Dressing girls up like porcelain dolls?

[Abbafabs]

Yes, this is probably a class thing but I would like to understand the context.

I work in child healthcare and recently seeing a lot of very young girls (aged 1-4) coming in dressed up like those old style (slightly creepy) porcelain dolls? Wearing sort of frilly old-fashioned dolls dresses, very tightly pulled back pig tails with big ribbon bows, long knee length socks, and chunky gold hoop earrings. Painted nails and makeup on some.

Where does this look come from? May a TV show or/influencer? And why is it so popular? Surely it can't be very comfortable for the kids or easy to maintain?

I'm in the NE as well. I know the look you mean. It does seem to be getting very popular.

To each their own I guess. It does annoy me when it's not weather appropriate though. I saw a girl of about five in my town centre yesterday. It was pissing down and far from warm. She had on a frilly dress, knee socks and little patent leather shoes. Bare legs and no coat. She looked pretty miserable.

The mam had her coat on though. I've noticed the mothers are usually dressed for the elements while their children freeze!

@SoGiveMeCoffeeAndTV I saw a little boy in my playground last november in the little spanish shorts, socks and sandals. He was absolutely blue with cold. So upsetting to see.

It’s Spanish designer clothing. I’ve seen boys wearing it too.

I love a bonnet, long socks and a romper on my toddler.
It’s not restrict and she’s allowed to her her clothes dirty though.
I can’t say I’ve ever see a baby/toddler year old with makeup, nails painted or gold hoops.

Bit disappointing that you work in child healthcare but have started a goady thread about clothing choices with classism thrown in.
How awful to be seeing healthcare professionals and they're just waiting to run to social media to criticise how you dress your DCs. Very unclassy move on your part OP.

Some of the traveller families near me dress their little ones like that. Looks very sweet but goodness knows how they keep them looking so pristine.

I mean this surely the only concern should be the .girls are healthy and all their needs are being met

I dressed my girls similarly in the 90's (minus the earings, nails and make up though).

They crawled normally, both walked early and were alowed to get mycky if we were unexpectedly somewhere like a play area..

They did also have more suitable clothes for deliberate play expeditions such as beach / park / woods visits.

But also, they were expected to have a certain level of self restraint when required, for instance out shopping, puddle jumping and crawling around on the floor not acceptable.

I see an awful lot of children doing exactly as they please 100% of the time while the helpless parents try to cajole them into behaving these days. I suppose if you are that parent it helps for them to be wearing practical clothing at all times, just in case.

Forgot to add, they also had coats in a similar style and bonnets so were never underdressed in cold westher

This. I personally think they look hideous.

It’s just quite strange - why are these UK mums wanting their child dressed in Spanish clothes?

There is a reason we stopped dressing kids like this, it’s restrictive. It was also a class thing, when this stuff was first in fashion “look how much money I have, look at how I dress mr children” .. probably a hint of if that now.

It's always been a style I don't know what is strange about frilly dresses and patent shoes.

Yes some parents want their kids to look expensively dressed yes it's probably an environment/culture thing, are .you saying they should stop dressing their kids like this to stop looking so "working class"

Weird - children's clothes have come on a lot - why regress to victorian fashion? Bloomers used to be a thing to hide big terry nappies but even washable nappies are quite slim with funky patterns so don't need to be hidden. Not seen it where I am and we live in a county with lots of travellers so can't be a thing with them.

It’s a just a fashion, that’s all. There are fashions and trends in kids’ clothes just like there are fashions and trends in anything else. Wouldn’t be my preference, but I can’t bring myself to give a shit about what other people dress their kids in.

I have not noticed this at all. Maybe we’re not very trendy around here 🤷‍♀️

I don't think it's goady, apologies if it's been taken like that. Like I said, it appears to be a trend, and I'm interested in trends in childcare and child raising. It is very relevant to my role in fact, which is focused on child development research.

I have only come across it once, at a messy play session of all places. The toddler girl was not allowed near anything remotely messy.

🤣🤣🤣 what...the ....fuck!!

I've just looked up 'Spanish kidswear' on Tiktok and yes that's kind of what I'm talking about. There are whole online stores that seem to cater for the trend.

So I assume it's rooted in Spanish cultural wear? But it's not typically children with Spanish heritage who are being dressed in this way in the UK, it appears to have taken off as a fashion trend in my area.

I've not noticed any children dressed like that tbh.
DS had a knack of looking like he'd been dragged through a hedge backwards however smartly he started the day until he was well into primary school.
He looks smart in school uniform now he's a teenager but aside from 1 short sleeves shirt and pair of chino style shorts he has no clothes I'd describe as smart. He doesn't own any jeans or trousers apart from his school trousers, he lives in joggers and trainers.

I live in Spain and haven't seen any children dressed like this.

Of course this a goady thread OP. The opening sentence - 'it's probably a class thing'. Don't try and jazz it up as anything other than an attempt to sneer at these parents for how they dress their children.

Plenty of parents in plenty of countries have been dressing their children like this for years, it's a fashion trend. Just like kids dressed in all beige/pink/blue/boho/scandi. The only concern you should have is with the make up and chunky gold hoops.

My girls used to favour the old fashioned dress and socks until they were 9 or 10yo. I remember trying to find another smocked dress for dd2 who was a tall 10yo at the time because she wanted one so badly.
Never stopped them doing anything, but then I normally bought the dresses at charity shops so if they ruined one by rolling in mud, then fine.
They grew out of it aged about 10/12 and then went through a no dresses at all stage for a few years.

Unlike ds who always has been a shorts in the middle of winter person and still is. I've had to buy him trousers for his work experience next week. I can't remember the last time he wore trousers.