Anyone else as frustrated with Girls Clothes? (son, five year old, schools)

[jenn02674]

I only have one boy but I am constantly eyeing the girls clothes just because I have some neices and I think it is so much more fun shopping for the girls. While I do definately think that there are some things that are very inappropriate (like the padded training bras - unbelievable), I think some of you are going a little bit overboard. There is TONS of cute, cute, cute girls clothes at Target, Old Navy, the department stores. Styles change and while I realize that you might not like them, please don't dress your kids like they are straight out of Amish country (ok, I know I am going overboard a little). Just remember your parents probably didn't like your clothes too much either! Living in the south, I don't have a problem with spagetti straps (heck I just want them to be comfortable outside when it is 90+ degrees, often over 100) so I don't give a darn about bra straps. BUT, at the same time I have seen plenty of non-spagetti strap tank tops and I don't even have a girl to shop for!!

Now, not being able to find fall stuff when in your area it is getting cool already, well that IS something to be frustrated about and the only think I can suggest is ordering from catalogs and contact the managers of the stores you are shopping. My son will be wearing shorts through December probably!

If you want your child to wear a polo shirt and khakis and jeans, there are plenty of those in all the stores too. For the record, while I love clothes shopping, I am totally FOR a school uniform as well!

[skbs]

have some neices and I think it is so much more fun shopping for the girls. While I do definately think that there are some things that are very inappropriate (like the padded training bras - unbelievable), I think some of you are going a little bit overboard. There is TONS of cute, cute, cute girls clothes at Target, Old Navy, the department stores. Styles change and while I realize that you might not like them, please don't dress your kids like they are straight out of Amish country

Alright... no offense... but there is a GIANT difference between going into a store and buying TWO outfits for a gift and then buying many for a wardrobe to last a year. It is nearly impossible to find a full wardrobe that is appropriate any more... there is also a gian lack of understanding how a five year old should dress it seems. I will show you a visual of what I am faced to dress my child in These are all in HER SIZE of 7/8 (for a five-almost six year old first grader- although very tall- still a 7 yr old should not be allowed to dress this way either)
http://zoom.jcpenney.com/is/image/0900631b814fcd7dM.tif?wid=180&hei=180&op_usm=1.5,. 8,0,0&resmode=sharp (broken link)







Honestly... does your jaw NOT drop? These are the styles that are the MAJORITY in Dept Stores... not what I am about to show you..

Now, this is how I WANT her to dress... and the kinds of clothes I need to search for..in terms of size and decent price...it shouldn't be this way




Oh.... and I deem all the items on the link to this wepage not acdeptable for a five year old as well
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/s_10153_1...velty+T-Shirts
Pretty much all but perhaps two on THIS page... maybe three on page three... but does anyone see any SLEEVES????
http://www1.macys.com/catalog/index....Type=EverGreen

[skbs]

Now, onto Shoes... who else is sick of HEELS for little girls? I know I am! My kids can barely walk barefoot without tripping and now stores want them to attempt it on stilts.....seriously, is this reasonable?
http://www.payless.com/Images/300x300/063417_1_300x300.jpg (broken link)







Makes it hard to find a large selection of these:

[121804]

This is a passion of mine (yes, I do have a life , but there are some issues that I am quite interested in; the way society sexualizes little girls is one of them. It's blatant sexualation that society has allowed to become the norm. I am not wanting little girls to look like they live on Little House on the Pairie, but hopefully you get what I am trying to abbreviate).

Anyway, SKBS, you can always write to the manufacturer. Unfortunately, these clothes are made in the dozens in some sweat shop in western China or Bangladesh, so not sure how far a letter will go.

Another option is contacting the school board. This happened in a district near us. While "uniforms" did not receive a majority vote, they did vote to no longer permit clothing that had any name brand, logo, or saying on the outside (in plain view). No spaghetti straps tank tops through high school. List goes on. Shoe heels have to be less than an inch. No underpants to be shown by either male or female. Our friends who have two teeange daughters love the new policy as do the daughters.

I've also heard of districts only allowing khaki or navy blue pants/shorts and white, navy blue, red, khaki colored shirts with collars, etc.

It's can be an uphill battle b/c many parents see nothing wrong in an 8yr old wearing a strappy tank top to school with daisy dukes or their sons having their underoos showing when they are in 2nd grade and their pants half down their legs....

But I am sure that there are many parents who wish something could be done. Again, this has nothing to do with wanting little girls & boys to be covered from head to toe. But designers are taking advantage of our society & convincing people that this is ok. Why not have your 15yr old look like she's 30 on the first day of school?

It's funny, b/c the older I get, the more content I am not having to wear tons of makeup or wearing namebrand everything down to my socks. It's nice not to have to live up to an unobtainable image that I struggled with throughout childhood.

Stores like Target & Kohls have an agenda.

Have you tried Old Navy, GapKids, or JCrew Kids? Sometimes they have very simple things that are stylish but won't break the budget. Take a look online b/c there are sales that are not in the stores.

LLBean & Lands End are also options.

Good luck. Sorry for my speel. It's just that my heart lies with middle school students & today is the first day of school. I have fond memories of many of my students & just the heart young girls have when a person talks to them & listens to them & doesn't expect anything from them other than to be a YOUNG child.

I always wonder how much parents pay throughout the school year for clothing. It seems like it could be very costly and a lot of tears could be shed if parents don't have the $$ to buy the latest outfit for Sally or Billy.

It was so bad when I was in school (and I went to parochial through 12 grade!!!) that even the bag we brought our phys ed clothes in had to be from a popular store at the time (which was Limited & Benneton). My parents didn't have the money to shop there & I remember CRYING b/c I didn't have a plastic bag with Benneton on it....silly, silly, silly.

[maja]

I am soooo tired of society trying to turn our children into teenagers. I hate that I see kindergartners and Preschoolers with HighSchool Musical attire/backpacks/lunchboxes. I even read an article that described "tweens" as the new term for children between the ages of 5 & 12!!! Most of the clothing is so trashy - I wouldn't even want my teens wearing it let alone my 6 & 9 year olds. Its a lot more difficult to shop but we do manage. I find alot of stuff at LandsEnd (the ONLY place, I'll buy swimsuits), LLBean, Hanna Andersson & Talbots Kids online (Pricier but worth it) and very selective shopping at Old Navy, Kohl's & Target's. BTW, as if Limited Too isn't bad enough, just found out there's now an Abecrombie Kids Store - won't find me shopping there!!!

[maja]

Originally Posted by 121804

This is a passion of mine (yes, I do have a life , but there are some issues that I am quite interested in; the way society sexualizes little girls is one of them. It's blatant sexualation that society has allowed to become the norm. I am not wanting little girls to look like they live on Little House on the Pairie, but hopefully you get what I am trying to abbreviate).

Anyway, SKBS, you can always write to the manufacturer. Unfortunately, these clothes are made in the dozens in some sweat shop in western China or Bangladesh, so not sure how far a letter will go.

Another option is contacting the school board. This happened in a district near us. While "uniforms" did not receive a majority vote, they did vote to no longer permit clothing that had any name brand, logo, or saying on the outside (in plain view). No spaghetti straps tank tops through high school. List goes on. Shoe heels have to be less than an inch. No underpants to be shown by either male or female. Our friends who have two teeange daughters love the new policy as do the daughters.

I've also heard of districts only allowing khaki or navy blue pants/shorts and white, navy blue, red, khaki colored shirts with collars, etc.

It's can be an uphill battle b/c many parents see nothing wrong in an 8yr old wearing a strappy tank top to school with daisy dukes or their sons having their underoos showing when they are in 2nd grade and their pants half down their legs....

But I am sure that there are many parents who wish something could be done. Again, this has nothing to do with wanting little girls & boys to be covered from head to toe. But designers are taking advantage of our society & convincing people that this is ok. Why not have your 15yr old look like she's 30 on the first day of school?

It's funny, b/c the older I get, the more content I am not having to wear tons of makeup or wearing namebrand everything down to my socks. It's nice not to have to live up to an unobtainable image that I struggled with throughout childhood.

Stores like Target & Kohls have an agenda.

Have you tried Old Navy, GapKids, or JCrew Kids? Sometimes they have very simple things that are stylish but won't break the budget. Take a look online b/c there are sales that are not in the stores.

LLBean & Lands End are also options.

Good luck. Sorry for my speel. It's just that my heart lies with middle school students & today is the first day of school. I have fond memories of many of my students & just the heart young girls have when a person talks to them & listens to them & doesn't expect anything from them other than to be a YOUNG child.

I always wonder how much parents pay throughout the school year for clothing. It seems like it could be very costly and a lot of tears could be shed if parents don't have the $$ to buy the latest outfit for Sally or Billy.

It was so bad when I was in school (and I went to parochial through 12 grade!!!) that even the bag we brought our phys ed clothes in had to be from a popular store at the time (which was Limited & Benneton). My parents didn't have the money to shop there & I remember CRYING b/c I didn't have a plastic bag with Benneton on it....silly, silly, silly.

You might appreciate this scenerio: A couple months back, my daughter's( 6 & 9) had a little friend over to our house. The little girl is nice but has 2 teenage sisters and the family is a little too much into "fashion." Anyway, this little friend looks at my younger daughters outfit and asks her, "Where do you get your clothes?" My beautiful, innocent 6 year old girl replies, "Upstairs." End of conversation. I was so proud about that one! If only it could stay this way!

[I love the Bears]

My 13 year old sweet little angel has the body of a sports illustrated swim suit model and really has no idea....My 17 year old son won't let his friends come over anymore - they all drool over her.....
bathing suit shopping is sheer hell - she wants all the cute bikinnis that her little friends wear and I have to explain to her that she can't wear them cause I can't have my 13 year old looking like she's going to spring break.
I actually feel for my parents more and more every day!

[CMMom]

Yes, it is incredibly frustrating. My not-quite-5 year old daughter (in Pre-K) is very tall for her age, and is already wearing a size 7. So, we've sized out of most of the cute Gymboree type stuff. The stuff in her size in the department stores is the Britney Spears midriff baring crap that I despise! I love the clothes from Hanna Andersson, Chez Ami, 2 Little Chicks, etc... (for most of this, you have to go to a Tupperware-type party in someone's home to order), but it is so freaking expensive! I'm so glad that we'll be starting uniforms next year in Kindergarten. The Junior Department at most department stores these days looks like clothes for streetwalkers. Anyone else remember when back to school clothes were things like tartan kilts and twinset sweaters?

[maja]

Originally Posted by CMMom

Yes, it is incredibly frustrating. My not-quite-5 year old daughter (in Pre-K) is very tall for her age, and is already wearing a size 7. So, we've sized out of most of the cute Gymboree type stuff. The stuff in her size in the department stores is the Britney Spears midriff baring crap that I despise! I love the clothes from Hanna Andersson, Chez Ami, 2 Little Chicks, etc... (for most of this, you have to go to a Tupperware-type party in someone's home to order), but it is so freaking expensive! I'm so glad that we'll be starting uniforms next year in Kindergarten. The Junior Department at most department stores these days looks like clothes for streetwalkers. Anyone else remember when back to school clothes were things like tartan kilts and twinset sweaters?

Did you know that Gymboree now goes up to a size 10 or 12. Check it out on-line. My 9 year old still wears some of their stuff

[therewego]

Originally Posted by skbs

Now, onto Shoes... who else is sick of HEELS for little girls? I know I am! My kids can barely walk barefoot without tripping and now stores want them to attempt it on stilts.....seriously, is this reasonable?








Makes it hard to find a large selection of these:

I saw some of those black mary janes by Carter's at Kohl's; have you tried there?