - to me a waste of money we don't have. It's Walmart, JC Penneys, etc. for these guys unless it's a gift from grandparents, handmedowns or something similar. I make some things for them, too, but unless it's holiday or Sunday wear, it's relatively simple. I really rather see little girls dress traditional or simple-play-comfortable. I cannot stand to see them look like little hookers, one of your older posts. Off the soapbox, now. And as far as your reticence towards children, I was that way before children and it's not uncommon for those who have none. On the spending of money for designer, if you want to spend it - it's your money, but to me, it's silly to have an overabundance of clothes for a kid since they outgrow them quickly. About a weeks worth is sufficient at any given time.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Because I've really only taken my kid shopping at thrift stores for clothes--he's now 10--he thinks anything over $7 is expensive. Really he thinks anything over $3 is expensive and I often have to talk him into more expensive items.

    He hasn't mastered the napkin yet either so there is no way he's getting more than a thrift store tee.

    High end brands are about as stupid for kids as they are for adults; aren't there other problems that need solving in the world?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Yuck, I'm with you. I will say though, I have three middle schoolers and they would get laughed off of the bus if they showed up in those D&G sneaks. So I think kids kind of "get it" as well. Generally, if they need or want something fancy, mom makes it...and believe it or not they are not social pariah because of it. lol

    Sewing is making a huge comeback in the kid crowd. Most of the kids I know would much rather have a "one of a kind" that was made for them, or better yet that they made themselves. They couldn't give a poo less what some designer is making....

    ~Angie's 11 year old daughter here: "Those clothes are fugly. They look like things grown ups would wear. No offense to my mom, but I don't WANT to dress like my parents."

    hahahaha......None taken.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Yeah, I definitely clothed my kids in practical clothing. Though my FIL liked to splurge and bought them lots of clothing from Neiman Marcus that they almost never wore. I'll never forget the pair of Prada boots he bought my daughter when she was little. She wore them only a few times. Usually he would buy tons of clothing, and my MIL would take them all back and get store credit and then buy something more practical. Since I never went into Needless Markup, that was fine by me. :) But he was a good guy, well meaning and completely besotted with his grandkids.

    ReplyDelete
  22. I raised/am raising my kids in a tiny, rural village in a part of the country that isn't very style-conscious, but more outdoorsy. I buy or sew what is prudent and cost-effective without being austere about it. I don't like logos but sometimes that's what's the best buy, which is my criteria.
    When my middle daughter was a nanny for a wealthy family the oldest child, aged 9, asked her what "activities" she was involved in as a child. This family thought it of paramount importance to keep their offspring as completely overbooked as possible with karate, oboe, jazz dance, etc. to the point that they were sitting down to homework at 9-10pm and got little sleep. My daughter answered, "I played in the dirt." This was an over-simplification, but not far from the truth and completely perplexed the child.
    Children need to be free to just hang out, think, dream, do chores and play in the dirt.
    My daughters are 24, 27, and 35 with happy families of their own. I raised them alone and they are raising their children with a similar ethic. They come to Mimi's house and we read, color, sew, and play in the dirt... See this blog post: http://julieswallowtail.blogspot.com/2010/11/joys-of-being-mimi.html

    ReplyDelete
  23. We have purchased very little clothing for our children, ages 2 11/12, and 9 months. Seriously, I think I've only bought maybe 5 articles of clothing. Everything else has been hand-me-downs or given as gifts or sewn by me. My son, the elder, appreciates homemade clothing more than RTW.

    And the home sewn clothing just fits better, ya know? My kids wear cloth diapers and RTW just isn't cut to accommodate that.

    And forget about spending a lot on fabric for the kids' clothes. Usually I just take something that has been given to me or my husband as a hand-me-down and refashion it for the kids.

    ReplyDelete
  24. My DIL, bless her heart, buys secondhand whenever she can. I have to admit I like to buy new things for the DGS, but I'd never buy designer. I passed on some Lauren stuff at a dept. store last night.

    If your kids are attending a snooty and expensive private school, the pressure to buy designer might be pretty strong. When we moved to nicer area many, many moons ago, my kids felt pressured to upgrade their duds--'80s style. Remember acid washed jeans? Lauren shirts? I balked at buying leather jackets, I remember, because I was convinced any leather would be stolen.

    I suppose the current phenom is just a continuation of of things. The designer brands want to add a revenue stream, so they decide to mfg. kids' clothes. But less expensive brands do the same. You can now buy kids' LL Bean and Lands End clothes--which you could not do when my kids were young.

    ReplyDelete
  25. About 30 years ago (pre my kids), I saw a grandmother, mother and approx 2 year-old son waiting at a downtown elevator. Both ladies were very chic, and the boy was dressed in a miniature Canadian west coast indian sweater, expensive looking jeans, beautiful suede shoes and a fur hat to match mum's. That kid was wearing more $$ than my home sewn winter wardrobe.

    My kids got simple tshirts, jeans, sweaters from Sears and the like. My ex, the germaphobe, managed to instill fear of 2nd hand clothes in DD before we split so that didn't help. I used to haunt the jobber a few blocks from where I worked as he always had great overruns for kids. I made the fancy dresses for Christmas, knit the odd sweater, and made things like shorts for guide camp instead of buying them for big bucks from the guide store. Besides the $, I'd rather dress children in clothes in which they can be active.

    The idea of pushing labels on children is awful. The ultra expensive sneakers are bad enough.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Oh yeah, my son wears couture: mom's couture! The little rotter has dug in his heels and is out & out refusing to even consider store bought trousers any more. What is the world coming to?! Beeeeeg eyeroll!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Who cares. If Mommy and Daddy have so much money they can lay it down for this stuff, let them. More jobs for the seamstresses in other parts of the world. Good for them.

    It is true kids like what they like, but they could like anything, maybe they like designers.

    I make all my kids cloths. I also sell the princess dresses I make to other parents for there kids. To me the cloths are like an amazing toy. I would spend $100-$300 on one of those cool ride on cars for my girls, why not on an amazing princess dress. My kids have gotten a lot more use out of the dresses, than the ride along toy.

    I don't like the idea of dressing them up like adults exactly. Knowing my girls, it just seams like torture to me. Something a parent forces the kid to put on. I do have a problem with the parent making a kid dress like that.

    Dressing them up in expensive designer cloths for kids, seams like a fine idea. I would spend extra for a skirt that twirled, in a full circle rather than an A line because I know how valuable that is to my girls. Every day they want to where the twirl skirt, and the A line never sees the light of day. If it is shinny, or has a princess on it all the better.

    I would also add that kids are so darn cute it gives adults a lot of joy to see them behaving nicely, and looking adorable. Making my kids as cute as they can be adds joy to there life, my life, and lots of random people who just happen to see them.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Yea if one has the money. Why let that money languish in a savings account - support the global economy!

    ReplyDelete
  29. Rachel, I know you're kidding. I hope.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Oh, come now, you don't like kids? Tsk tsk. But then, I don't much like dogs...

    But about the designer label kid clothes - I can't handle stuff that expensive. I did buy one sweater for my baby daughter at a secondhand shop, though. It was freezing, she had nothing appropriate, and it is seeming to me that you have to go designer to get actual wool in kids' clothes? It's a big part of why I love knitting for my kids. Anyway, the designer sweater was a hilarious and unusual enough experience that I blogged about it... http://whattherestimefor.typepad.com/what-theres-time-for/2010/05/the-baby-wears-burberry.html

    ReplyDelete
  31. I will never forget waiting for a friend in Water Tower Place in Chicago and seeing a little girl (age 5 or 6) wearing a real fur coat. I almost choked.

    I don't have kids, either, but I sure believe in hand-me-downs or thrifted items, especially for little kids. They grow like weeds and can blast right past outfits before they're barely worn.

    But things begin to change when a child heads toward middle school and the peer group starts to weigh in...

    ReplyDelete
  32. The most horrifying place I've ever been is the baby section at Harrod's. BABY MISSONI SOCKS. I kid you not.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Can someone explain to me why so many straight guys wear Dolce & Gabbana sweatshirts etc. -- I find it even more confusing than a few years ago when African American kids had Tommy Hilfilger's name all over their backs.

    ReplyDelete
  34. I don't have kids but I remember being a kid and a lot of my muck around and play clothes were hand me downs from my 2 older brothers. I particularly remember some Sesame Street t-shirts that were especially horrible for me to wear - I was going through an 'everything had to be pink and girly' stage at about 5/6 yrs! So my point is, a lot of hand me downs. My mum sewed most of my dresses. But when I was growing up designer brands just weren't rammed down your throat as much as they seem to be now.

    I think it is just something else for people who have more money than sense to buy and think it is a touch ridiculous. But if you people have the money (and lack the brains) and can buy it, then I guess they will. I know I wouldn't once I have kids.

    What actually worries me more, is tweens and very young teenage girls getting around looking like they are older than I am! (I'm 31 btw) Some of the stuff they wear really raises an eyebrow with me. All the makeup, hair, nails and the rest that goes with it all... just a bit messed up if you ask me. One of the kids I teach turned 11 a couple of months ago, I noticed the other day that she had a french manicure. Isn't there plenty of time for all that when you are an adult?

    ReplyDelete
  35. I have a problem with the advertising for those clothes, its to "mini me" as someone else here said. Children are not accessories!

    I think my sons clothes spends more time in the washing machine than on him. I try to buy good shoes and winter wear but I would never spend much money on other clothes.

    ReplyDelete
  36. I would never buy this stuff new, because I can't afford it. Also, I have zero children.

    At the same time, there's no reason to buy poor-quality children's clothes if you can afford solid, basic, wearable clothing that can be passed down to neighbors, relatives, friends, the PTA, or more direct charitable giving. If anything, I would say the guiding rule for children's clothing should be "not too trendy", as six girls in a row can wear the same 2T corduroy jumper if it's not bad-quality or printed all over with the cartoon sensation of the minute.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Y'all know that most of what I make is kids' clothes. Homemade clothes, even for kids, are better made a last longer than their RTW counterparts. But designer? Sure I know about them, but I consider 'em a waste of money. And I have definite ideas of how my nieces and nephews should be dressed. Evie and Alina don't own any short dresses--all of theirs at least hit the knee and most are made by Auntie Laura. Most of them have sleeves. They *don't* look like minihookers. The rest of their clothes are comfortable and made to play in. And if they don't come from a thrift store, they come from discount stores. It's what we can afford. And for babies and toddlers, well, buying brand new, expensive, clothes is a waste of money because they outgrow them so quickly!

    ReplyDelete
  38. People spend their money on all sorts of things, so if shelling out mega cash for wee togs floats their boat, sail on. Some of the Burberry kids stuff is kind of cute, but I'll pass. I've got a slew of a crew at home and we've got greater things on tap…like tuition.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Love your blog! I was a quiet follower for some time but reading this post reminded me of something I was thinking about lately, so I guess I could share this thought.
    First let me say, I'm totally with you on this subject! If I'm ever gonna have children I will probably sew for them myself. I'll never choose to buy them expensive clothes, but I can see why some people would and there's nothing really that much wrong about that.
    But other thing that upsets me (although maybe is not directly linked with this post of yours) is a fact that there are parents who are willing to dress their kids in tacky little gowns, spray tan them, make them wear heir extensions, fake lashes and flippers and then twirl and smile like a little versions of drug queens. I guess there are a lots of people who approve child beauty pageants, but I strongly believe that there is a special circle of hell for parents who make their kids compete in such way! Forgive me for the lack of tolerance. Coming from a country that doesn't have this kind of entertainment I was quite surprised first time I saw some TV show that deals with this subject, I guess I still am :)
    I wonder what most of the people think about the beauty pageants? Maybe you should write a post about it!

    ReplyDelete
  40. I'm afraid that would be TOO controversial! LOL

    ReplyDelete
  41. I haven't read the comments above yet as I have no time at the moment (but I will as this is a pet hate of mine). There is a lot of talk about kids now only define themselves by what they wear and what they have - kids as young as 4 or 5! I think even if parents can afford it they should not buy this stuff. It teaches children that they are better than others, they feel 'sorry' for kids that can't afford it and they end up not knowing who they are. Everyone can come into hard times through circumstances we cannot control - where are these kids if they then have to go to kmart to buy clothes.
    I never buy brands, my child (6 yo) does not like brands and we avoid them. Plus, the thing that gets me the most is, it is probably the same people actually sweating to make the designer stuff as it is making the kmart stuff. My ex mother in law got a Marks and Spencer outfit(in the UK) for my son at 3 yo and low an behold six months later exactly the same thing in kmart Brisbane Australia! So there!!
    Anyway if they were clever enough, they would make their kids their own outfits! (made with love as my son says). www.sewdarntired.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  42. my boys grew up on cord pants from jcpenney's or garage sales and various shirts, some new and some from the thrift store. More and more as they grew older, from the thrift store. Then they got to go to college, I think it was a good trade off. The education will last a lot longer than a toddler outfit.

    ReplyDelete
  43. We're lucky - there are older cousins that pass down a lot of clothes. I buy fairly inexpensive clothes, cruise the sales rack, etc., but what I'm guilty of is buying too many clothes. I justify it by thinking that if my kids don't wear them much, then the clothes will be in great shape when we pass them on. We donate all of them to a refugee program - my kids are the youngest cousins.
    My kids are small for their ages and slow growers, but I still don't want to spend big money on their clothes. My (small seven-year-old) daughter is going through a change in taste right now. She wants to stop wearing all of the cute-animal-on-the-front clothes and move into things that are a bit older looking - peace signs and sparkle, to the extent I will let her. I tell myself that at least this way she won't be wearing the crazy Japanese look-like-you're-seven-when-you're-27 clothes. I am letting her make the change - my main rules for clothes are that they must be age appropriate and weather appropriate - she puts together some pretty crazy outfits within those parameters! My nine-year-old son would like to dress more "cool" than his mom will let him - no skulls, no goth. The age and weather appropriate rules apply to him as well. For my daughter it has always been a rule that there be no animal prints - leopard stretch pants, anyone? In the words of Celia Rivenbark, "Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank."

    ReplyDelete
  44. When i was a kid we had to walk to school in six feet of snow for 10 miles, BAREFOOT!

    I have no kids, and I imagine the choice gets harder once they come along, but I prefer homemade, or handmade childrens clothes- supports a local economy and kids clothes is one area I believe should be sweatshop free.

    ReplyDelete
  45. If you consider the style only, not the brands and pricetags, of those clothes pictured, they're actually mostly fairly classic and stylish. That Burberry dress is freakin' adorable, or would be if not for the recognisable Burberry fabric. You won't find me shelling out for these, or admiring anyone who does, but you might find me stealing ideas to make for my own kids :-)

    ReplyDelete
  46. Re: kids -- I'm with you, Peter. I have two of my own, though, and as a result the elevator door never opens. (I'm kind of kidding, sort of.) To keep them quiet, we sometimes sit them down in front of the Little Rascals. My favorite episode has Spanky's mother leaving for town, telling Spanky on her way out that he is responsible for making sure the sick baby gets cough medicine at regular intervals.

    I think being hyper-aware of what one is wearing detracts from the joy of childhood. It should be put off as long as possible: at least until adolescence when, in our times at any rate, it seems to become an unavoidable source of torment.

    ReplyDelete
  47. I have three kids, and know that thrift shop/hand me downs are better for babies & toddlers because an infant can outgrow a clothing size in a month- when they were older I made a lot of their clothes, although I will admit that my mother bought my older daughter a lot of YSL baby dresses from Bloomies

    I had a friend who dressed her child in the height of kiddie fashion- I didn't even know that they had Childrens' Vogue until she told me I had somehow been unaware that leather sneaker laces were in OH WELl

    Sarah C

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

Related Posts with Thumbnails