As if possessing the “it-bag” or “it-pair” of heels wasn’t enough, nowadays it seems we need to have the “it-child”, too. Ever wondered when kidswear got so ludicrous? I’m not even referring to the sort of clothes bought by parents who truss up their offspring in the ghastly manner of pre-teen beauty pageant queens: everyone knows that Little Lord Fauntleroy outfits or Bo Peep get-ups are not the way to make friends in Year 5.
Something is afoot, though, when even the non-statement (the equivalent of no make-up make-up) is looking disturbing. What’s up with this childrenswear that’s so entrenched in the style diktats of “good-taste”? Bon Point, the chichi French label beloved of the Notting Hell set, got the ball rolling a few years back with £100-plus Babygros, but today’s backlash against twee, French-style Princess coats is just as worrying.
Where trips to H&M were once the norm, the majority of designers have now introduced lines for pre-teens. At websites such as www.littlefashiongallery.com or www.smallable.fr you’ll find Marc Jacobs smock-tops or smaller versions of grown-up dresses for not much less than the adult price. 3.1 Phillip Lim and Isabel Marant who plug the same easy-going chic of their adult ranges have also jumped on board.
At one level, you can see the commercial incentive. Why wouldn’t a designer play along with using his offcuts for a garment that is sold for marginally less than the adult version? More fool us, however, for buying into it. Because something’s wrong when you factor in that there’s no VAT on children’s clothes and that you’re still getting little change from £80 for an eight-year-old’s dress. Why we want to promote such self-consciousness in kindergarten kids - and this from a fashion journo - is a mystery.
So hurrah for DVFs collaboration for Gap; a print fused, brightly coloured collection of t-shirt dresses, tanks and shorts, capri leggings and swimwear for girls from 0-14 which will sell from £8.99. Punchy enough to appeal to design aficionados – certainly there’s no sign of vomit, saccharine pink - yet practical (and affordable) enough to survive the sandpit. Available from Wednesday 28th March.