Bring Back the Whimsy and the Impishness in Kids Clothing
The deluge of designer clothes in children’s fashion has made celebrity kids the perfect mini-me’s of their famous parents. Dressing up children like adults looks cute once in a while, but to do this often takes away from the kids the freedom to express their true natures. Children are, by essence, guileless in their wonder of Nature’s beauty and equally fascinated with things that go bump in the night. These qualities should reflect in the cut and style of their clothes and the artistic designs of the prints.
Instead of simply dressing them up in hipster fashion, think of what our parents used to put us in during the seventies and eighties. Eye-catching prints of animals, flowers and trees on shirts consisted of bold lines and bright colors. Years later, these designs still appeal to the kids, but in a more subtle and whimsical manner. Let’s take for example the hopping bunnies on a summer dress and the steady night owl on a girl’s nightshirt. These illustrations consist of thin strokes and light colors to evoke a dreamy outlook.
An important part of kids clothing is the feelings of comfort and ease of movement children have whenever they wear these clothes. Formal slacks, long sleeved shirts, gowns, and stylish coats are great outfits during special occasions. But, for everyday wear at school or at home, children are better fitted with loose clothing. What’s more, the materials used must be durable enough to handle rigorous playground activities while they hide behind wet bushes, as they climb up the tree, and when they roll around the sandbox. At the same time, it has to be soft and non-allergenic to children’s sensitive skin.
For girls, the most popular styles that endured decades of fashion include fluffy skirts, loose asymmetric shirts, girly blouses, smocks, athletic dresses, tennis skorts, jumpers, denim pants, and woolen leggings. Parents can layer coats and vests on shirts and keep the girls warm with a pair of leggings under their skirts. During summer, let the girls put on a scarf or bolero over a thin sundress and top with a wide-brimmed summer hat to keep out the sun.
For boys, the tee shirts and hoodies remain a strong staple among the preteens. Boys love the dark rubberized prints of monsters and mayhem on their clothes. Also, their cargo pants have evolved from a simple two-pocket bottom to a multi-pocketed pair of loose khakis with a roving print of a dragon or snake around one of its legs.