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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

River Island baby clothes

56 replies

orangepudding · 19/03/2016 20:03

I popped into River Island with my DDs today. While there I looked at the baby clothes, to me they looked so uncomfortable and inappropriate for babies.

To me this jacket is awful - www.riverisland.com/girls/mini-girls/baby-girls-coats--jackets/mini-girls-black-biker-jacket-815687. The fur was coming off in my hands so other than it looking really uncomfortable it looked unsafe too.

AIBU in thinking that the type of clothes they sell are not right for babies or am I old fashioned in my views that baby clothes should be made from natural fabrics, soft and machine washable.

OP posts:
cricketqueen · 19/03/2016 20:54

My dd has a really cute checked shirt dress from river island. Some of there stuff is cute. Of course the jacket is unsuitable for a lil baby but a toddler would be fine in it, the collar is removable btw. The shoes are very inappropriate. If you don't like it don't buy it. Simples.
Awaits flaming.....

ACatastrophicMisintepretation · 19/03/2016 21:28

I noticed this range a year or so ago and was surprised that River Island had branched into baby clothes, seems weird and I agree that they are ugly and I think non-age appropriate... Pleather leggings for babies?? It's like they couldn't be arsed to design baby clothes and just made smaller versions of the woman's range!

LaurieMarlow · 19/03/2016 21:35

I guess people buy it. So meh, whatever. Not to my taste, but I'm not their target mum.

I used to live beside an extremely upmarket pre-school that had 2-3 year olds kitted out in blazers, starched collars, stiff shorts and straw boaters. Thought that was awfully uncomfortable looking as well as fucking ridiculous. So this kind of foolishness exists across the whole class spectrum.

icarusandhiswings · 19/03/2016 21:57

The whole range for children is just awful. I wonder if the team responsible actually cringe when they see it on display?

Vinorosso74 · 19/03/2016 21:58

I've looked at their kids stuff a couple of times but not to my taste at all. Didn't look that practical for younger kidswear and was quite pricey for the quality.

AnchorDownDeepBreath · 19/03/2016 22:00

I was just talking to a friend about this and she reminded me that when we were 18 and she was pregnant with her first child, a mutual friend bought her a River Island thong nappy cover-up for her baby.

It was frilly and pink, and shaped like a thong. It went over the nappy so it seemed hugely pointless, and thankfully she had a boy so nobody ever asked if she used it, but we were utterly baffled and horrified by it. Why?!

JanetOfTheApes · 19/03/2016 22:11

€53 for a fugly fake leather jacket for a tiny baby? More fool the fecking eejits buying it!

Oooblimey · 19/03/2016 22:14

I blame the Kartrashians. And the stupidity of people dumb enough to aspire to be like them Sad

BettyBi0 · 19/03/2016 22:16

Ugh ugly! And tacky too.

I'm pretty boring and stick mainly to babygrows up to 3 months unless it's some super special occasion

BettyBi0 · 19/03/2016 22:16

I think that jacket would still look weird on a 10 year old, let alone a baby!

SaucyJack · 19/03/2016 22:20

That leather jacket is heinous.

I'm not a fan of the white, organic cotton baby grows until child is 2 that a lot of MNetters purport to go for either- but there is a happy medium between dressing like a Fairy liquid ad, and the great-grandchild of Dorian from Birds of a Feather.

MazzleDazzle · 19/03/2016 22:20

My friend's DD has a leather/fur jacket from RI. It's the sort of thing an adult would wear on a night out. She also wears heels that I would struggle to walk in. Finishes the look with bright lipstick and lots of leopard print. She is 4 - and this is for every day wear, not parties/dressing up etc.

I'm shocked and appalled and it makes me feel very uncomfortable. The look is overly provocative. I'd be equally appalled at boys wearing skimpy tight clothes BTW.

I have questioned why I feel this way - maybe I'm in the wrong!

Interested to hear other people's opinions.

charliedontsurf · 19/03/2016 22:22

I like it! Well, most of the girl bits but not the crop tops or mini skirts. DD has a little leather jacket from there that is so cute and everyone always comments on how much they like it.

Me and DD do sometimes wear the same outfits though, for example we both wear breton tops or our shearling jackets. I get that's not really the sort of thing that your general mumsnetter does though I Grin

My problem with mini river island is the sizing runs ridiculously small. I bought DD a pair of jeans from there when she was 6mo and they wouldn't even pull up over her bum. A friend bought her DD a playsuit but couldn't even get it on her because the openings weren't wide enough! It's a bit impractical.

charliedontsurf · 19/03/2016 22:23

And happy to admit I'm a 'fecking eejit'. DD looks very cool in her leather jacket.

Alisvolatpropiis · 19/03/2016 22:26

I like a leather jacket, think they look nice on young children as long as they can walk. Nothing to do with the Kardashians. If they were my inspiration I'd be popping my 9 month baby into leather leggings!

umiaisha · 19/03/2016 22:28

I buy quite a lot for my 3 from there, but agree that some of the outfits are a step too far - even a member of staff agreed with me last week!

TheCaptainsCat · 19/03/2016 22:31

I hate hate hate River Island baby clothes - for girls anyway, I've never looked at the boy stuff. It's so adult, I like my DD dressed like a child!

Kpo58 · 19/03/2016 22:42

The shoes are very inappropriate. If you don't like it don't buy it. Simples.

The problem isn't that the shoes are inappropriate (though they are), its more that it is actively damaging to the child's feet and spine. Unfortunately some parents are too thick/self centred to care about this aspect and will buy it anyway.

madmomma · 20/03/2016 00:20

The little girls' shoes in that shop are horrendous. Would ruin little feet and affect their gait too.

madmomma · 20/03/2016 00:21

Sorry crossed posts

ShadowsCollideIsSurroundedByAd · 20/03/2016 00:28

Those boots are horrendous.

I've just had a look on the RI website. Pleather leggings and skirt in the 0 - 3 months size. And a top with a chiffon back. Urgh.

ShadowsCollideIsSurroundedByAd · 20/03/2016 00:29

Oh, sorry, madmomma, you've already said that the boots are horrendous. Great minds Wink

OhSoggyBiscuit · 20/03/2016 00:55

That's sad. They're young for so little time, there's plenty of time for them to be into fashion when they're older!

curren · 20/03/2016 06:59

My dd (12) finds loads of age appropriate clothes in river island girls section. I don't find there are mini adult clothes or least most arent.

There are two issues here. In my opinion that coat is horrible and suitable for a baby. Look uncomfortable. However that's up to the parents.

The other issue is that if fluff is coming off it may be unsafe for tiny babies. I would have mentioned it to the shop. It could be one dodgy coat. Or the all the coats could be like that. In which case it shouldn't really be on sale.

Also I would expect to pay £40 for a jacket that then sheds.

TheOddity · 20/03/2016 07:17

RI obviously don't care too much about safety if they are happy to sell little girls heels. They aren't safe if they wreck your feet or trip you up are they?! Never mind safety guidelines, you'd think they'd have some company ethos, something in their company mission statement about quality and what's best for their consumers.

Anyway, the idea of getting a four week old baby's arms into that leather jacket means that I'm out! Snow suits are bad enough!