To think this woman should just let her kids wear whatever the hell they want?

[SansaryaAgain]

Spotted in today's ES Magazine, which likes to think it's the epitome of good taste but in reality is just something people read to pass the time on their commute if they're out of other reading material. Today's issue was all about how to have the most fashionable kids in London. This woman's son wanted a Spider-Man hat but that wasn't stylish enough so she got him a plain black one from Cos! I think she needs to let go a little or she'll face major rebellion by the time they're teens!

Here's the article for those who can't see the photo, I'm referring to the second woman in it.

www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/esmagazine/stylish-kids-how-fashion-editors-dress-their-children-a2922321.html

I'm not a fan of logos/slogans and characters and won't choose to dress my dc in them. But my ds is now 6 and has his own opinions, if he desperately wanted that Spider-Man hat is have bought for him, not an alternative. Despite never choosing that myself. She was mean!

I'd have, not is have

ES magazine is full of the biggest load of aspirational, pretentious, self promoting, superficial urbanite tossers.

I cannot bear to read it and will throw it away if I pick it p accidently with the newspaper.

However FWIW I agree OP, that woman was mean and selfish to impose her monochrome dull fashion sense on a small boy desperate for a spiderman hat. What a cunt

My two DS (4 and 6) went into melt down in Asda last night because I wouldn't let them have flashing light Star Wars school shoes and made them have smart leather ones. We do have several Spider-Man hats though...

Hmm. I was probably a bit like that when I had (one) very young child. On a budget, though. Ds had a Luke Skywalker haircut and then a Ziggy Stardust one. The Ziggy haircut was amazing.

Roll forward ten years and he makes a point of getting a buzzcut from a local Polish hairdresser for £3. And the last time I took him shopping for clothes (7 years ago) he went into the changing room, while I waited outside ... and waited, and waited ... and then smelled a rat and caught him going down the escalators.

He'd made a run for it - and was making his own way home.

I conceded defeat at that point.

Basically, when they're little it is quite easy, and strangely pleasing, to play dress-up with them. Though it is clearly a bit dodgy! But they do go their own way as they grow up.

The ES editor at the bottom is the only one who sounds normal and sensible. The other two just sound bonkers. I mean 'coordinating' your children? They're human beings not fucking curtains.

And I feel very, very sorry for those little boys. I think she's storing up trouble and is going to have problems on her hands in a few years. Those poor boys must feel like they're fashion accessories, not children. Very sad.

I have name envy, though. I wanted to call ds Orlando. Then a (cruel) friend said that you couldn't name a child after a fly-drive holiday destination. I was mortified - my associations were literary and the whole holiday thing hadn't occurred to me at all. But she killed the joy. And so I still feel a little shiver of regret when I see people who didn't have such a kill-joy friend around when they were choosing baby names.

The parents interviewed, werea bit extra.

Personally I hate Spiderman/Peppa Pig type clothes. I have 4 dc & I have never bought them any logo, plastic shite clothes & never will!

It took me a while to figure out why there are only six names yet seven children in the first photo, then I noted one of them was actually a teddy. . I may need to go to bed.

My personal opinion is that children should wear what they like, as a consequence my children aren't stylish. For some it seems that risk is too high!!

I think DD (2) might be a bit of a shock to them. I let her pick her own clothes to wear, provided they're clean and weather appropriate, from top brand labels such as George, Primark and Peppa Pig. If it's not either pink, sparkly, or a dress (or all 3) she's not interested. She teams her favourite bright stripy tights with a pastel spotty dress, topped off with trainers with lights and random headwear such as deely boppers or Pudsey ears. Sometimes she'll then put an Elsa dress or ballerina skirt over the whole ensemble.

And you know what? I couldn't care less! She's 2. This is about the only area of her life that she has control over. It's one less tantrum for me, and even if her clothes look hideous, the way she looks makes me (and random old ladies in supermarkets) smile.

My children decide what they wear except when necessary (e.G. school, rainy days etc)

So DD likes to wear odd socks on occasion, ds insists on shorts most of the time, he has super hero tops etc etc etc. I'm not bothered as long as they're clean, dry and warm.

I always thought that these articles were written by people who do not have children (and who therefore don't have a clue about real life clothing choices) with the aim of promoting various garments, and with pictures posed by models.

Are they really real after all?

I don't know for sure but i'm guessing that a lot of the shops mentioned in the article are eye-wateringly expensive.

Surely if you've got the cash to wander into these shops and buy 'a few items from the seasons range' every couple of weeks then you are going to end up with a beautiful wardrobe for your kids and would have to work quite hard to make them look shite.

I have a fair few friends who insist on elegant non logo non sparkles clothes. This isn't uncommon.
I wish I could do that but I avoid too much pouffy pink glitter.
They are right when am over in France kids don't all dress with the American Disney get up you see here.

What a load of old baloney it all is.

Those boys in the photo are wearing the most generic clothes you can imagine...a shirt, t-shirt, jeans and sneakers. I mean yes, I'm sure they were jolly expensive shirts and jeans, but so what? They could be head to toe in Matalan for all that matters.
I suppose people in her circles know how super stylish her kids supposedly are. The rest of the populace just see two ordinary boys in ordinary clothes.

Meh.

They sound miserable.

I would love my 5yo and 3yo to dress like that but they prefer bright colours preferably clashing, and characters like Hello Kitty and Lightning McQueen.

As long as the clothes are reasonable quality and affordable (or on sale) I buy what I know they will like.

I cannot imagine refusing to let my little boy have a hideous spiderman hat if he desperately wanted it and needed a winter hat.

I agree pictish, she may go to great lengths to "source" their clothes but you can't really tell, can you?

What Annoyed said! Exactly like that!

for everyday wear my kids get to choose - lots of Dusty, Lightening McQueen, Minions, Peppa Pig, Elsa, etc etc. but also a good selection of rugby related tops! virtually everything is from a supermarket.

they have smarter stuff for parties etc - collared shirts for the boys and smart dresses for DD.

I tell them if they need long sleeves/legs or short and then let them get on with it.

They also have a set of 'garden clothes' for playing out in the mud.

I don't think there's anything wrong with picking out nice clothes for kids. I'd expect to be able to veto an under 10s' clothes choices. Presumably the kids are not desperately unhappy.

I think their clothes just look a bit dull.

I like the fact that over the years the dds have worked out the clothes they liked, they went through their, 'a disney princess dress works for any occasion' phase, a pink loving phase and a wear a swimsuit on top of your clothes phase. At 9 and 8 they choose clothes they like, dd1 likes trousers/jeans and a tshirt and couldn't really give a stuff about clothes. Dd2 puts together an outfit, which usually involves a tshirt with a picture of a dog in sunglasses - would I choose it, no, but that's not the point is it.

Ds(5) loves a character top - nearly every tshirt is fireman sam, spiderman or adventure time. When he is not at school he will only wear shorts or joggers. He chooses his clothes in the morning and I love this bit of independence he has.

I remember my parents putting me in Clothkits and handpainted shoes, I bloody hated them and was desperate for the sort of clothes my friends wore. My mum was horrified when I got to teenage years and favoured turquoise mini skirts, white stilletos and tie front crop tops!

God they sound ghastly.

And surely the point of a sun hat is that they wear it - not much point in a tasteful black hat if the kid won't wear it when the sun is beating down.

And what's with the aversion to any brands (except converse - which must be the most uncomfortable shoes to wear)? Good luck with that one in teen years.

Oh was it a winter Spider-Man hat? I was too busy growling at the article to read it properly. Change to 'not much point in a tasteful black hat if the kid won't wear it while their teeth are chattering & ears are freezing'

Admittedly I don't like tv/film merchandising on clothes. I find it brash and unattractive. I will allow the odd Minecraft/My Little Pony/Star Wars t-shirt though and concede to character pyjamas too - but overall no, I don't like Spiderman hats and the like myself.

It's not just the appearance of them that bothers me, it's the fact that I feel it's paying homage to the cynical, exploitative merchandising companies who I imagine rubbing their hands together and cackling at us all handing our cash.
I like H&M for kids' clothes, they are imaginative, stylish, appealing to children and affordable.