The day I found out that I was expecting a baby girl, I immediately began shopping for the cutest, girliest and frilliest clothes I could find. I took great delight in putting together clothing ensembles and deciding when and where my baby girl would wear her various outfits.
And almost 8 years later, I still enjoy picking out outfits for my daughter Shelby. And thankfully, she is a girly-girl who loves dresses, purses, lip gloss and anything pink, purple or frilly, which makes shopping even more fun.
But over the past year or so, I’ve noticed a shift in the girls’ clothes selection. Now when I peruse the racks to find items for her in size 7/8 or 10/12, the selection isn’t as appealing. That’s because somewhere between size 6X and 7/8, the styling and colors begin to take a dramatic and, in my opinion, dismal turn.
The majority of the clothes I’m finding now look too grown or, dare I say, hoochie. I do not want my daughter wearing short-shorts that are just centimeters below her buttocks, nor do I want shirts so tight that I see hints of the “buds” that are perking just below her chest. A couple of months ago while shopping for a bathing suit for my 7 ½ year old, I found a gold one-piece suit with cut-outs on the side. Seriously?!! A gold bathing suit with cut-outs?!! It looked like something you’d find in a Frederick’s of Hollywood catalog (not that I’d have any idea what a Frederick’s of Hollywood catalog looks like, of course)! 🙂
I’m not a prude, but I personally think that little girls should be age-appropriate and dress like little girls. I DO NOT want my daughter decked out in mini-me versions of clothing styles that I wear, nor do I want her to look like a prepubescent teenager. She is 8. I want her to look like she’s 8! Kids grow much too quickly as it is. Why must we all be in such a rush to make them look older than they are?
My daughter goes back to school this week, and this will be the first year the students at her elementary school will wear uniforms (khaki, black or blue bottoms and solid-color polo or dress shirts). Initially this announcement was a little surprising but I’ve embraced it wholeheartedly. Already it has made shopping so much easier. I simply find jumpers, skirts, shorts and pants in her size, and polo shirts in various colors.
But I must admit, when I go shopping for clothes, I always take a few minutes to peruse the infant/toddler section to sigh and reminisce about how easy and fun it used to be to find her an adorable outfit. And it makes me a little sad because in that moment I remember that my baby girl is no longer a baby and is growing right before my eyes.
I also know that in the very near future, she may want to turn away from the “girly” clothes and wear some of the grown-up, trendy styles her friends may be wearing. And some of those looks may be on the skanky side. So when she comes to me a few years from now, seeking permission to wear, say, a flimsy, gold halter top, I’ll caress her face, look lovingly into her big brown eyes and say, “Seriously?!! A gold halter top?!! Stay away from my Frederick’s of Hollywood catalog!”
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