Thursday 31 May 2012

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways

dear Pick 'n Pay.

 

My regular readers will know that the Princess is very tall for her age. She is just all arms and legs and a tiny little waist. Which already makes it quite and issue to shop for her. At age 7 she wears size 9 to 10 clothes and then I have to take in around the waist or fit a belt. Up until last year , wearing size 8 to 9 Woolworths was our staple clothes shop mainly because I got more length for the waist than anywhere else - their waists are smaller and legs and arms longer than the other retailers and they still had little girl clothes up to that size while a lot of other retailers make the jump to pre teen and teen clothes at age 7. This year buying clothes for a ever growing girl has been a nightmare - she simply is a little girl still and has no interest in the pre teen clothes. We go into Woollies, flip through the stuff, and nope, nothing that she likes. She then runs to the little girl section and want every single item. I felt so sorry for her not to be able to get her beloved Hello Kitty stuff. Secretly I have been very grateful for it and hope that she will keep this little girl innocence as long as possible.

And then I remembered! Pick 'n Pay stocks little girl type clothes up to size 13-14! And they did not disappoint. We can home with a bag full of little girl happiness and a mom satisfied that at least she has clothes to wear. Everything from a pretty turquoise dress and pant set to her favorite Hello Kitty and many more. Also great denim look with flowers leggings, which are way too big over the waist but which I can take in, but at least long enough.
I love seeing my little girl being a little girl and not a pre mature mini adult.

So how do you feel about this tendency to squeeze our girls towards maturity? I for one are outraged by Ackermans and PEP who has clothes that are either almost sexy or have sublimely sexy messages. At least Woollies clothes are ok in that way, but just boring? Or am I over reacting?

16 comments:

  1. No you're not over-reacting.

    I don't buy those clothes and i think for our little ones to wear them is just wrong. I don't even like barbie clothes - i find them offensive!

    I try and stick to the plain clothes, and for variety I have been shopping at Naartjie - who have an awesome range. Yes, they're a litte more expensive, but i'd rather pay that than have my child dressed in clothes too old for her.

    I must say i love woolies for their tracksuits, fleeces and plain/striped long t's.

    Oh, and ACK have some lovely cords xx

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    1. Forgot to add I bought some very nice tracksuits at Woollies and Mr Price Sport for her though.

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  2. I'm with you Cat! I HATE that so many retailers want to dress little girls as sex objects. The thing that disgusted me the most was the padded bra's they sell at Woolies for 7 year olds!
    I also like a little girl to look like a little girl and we shop for Ava and PnP often!

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  3. I've never had that problem! *sigh* I'd love my wee lassies to wear hello kitty and pink flowery bows and such. It doesn't happen my girls make a bee-line for the boys' section and all the WagaDude stuff. Megan at least wears age appropriate stuff (just for boys)

    My Kaylin is 6 and still wears a size 3-4 pants!

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  4. I like a little girl that looks like a little girl (and not a little tramp). I am still getting used to the whole "Hello Kitty" thing....
    I do believe that I will be one of those fortunate parents to have a tiny little girl. At the moment she still fits into 9-12 months old clothes...so this might work to my advantage when she gets older...smile

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  5. I completely agree. Let them be children for as long as they can (or want to). Even at Nicola's age a lot of the clothes on offer I find completely inappropriate - so I don't buy them for her. And if someone else does then they get shoved in the back of the cupboard until I can chuck them in the box of things she's outgrows and donate them.

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  6. You're not over reacting. I feel the same way as you about the way stores exploit our little girls to wear the sexy clothes or with images that aren't age appropriate. I too buy very cautious for my daughter. I don't allow sexy anything for her. "Vroeg ryp, vroeg vrot."

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  7. Agreed. I am terrified of the clothes 'across the aisle' in the 'big girl' section. Mine are wearing 4 and 5T, and this is our last year in the baby section. :( It is appalling what people will allow their little girls to wear, and I hope that mine, like yours, will want to stay little for a little bit longer.

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  8. Ooooh, you are soooo right and I HATE it!

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  9. My 10 year old and I have VERY different opinions on what she should be wearing!

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  10. I've always loved adjustable waistbands for Phoebe. For her we usually would by the size in a slim with an adjustable waist and make it even smaller. Now she's just getting into junior/ladies sizes, but she has no hips yet, so she's a 00, not a 0, but a 00, LOL! And yes, we don't go for grown-up styles.

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  11. I find clothes shopping for my kids about as exhausting as I do for me.

    Kiara is a "tom boy" when it comes to clothes - she wants comfort - which also has to do with her sensory issues so the sleeves must be a certain length and not too tight, the pants must be either shorts (of the right length) or tights. She doesnt do skirts or dresses or strap tops or tops with one sleeve. It is impossible to find stuff in her age range like that.

    And Cameron is about 6 different sizes depending on where I shop. He is a s man at PnP which is too big but the 13-14 size they have is way too small for him. And so it goes on - Ackermans boys are about the closest we get to a fit BUT then I have to swap the pants and the tops in a tracksuit set.

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  12. I don't like it when little kids get dressed like mini adults. What I like about some shops here is that they actually make it so you can easily adjust the waist. It has elastic on the inside that you can shift with a button. Works pretty well.

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  13. I'm completely horrified by what's available in the shops for tweens! Isabella wears either a 3 - 4 or 4 - 5, so I know where you are coming from. There are certain things at Ackermans that make me squirm - I just can't bear the thought of a small CHILD wearing these things...
    I'm a HUGE fan of P'nP clothing!! Especially considering how reasonable their prices are! GREAT for school where all sorts of stains are waiting to happen!
    (I hope that this comment is published - dunno why, but I've had so much trouble in the past!!)

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  14. I totally agree with you. Even if you look at some of the clothes for 2 year old it is horrifying. I just want a little girl for as long as I can keep her.

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So what's on your mind?