Looking at that gallery I mentioned earlier has sparked an interest in exploring the world of children’s clothing styles. A reader in the last post made a good point–kids look nice with far less effort than adults. They also get to change more than the average person due to a number of things like extra-curricular activities, spills, “accidents”, dress-up time or just because they want to dang it.
Ever taken care of a baby? It’s like being Kim Kardashian’s stylist–they need a new outfit every couple hours!
Kids can get away with a lot. They throw fits in stores, write on the walls, and slap their peers, all without being given a citation, arrested, or labeled as deviants. Lucky brats. I want to write on the walls! …Where was I going with this?
Oh yeah… getting away with stuff. I submit the following as proof:
Tutu and boots. You think you could pull that off?
Purple T and suspenders. Again, no way anyone over the age of 7 looks cute in that.
One concern I’ve heard people (mostly moms) express is the issue of age appropriateness of children’s clothing.
In my experience, most kids don’t have too much opinion about what they wear until they get closer to 9, 10, 11 etc. Naturally, there are exceptions. But up until children do start caring, looking cute is basically a reflection of the parent’s style, right? What I’m wondering is if there are any negative affects to dressing kids in older (not necessarily inappropriate) styles. I lean, strongly (I think), towards letting childhood be a time when things don’t really need to match all the time, brand names are meaningless, and dressing “in costume” (princesses, pirates anyone?) is socially acceptable.
Maybe you don’t want your kid going as Pocahontas to church but at the same time, would that really be so bad?
disclaimer: I spent years 4-9 of my life wearing print leggings, bike shorts, and a purple sweatsuit as often as I could. So, what do I know.
The infamous purple sweat suit. Also pictured: my brother.
