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Style and beauty

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Original poster

Shall I buy my 12-year-old DD this dress?

50 replies

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 07/06/2009 17:29

She spotted this and liked it - she is very picky as will only wear red, black and purple.
I am not sure, and am not sure why I am not sure, IYSWIM?
Mumsnet, you decide.

OP posts:

MaggieBee · 07/06/2009 19:03

How many 14 yr old girls are a size 8?

15-20%

The teenage section should be sized normally. There shouldn't be a suggestion of what size a 14 yr old should be. But that's another thread

TrillianAstra · 07/06/2009 19:05

Dammit, not quite enough.

pointydog · 07/06/2009 19:16

you don't often get age 14, though, do you. Age 14 could be one of a few sizes but I thought 'at least an 8' was fair enough, maggie.

janeite · 07/06/2009 19:24

DD1 is 14 and age 14 dresses are generally too small for her because she has quite broad shoulders and is very tall. She is a size 8 in Topshop and New Look. Age 14 skirts are fine on the waist (actually she often wears them on the hips as v slim) but generally way too short.

TrillianAstra · 07/06/2009 19:25

I think age 14/15 clothes might be really for tall/large 12-year-olds. But they have to put a number of some kind on it. The difference between these and adult clothes is that adult clothes assume a certain amount of boob/hip space is needed. If you are 'adult' size at 14 then wear adult clothes. Some 14 year olds are very little and need the 'teen' clothes because most shops don't sell size 6 and a few don't even sell size 8.

janeite · 07/06/2009 19:26

DD1 at 12 could wear size 6 or 8 t-shirts (as she likes them baggy) but would be drowned in size 6 or 8 skirts or trousers - they would be too long for her as well (she's about 5').

Flamesparrow · 07/06/2009 19:28

If she has nothing to cling to, then I can't see how it would be too clingy in a bad way - go for it.

pointydog · 07/06/2009 19:37

good points, trillina

Rubyrubyrubyinthegame · 07/06/2009 19:39

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KingRolo · 07/06/2009 19:45

When I was 11 or 12 and looking at 'grown-up' clothes in Chelsea Girl and the like there was no such thing as a size 6, I think 8 was as low as it went and it was for a 22" / 24" waist.

Sizes have got bigger haven't they?

purpleduck · 07/06/2009 20:12

Its lovely
It only looks clingy because of the shapely-model-with-no-head-or-limbs...

They also make regular tee shirts look ultra sexy

Original poster

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 07/06/2009 20:28

DD longs to be able to wear clothes in adult sizes. All her friends can but she has no boobs or hips at all so they look silly. We had a look at M&S online yesterday too, but really 'older girls age 7-14' what kind of category is that? There were lots of clothes that would look sweet on a seven year old and nothing anyone over 10 would be seen dead in.

OP posts:

Stormfly · 07/06/2009 20:33

I reckon it will look really good over jeans. My dd (11) now has stuff from TopShop etc (size 6-8) because women's clothing is decent compared to the high street girlswear on offer which is usually rather tarty. If a dress is a bit low e.g. scoop neck, dd will wear a co-ordinating thin T-shirt under it for a sort of layered look with jeans and converse. Agree with purple duck that it's the model that makes it look clingy!

brokenspacebar · 07/06/2009 20:34

ladyglencora, maybe somewhere like la redoute might be worth a look, I know they do a range of teen clothes, that are for different shaped teens, so curvy, slim etc (or did last time I looked)

Stormfly · 07/06/2009 20:37

X-posted. LGP - the T-shirt trick can solve the lack of boob issue as it gives a different sort of look.

Swedes · 07/06/2009 21:07

Trillian - That's not true about M&S clothes for 'older girls'. They have some lovely things.

Original poster

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 07/06/2009 21:30

It was me who said that about M&S clothes I think Swedes. DD and I looked at the website yesterday and couldn't find anything that didn't look quite girly. There was lots of stuff that my 9 and 7 year olds liked though.

OP posts:

TrillianAstra · 07/06/2009 21:32

I was the one who said that 'children's clothes' were for girl-shapes and grown up clothes were for woman-shapes. Is that not true in M&S?

pointydog · 07/06/2009 23:15

dd1 now refuses to wear m&s. Apparently you are ripped to shreds if you wear m&s at high school.

janeite · 07/06/2009 23:16

Took my dds to M&S older girls section last week. There was one skirt in the entire section that either of them would contemplate wearing. It was mostly Hannah Montana/High School Musical type hideousness or things worthy of Per Una and therefore not suitable for anybody with an average or above style IQ.

janeite · 07/06/2009 23:19

I give you this.

Actually, in finding that I saw a couple of okay things on the website but none of them were in store.

becklespeckle · 07/06/2009 23:20

I think it's gorgeous! Buy it. Tell her it's a jumper. It'll look fab over leggings or black skinny jeans!

Swedes · 08/06/2009 08:29

Glencora/Trillian Sorry about M&S confusion. I had no idea M&S was so unpopular with 11+s. I bought a friend's 12 year old daughter some clothes from there recently...... she appeared to be pleased but am now wondering whether she was just being polite. My only daughter is just 3 so really I have no idea about pre-teen girls. When DS2 left primary school recently the girls in year 6 did look about 18 come to think of it.

Original poster

LadyGlencoraPalliser · 08/06/2009 10:03

Swedes, my DD has very restricted tastes in clothes - to the point where outfitting her for the summer was a complete nightmare. We eventually came up with black denim shorts and a couple of red,black and purple t-shirts. Oh yes, and a black and white sun dress. I am sure most 12 year olds are far more 'girly'.
Anyway if she acted pleased then she was pleased - they find it hard to hide their feelings at that age.

OP posts:

janeite · 08/06/2009 17:33

Yep - I'm sure if she said she was pleased, she would have been pleased. My daughter is very like LadyG's in that she refuses to wear many things, doesn't do 'girly' etc etc.

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