Parenthood

Doesn't Stretch & Not Comfortable, Not For Me-Back to School

by ParentCo. August 30, 2016

The first rule of shopping for kids: If it doesn’t stretch, they’re probably not going to wear it ...all too familiar with these requirements—as are many US parents currently bracing themselves for back-to-school shopping... These demands about clothes aren’t exactly new—young people have complained about bothersome clothes for ages—but earlier generations of children begged to wear jeans instead of more formal dresses or trousers. Today’s children are looking for something that’s even more casual and comfy... The trend (perhaps an unsurprising one in the age of athleisure, when activewear routinely doubles as everyday attire among grown-ups) is evident in what retailers are selling. According to data from Edited, a retail technology company whose clients include the luxury retailer Net-a-Porter, there are 20% more leggings stocked than jeans in the kidswear sections...In the last three months, online retailers got 56% more new arrivals of leggings than jeans, and new arrivals of sweatpants trailed jeans by just 18%... This shift toward the casual and stretchy creates some dilemmas for parents who feel their little ones are a too dressed-down, especially as they get them ready to return from summer break to the more formal environment of school. Fashion in the years ahead may see formal dress codes breaking down further, synthetics such as polyester continuing to grow, and softness and stretch becoming more common in even the most rugged jeans.