Fashion is an ever evolving and maturing cultural phenomenon and has been the driving force as well as the representative of changing times, lifestyles, socioeconomic trends, and even political climate. Generally, when fashion is a topic of discussion, one's thought immediately moves to designer names and brand motifs. Although fashion has always involved younger "practitioners" as well, they are often not noted when major revolutions in this industry are taking place. Children have always been represented in fashion, but overshadowed by adults. For the first time perhaps, there is a separate and well-identified fashion culture aimed at and created solely for children.
Children fashion has taken the global mass media by a storm in recent years. The fashion industry is volatile by nature, but this inherent instability is increased when it comes to children's fashion trends. There are minute changes that occur in fashion trends for children virtually in a constant manner. The practical implications of these changes and the increased involvement and interest of children in the ever-altering fashion trends are of colossal proportions and have both pros as well as cons.
There was a time, not too distant in the past, when parents shopped for their children's clothes and did not have to worry about changing the colours of their wardrobe every quarter with the new collections from designers. It is not the case anymore as fashion hype has been promoted and escalated by way of television and the Internet. There are several television channels now that air programs meant largely to be viewed by children, and similarly the Internet has a plethora of resources that children can access in order to learn about the latest fashion trends and how they can procure the best look.
As the current situation reveals itself in terms of children's fashion, we find that the biggest designers in all different cultures, backgrounds, countries are beginning to introduce separate lines only for children. These are not just clothing lines, but they cover the broad spectrum of all fashion related items such as accessories, jewelry, shoes, and even some makeup that is children friendly, along with skin and hair products. There are different colours for each season and the styles are ever changing in children's clothing. Sometimes these trends seem to follow those of adults, for instance the shift in the leg styles of jeans (from flare to boot-cut to straight leg to skinny jeans - although they are all diffusely common these days with approximately equal prevalence of each style). Similarly, there are certain styles that are aimed only towards the young consumer market. Examples of such trends would be most specifically found in the changing graphics of graphic tees. All major designers ranging from Burberry to Dior and their equivalents in each country and culture throughout the world are now carrying separate lines for children, with price tags on clothes that would embarrass an average wallet holder.
Children, themselves, are becoming proactive about their choices and picks in the current fashion world. They are idolizing children and teen icons on television programmes and following the trends being started by these individuals religiously. There are clothing stores that service children alone, and at these shops, children fashion is represented in its most compact form. There are all the latest trends that are exciting the young members of society displayed in these stores in addition to clothing specially geared towards fans of certain young pop and TV icons with graphics reminiscent of their idols. A quite globally acknowledged example of Hannah Montana t-shirts comes to mind.
It is also become imperative for parents to dress their children in the latest fashion in order to keep up with the competition in society. As the social norms of acceptance of an individual incline slowly towards economic status and the expanse of affordability, it becomes even more important for parents to present their children in a way that creates a positive image of not only the children, but also the family. As global exposure to fashion trends increases, it also becomes more important for children to present themselves in a positive social light, and create an impressive self-image for themselves in order to attain confidence and comfort.
An interesting point to note here is that fashion for children is diverging swiftly towards the latest style as dictated by designers with little regard to the comfort of children. You will often find clothes that are form-fitting for children, which is a contraindication with respect to comfort in most cases. However, the natural history of fashion as a phenomenon dictates that the emerging trends, no matter how uncomfortable they may be at the time of emergence, soon become adopted by society at large and become assimilated into the lives of consumers, may they be young or old.
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