Tween Scene - No More Kids Clothes?
Shopping for kids clothes is, if not fun, at least a relatively
painless parental task. All a parent needs to know to buy
clothes is the child's age and favorite over-commercialized
cartoon character. He then need only buy something with that age
printed on the tag - 2T for a two-year old, 6X for a tall
six-year old - bearing the appropriate Elmo or Dora the Explorer
images. Not a flawless system, but one that has stood the
transition from shopping moms to shopping, clueless dads like
me. However, this system starts to unravel as your child
approaches the tween years - generally recognized as the ages
between nine and twelve. The tween years are similar to the
toddler years in that your child feels the need to assert
independence, test limits, and even push a few buttons. But
there is the added confusion of raging hormones causing body
changes, mood swings, and occasional fits of pique. At this age,
clothing not only fits differently due to growth (and those darn
hormones), but your young person begins to have a sense of his
own style, or at least a sense of what his peers are wearing. No
more Rugrats, Blue's Clues, or Barbie clothing themes. No more
kids clothes.
What will my kids want to wear?
Tweens begin feeling the need to express their independence from
their parents by emulating their peers. It's the prelude to
full-blown teenager-hood, and as such, fashion plays a role.
However, fashion and popular culture should never override
parental wisdom, or common sense. Do we really need to see an
eleven-year-old boy's boxers billowing out of his low-slung
pants like the braking chute on a drag racer? Should we really
know what color underwear a ten year old girl is wearing as it
climbs over the top of her jeans? Tweens will look to teens, and
teen pop icons, for what's "cool" to wear, and in so doing will
see a proliferation of skin and undergarments. Leaving aside the
issue of whether this attire is appropriate for anyone, these
are definitely not kids clothes. Yet they may very possibly be
the clothes your kids will want to wear.
No kids clothes? What should I buy?
Fear not, all is not lost! The aware parent can be
fashion-forward and still lose the "babyish" kids clothes.
Today's tween/teen fashion seems to be centered on baggy and low
slung, with an eye to 80's Prep. Plain white tee shirts are
popular for both boys and girls, as are polo shirts (yes, the
collars are back up!). Loose fitting cargo pants, jeans, khakis
and chinos are also worn by both girls and boys. Many of today's
jeans are low-rise, which means parents need to keep an eye out
for peeping underwear and "plumber's cleavage," but the right
fit can be found. As silk scarf belts are in for girls,
obtaining this accessory for your daughter might help keep the
jeans up at their proper height. Popular with boys is the silk
(or silk-like) shirt over that white tee. Untucked, this also
can help disguise pants that seem to be hanging at knee level.
One way young ladies can be "skin-fashionable" without being
inappropriate is by wearing Capri pants coupled with the
ped-like "no-see" socks that don't rise above the tops of the
sneaker. Showing a little ankle may have been risqu