Mumsnet Talk

1.How much say do you have on your children's clothing? - I have all the say over my dd's clothing.

2. How much say do your children have on their clothing? - She has some say, she refuses to wear dresses and skirts and anything determined as "girly". Which I respect and will buy her jeans and leggings and some stuff from the boys ranges.

3. In your opinion what do you think of the current children's wear clothing on the high street? - I like some of it. I think some of the girl's stuff is nice and fashionable, as although my dd isn't at all bothered by fashion I know I was at her age (almost 9) as was my DSD. I do think though there are some stuff that are far too grown up.

4. What do you consider to be inappropriate on young girls' clothing? - Short skirts/dresses, inappropriate logos like "Future WAG" etc. Skin tight leather look trousers, (WTF ).

5. Do you feel that celebrities have an influence on your children/child? If so, do you think it is a good one or a bad influence? - No celebrities have no influence on my dd she doesn't even know of any famous people let alone be influenced by them.

6. Or do you think there are other influences that affect your children's choice in fashion? - Again she's not at all bothered by fashion, all she cares about is whether what she wears isn't pink any way.

7. Have you had any personal experience where you feel that your child is 'growing up too fast too soon?' - No thankfully, I don't.

8. What is your overall view on sexualisation on high street today? - I think it's horrendous and forcing our young girls to grow up far too soon. I don't have this problem with my eldest dd atm but I'm sure when my youngest is older I'm going to have huge problems with it as she's very girly and into clothes.

1.How much say do you have on your children's clothing? - I buy all her clothes unless she gets clothes for presents, I wouldn't let her wear something i disapproved of.

2. How much say do your children have on their clothing? - She has some say, she won't wear jeans or trousers only skirts and dressess, lots of pink and very girly.

3. In your opinion what do you think of the current children's wear clothing on the high street? - I think alot of the clothes for girls age 7-11 are just mini womens clothes and that I don't like - little girls should be little girls and dress appropriately, but it is really hard to find really girly age appropriate clothes without them costing a bomb.

4. What do you consider to be inappropriate on young girls' clothing? - Mini women clothes of any kind, the other day I saw some leggings with slashes in them all over with fishnet fabric underneath starting at age 5-6 truly awful IMO also don't like the inappropriate slogan t-shirts - there really is no need.

5. Do you feel that celebrities have an influence on your children/child? If so, do you think it is a good one or a bad influence? - I dont think my DD is influenced by celebrities yet.

6. Or do you think there are other influences that affect your children's choice in fashion? - No she likes what she likes - pink and girly and would not wear something if she didn't like it regardless of who else might be sporting the look!

7. Have you had any personal experience where you feel that your child is 'growing up too fast too soon?' No.

8. What is your overall view on sexualisation on high street today? - Ihate it and am dreading the day that my daughter is influenced by all the unmodest styles in the shop windows.

Thank you very much ladies for your responses !!

Any more help with this would be gratefully appreciated everybody thank you

My daughter is now 10 - answers as follows:

1. How much say do you have on your children's clothing? We go shopping together and have done since she was about 4. With my DS he is not interested in clothes so wears what I buy.

2. How much say do your children have on their clothing? I cannot recall a time when I have disagreed with her choices - she knows what she wants / likes, what suits her and what is practical

3. In your opinion what do you think of the current children's wear clothing on the high street?
Awful - my DD wears boys clothes because she hates pink and all the over sexualised girls clothes. We are beginning to find some girl's things she likes eg Gap T shirts but very little

4. What do you consider to be inappropriate on young girls' clothing? sequins, slogans such as 'girls are better than boys', overly complicated, intricate patterns; overly stylised clothes such as tight jeans, crop tops, fashion boots, puff sleeves, velvet, ribbons etc!!

5. Do you feel that celebrities have an influence on your children/child? If so, do you think it is a good one or a bad influence? Only the Top Gear presenters and she would never take fashion tips from them!

6. Or do you think there are other influences that affect your children's choice in fashion? She is highly sceptical of her friend's 'designer' choices having a good understanding of the costs / value of things - she was completely scathing of a friend who spent £270 in Jack Wills on only 3 items of clothing when she got 8 in Gap for £55. She does have limited peer pressure but only on stuff she likes and values. Paperchase is a favourite with her peer group.

7. Have you had any personal experience where you feel that your child is 'growing up too fast too soon?' The only time is when they had the PSHCE lesson and she came home and told me she had to have short vest tops as the teacher had said they should all be wearing them by then. Although furious, I took her shopping and we bought matching tops and briefs (I figured we might as well do it properly if I had to do it at all). She wore them for the next couple of games / gym / swimming days and since then they have languished in the drawer lol

8. What is your overall view on sexualisation on high street today? I hate that there is so much of it for girls to the extent that we have limited choices for her clothes and those often from catalogues; also that there is relatively little choice for boys. Clothes styles change at about age 8 from all the great unisex boys stuff to high fashion girls clothes and drab boys stuff. Most girl's clothes seem to fit a very slim 'girlie' shape from a very young age e.g. Next stuff has not fitted her since about age 3. The size differentials are also telling - my DS and DD are the same height and size generally - they fit age 9 - 10 stuff in boys (correct ages) but age 13+ in girls, what does that teach young girls about body image?

1. How much say do you have on your children's clothing?
if I won't buy it, they don't wear it

2. How much say do your children have on their clothing?
10yo quite a lot but we agree -she will point out something she likes and I will either approve or not but she generally knows what not to ask for
8yo gets mainly hand me downs and isn't really bothered but des like things with pictures of pug dogs etc

3. In your opinion what do you think of the current children's wear clothing on the high street?
I think it's really difficult to find things for this age group -clothes are either too 'babyish' or much too old -not necessarily too sexual but don't alow freedom to play (structured jackets etc etc)

4. What do you consider to be inappropriate on young girls' clothing?
slogans relating to 'I get what I want' type attitude, future wag etc etc

5. Do you feel that celebrities have an influence on your children/child? If so, do you think it is a good one or a bad influence?
DDs will comment on who they think look good or not but rarely say an outfit is like a certain celebrity -they have been brought up to say 'what does she think she looks like?'

6. Or do you think there are other influences that affect your children's choice in fashion?
10yo is started to be affected by body image, athletic figure with broadening hips and the likes of New Look and Primark are far too tight (next and M&S in the same sizes either fit or are too big) has started comments about her being too fat -we don't shop there anymore!

7. Have you had any personal experience where you feel that your child is 'growing up too fast too soon?'
10y DD is much more aware than I was, concerned about what her hair is like etc etc however I think this is more to do with tv shows (such as I-Carly) where kids not much older seem to live independantly from adult influence -14 seems to be grown up rather than the clothes available on the high street

8. What is your overall view on sexualisation on high street today?
I genuinely think it is overplayed by the media
there has always been cheap tat and mini verisons of adults clothes available (well there certainly was when I was in primary in the 80s) but parents make the decision as to what they think is acceptable
there has been a lot of fuss about 'padded' bras for pre teens, well as a mother of a child that wears one, they make her 'breasts' seem much less noticeable under her clothes than just having a vest on and certainly don't provide and 'push up' appearance -I can remember being the first one in school to need a bra and it was mortifying -I'm so glad they are available for her

Thank you very much ladies, I can't thank you enough, you all have been very helpful

Anyone else please feel free to comment !

My DD is 8 in June.

1. How much say do you have on your children's clothing?

Lots! Thanks to the Boden catalogue...

2. How much say do your children have on their clothing?

Son (10 in May) doesn't care what he wears (would like to wear pyjamas all day), so is happy with whatever turns up in his wardrobe. Daughter cares much more. She thinks she has a lot of say, because she gets to choose from the Boden catalogue (which makes her think she has plenty of choice). She gets more choice when shopping with my mother - though within the bounds of what my mother considers appropriate for a girl of 7/8.

3. In your opinion what do you think of the current children's wear clothing on the high street?

Not much. Most of it looks like miniature Footballers' Wives stuff. There is the occasional nice thing, but it's all very adult. That said, my daughter is so tall that she's often in age 13 clothes - I think the clothes aimed at her age might be more appropriate if they weren't so tiny!

4. What do you consider to be inappropriate on young girls' clothing?

Silly slogans about sex appeal, money, bodies, boys, make-up, lipstick, cupcakes, etc, etc, etc.

5. Do you feel that celebrities have an influence on your children/child? If so, do you think it is a good one or a bad influence?

Very little influence. I could not be less interested in celebrities, so never have celebrity magazines around the house. We don't watch TV programmes featuring 'celebs', and most of her classmates have similar experiences - so she's not really aware of them.

6. Or do you think there are other influences that affect your children's choice in fashion?

I think she notices what people in the street are wearing. She asked me the other day whether fuchsia was 'a fashionable colour' because she had seen several people wearing it.

7. Have you had any personal experience where you feel that your child is 'growing up too fast too soon?'

She wanted a bikini and crop top because someone else had one. I said they were not suitable for seven-year-olds. She said so-and-so's mummy didn't think so. I said I didn't care what so-and-so's mummy said - I thought they were not appropriate, and that was that.

8. What is your overall view on sexualisation on high street today?

Hard to say. I haven't seen much evidence myself of directly sexualised clothing (though I'm not sure that four-year-old girls need crop tops). I think I find it just generally tarty-looking (lots of cheap looking fabrics and 'adult' style tops and leggings) - but if you look hard enough, you can still find things that are fashionable yet suitable for children (M&S do some nice ribbed vest tops and jeans; Zara have plain t-shirts; Tesco has the occasional cardy/skirt - and, of course, Boden are fantastic but v expensive and not on the high street!)

Dd is almost 9

1. How much say do you have on your children's clothing?
>> I decide and usually buy without dd present. Shoes are the exception and she needs to be present.
2. How much say do your children have on their clothing?
>> Some. I will take into account preferred styles and favourite colour.
3. In your opinion what do you think of the current children's wear clothing on the high street?
>> Depends on the shop. There are shops where I don't like anything and others where I'd buy dd a new wardrobe.
4. What do you consider to be inappropriate on young girls' clothing?
>> Depends on the age but generally showing excess flesh.
5. Do you feel that celebrities have an influence on your children/child? If so, do you think it is a good one or a bad influence?
>>A bit. Dd generally likes celebs who are generally more modest- Disney channel, Taylor Swift etc and understands that they are grown women who by default dress differently to a kid.
6. Or do you think there are other influences that affect your children's choice in fashion?
>>Peer pressure. Some of dd's friends wear lots of makeup and jewellery where as she is only allowed, magnetic earrings, nail polish and lip gloss.
7. Have you had any personal experience where you feel that your child is 'growing up too fast too soon?'
>> When she mentions clothes/fashion labels I worry that she is being corrupted by advertising.
8. What is your overall view on sexualisation on high street today?
>> There has always been some retailers selling "trashy" clothing. I find it strange how retailers separate girls clothes.It's usually something like age 1-age 6 then age6 to adult. It's hard to understand why 6/7 is considered a cut off. I also think that tweens and6 year olds probably dress differently so many 6 year olds end up looking too "old".

1. How much say do you have on your children's clothing?

I am there for most of the buying, so a lot of say. DD is 9y and does get a good deal of say too, but as I like what she chooses this is fine. There have been one or two items I have said no to though.

DD is developing quite a lot now and recently began wearing her first proper bra 0 this has made me somewhat more aware of what she wears on top as some clothes make her development even more obvious, so things that are very clingy I tend to veto if I feel they are too inappropriate.

2. How much say do your children have on their clothing?

Lots! I take her shopping and let her browse and try on, and then choose. DD likes dresses and skirts, baggy trousers, some playsuits, leggings and tunics, shorts in the summer. She dislikes jeans greatly. She is quite traditionally girly in her clothes choices.

3. In your opinion what do you think of the current children's wear clothing on the high street?

A lot of it is fine but there are some which sell clothes that are just too inappropriate or a bit too much for pre teens. I do tend to find the cheaper end of the market can be the worst for this - you have to be more picky in certain shops.

4. What do you consider to be inappropriate on young girls' clothing?

Overt messages on t shirts/tops, or across bottom.
Very tight clothes, although leggings and jeans are exempt from this esp if worn with dresses/tunics
Clubbing style wear

5. Do you feel that celebrities have an influence on your children/child? If so, do you think it is a good one or a bad influence?

Not really. Although DD is obviously aware of some celebrities she doesn't really comment on what they look like, esp clothes wise.

6. Or do you think there are other influences that affect your children's choice in fashion?

What friends wear
What mum/other family wear

7. Have you had any personal experience where you feel that your child is 'growing up too fast too soon?'

Not in herself no. She is still a child in so many ways.

8. What is your overall view on sexualisation on high street today?

I don't like it but I still think it is pretty easy to avoid. I think the emphasis ought to be on parents really though - if parents didn't buy it, then it wouldn't be in the shops anyway.

Thank you so much ladies for all your help! It has been a major help to me and so greatly appreciated !!