Ok Folks! Time to Be Grown-ups!! Parents and Children's Clothing...

08.26.03 | mlmr

[mlmr]

Every few days or so on FreeRepublic, those of us who follow the Common Culture and its focus on sexuality start complaining about the clothing in the local stores that is available to children. Mothers and fathers here complain about the trashy, sexualized clothing that little girls are sold. They complain that there are no others choices.

Well, I don't know about you folks but I COMPLAIN. To management. Each time I cannot find modest, decent clothes. It takes at most, five minutes. Each time I shop. And I expect I will get results. For each person who complains...mangement extrapolates that there are dozens of customers who do not say anything and feel the same way.

I want to encourage all parents to find the manager and complain about the things sold for children in the stores, especially the chains, that you don't like. Inappropriate and sexualized items. Emails help too.

Bsck a few years ago, when I was complaining about the movie choices for children at my local theatre, I was pulled aside by the manager and told that many parents were complaining and the chain was trying to find decent movies for children. I notice that there has been a broader selection of childrens films recently. I think there is untapped power in complaining to the right people.

When you complain, do it kindly and politely. Tell them what you do not like and what you are expecting to buy instead. Following it up with an email drives the point home. IF you want to change the culture...if you want to take it back...you need to open your mouths and ask for what you want.

For this is really for the children, and our culture, and our future.

[King Prout]

problem is, too many folks are children in parents' clothing.

[Lynn]

And this is also a capitalist society....like it or not. And everyone who is in business is in it for profit.

It's like turning the channel on TV stations you don't to watch. However, what may be a problem to watch for some, may not be a problem to watch for others. Societal culture wars are different in all walks of life and their communities to include tv, fashion, music, food, sex or whatever.

What the world needs less of is "offended people" over anything. The world also needs less police "peep"les (peoples) i.e. thought police, tv police, sex police and now apparently clothes police. I personally have no issue with an inanimate article of fabric in a store. What's looks sexy to some may look like a car wash buffrag to another...

The world really needs to get it's priorities straight. Too many other things out there to "complain" about...important things...like criminals in or political and judicial systems, rather than tying up someone's time for 5 to 10 minutes who's just trying to make a living...

nothing personal...just MHO

[tiamat]

Your point is well taken.

Now I do not know where others shop, but I do a lot with Target or Khol's and there seems to be no shortage of capri pants, blue jeans that are NOT low rise, t-shirts WITHOUT vulgar sayings, and cute peasant tops that do NOT show the tummy.

Now I am lucky.

My daughter could care LESS about style. She likes bright colors and nothing that is binding or itchy.

Two new pairs of jeans, some cargo pants, and a handful of t-shirts and she's there. Add in a couple pairs of shoes and assorted socks and undies.

That said, I will point out that it is PARENTS who ultimately pay for kid's clothing, and there is "the Golden rule" ie: "He who has the gold makes the rules". You will have no problem with clothing IF you pay attention. If parents are just handing money to kids and turning them loose in the mall , they deserve whatever the kid turns up with.

I guess I just do not see what the fuss is about.

Tia

[Hatteras]

Parents have a choice. They can let their underage daughter go out of the house looking like a two dollar whore or they can pay attention to their kids and actually put some effort into raising them.

[prarie earth]

I gotta say, 18-24 year old girls really know how to dress these days...15 years ago when I was in school it was nothing like this!

But it is a little over the top for 13 year olds to be following the trend.

[DanTheAdmin]

BINGO!!! Give the man a cigar...

[Lynn]

13 year old girls will only follow that trend as long as their parents remain "marshmallows on the couch of fat slobbery" while taking no part in the paying of attention to their children.

[tiamat]

18-24 year olds are adults, and ( hopefully) are willing to take responsibility for their lives.

Tia

[tiamat]

And there are few things scarier than a 40 something, over-weight bleach blond "Mom" with a navel ring and some tats who tries to cram herself into a halter top and a pair of low-rise jeans.....

shudder.

Tia

[prarie earth]

Ask any young guy and he will tell you the same thing, we appreciate it!

[prarie earth]

Good point..

[Desdemona]

Just to halfway put your mind at ease, the waistlines on the NY runways are back up to where they should be. By this time next year, the low-riders will be "out."

The tops are also much more modest on the runways. In the meantime, in ready to wear, Kohl's, some Wal-Mart (well-made, even if it is cheap), etc., has more modest things.

Otherwise, you can do what I did in the ultimate form of protest of the fashion industry - learn to sew.

[Tax-chick]

An excellent point. Next time I'm in Wal-Mart, I'm going to suggest that they should have the sensible dresses that I'm buying for myself (at a very good price, too) in sizes that will fit my daughters. (Sigh) I was my full size at 12 - well, a little thinner before the seven kids - but my oldest is a slow grower and I'm stuck shopping in the children's section.

[GodBlessUSA]

I fully understand the point of this article. Complaining can only help make the nicer fashions become more available. When I go shopping for my 6-year-old daughter, I have run into this problem. I have left many stores because there was not much else available. Sexy should not be acceptable at 6, or any age child. Most can tell the difference between sexy and non-sexy clothes. It's not a matter of opinion. Sexy is what sexy is. It's very disappointed. What message do we send children by dressing them sexually attractive? Unfortunately, there are many sick people out there, that shouldn't be attracted to young kids. Dressing, a child sexy, can only help encourage them. I rather have my daughter dress with class and style. The article is not asking to ban them just to complain when one sees fit. It’s for those who do not wish to dress their young children sexy and have a choice of outfits available with style and class.

[SamAdams76]

Posts like this make me so thankful I have two boys and no daughters. It is so damn complicated raising girls and my hat is off to those who can successfully raise them (for my boys to eventually marry up).

My wife took my two sons "back-to-school" shopping over the weekend and it took all of an hour and a half. Damn, and I was hoping to have the whole day to myself too. They just grabbed pants and shirts off the racks at Wal-Mart and Kohls and were out of there in a flash for just under $100 a kid. These clothes would last them years if they didn't grow out of them. I had jeans that I wore for years and years. Finally I threw them out this year because I took off some weight. But jeans and shirts never, ever go out of style for men. And that's just the way I like it.

Girls though are a different matter entirely. I know people raising girls who have closets full of clothes and yet they still have "nothing to wear." It's as if they have to wear something different every damn day. Am I ever glad I have boys!

[Keith in Iowa]

Point, Click, Ship. There are plenty of places on-line with quality items at reasonable prices.

I like Land's End. Sure, I pay a little more, but the quality is worth it. But great deals can be had on their close-outs.

[maica]

Well said! Conservatives have by nature been silent and this writer is just encouraging us to become a bit more active. Why else would almost every store have little cards asking for input on the shopping experience, other than they want to please the customer in order to sell more goods..

One mother may not think that she can do much, but suppose 100 all said the same thing. The message gets through.

It has always been fun to dress little girls in mother-daughter outfits, or other miniaturizations of adult clothing, but when the adults are dressing like J-Lo, it is not fair to the little girl. Think Jon Benet Ramsay for an extreme in this direction.

And if 6 year olds are dressing (being dressed, because they do not do their own shopping) like MTV acts, of course by the time they are 11-13, they think that street-hooker-appropriate clothing is normal.

[HenryLeeII]

Thank you. My wife and I have discussed the same thing a lot, and now we are starting to do as you are...

[B-Chan]

Folks, the solution to your fashion woes lies in the Preppie Look. Nothing combines Class and Comfort like classic American prep-school style I'll spare you the details, but be aware that clothing can be had that will look good on the kinder and last long enough to serve hand-me-down duty as well. These clothes are cut the same way as they were fifty years ago, are made from natural fabrics, and feature quaity stitching that will prevent them from falling apart after a year like discount-store clothes can. Yes, they cost more, but this is offset by the fact that they last much longer than cheaper clothes, both in terms of style and durability; and, by paying attention to sales and by shopping at the big chains' closeout shops (Nordstrom Rack, for example -- same clothes that Nordstrom carries, but discounted 40-60%) one can purchase higher-quality clothing at substantally lower prices.

Labels to look for: Lacoste, Polo, Brooks Brothers, and Banks. I'd also recommend almost anything from L.L. Bean or Land's End (J Crew tends to be a bit too trendy). Bean in particular carries a wide variety of top-quality kids' clothing, and at reasonable prices -- their shoe selection in particular is very sensibly priced -- and the clothes come with a lifetime guarantee.

The Preppie Look is the classic American style. You can't go wrong with golf shirts, chinos, sweaters, and loafers. Dress for success!