Although they may not be suitable for everyday wear, there’s been a big rise in the number of parents who are choosing to dress their children in designer kids clothes, at least for special occasions.
There are certainly plenty of high-end brands who are catering to those tastes as well. Led by the likes of Gucci for Kids, a specialist line of Gucci children’s clothing promoted by none other than twins Emme and Max Muniz – better known as Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony’s kids, these mini designer offerings let kids be themselves while also remaining ahead of the pack in terms of fashion.
And fashion is important to kids, more so than you might think. This is one of the first generations to grow up never knowing what life before the Internet was like, and many get their first smart devices around the same time that they start first grade. This means that they see celebrity kids all the time – on TV, in video games, in ads – and want to dress like them too.
If you are going to invest in designer clothing from the likes of Versace, Gucci Kids, Burberry and more you will, of course, pay more than you would if you shopped at stores like Target and Kohls (although maybe not as much more as you think) But you will get what you pay for, in terms of style and quality.
However to get the most out of your kids designer clothing purchases they do need to be taken care of the right way. With that in mind here are some tips for doing just that:
Always Follow the Laundering Instructions
Because the fabrics and fastenings used to create kids designer clothes are high end, they will often require some special care at laundry time to keep looking their best. Some may need to be hand washed, some may need a cold wash, some may not be suited to going in a tumble dryer and some may even need to be dry cleaned. The good news is that those instructions are always spelled out on the garment label.
As a busy parent, we understand that it’s probably very tempting to try to find ‘hacks’ to make laundering these expensive clothes quicker and easier. And the fact is if you search on the Internet – especially on YouTube – you will find all kinds ‘advice’ and ‘suggestions’ for doing just that. Our advice though? Don’t do it. Many of these hacks don’t actually work well at all, and why would you ruin, for example, a gorgeous Gucci Kids dress your daughter loves just because someone on YouTube said you could wash it in baby soap rather than getting it dry cleaned and, as it turned out, they were very wrong?
Rotate Your Kids Designer Wardrobe
Even the likes of Emme and Max Muniz don’t wear designer kids clothes every day. There have been plenty of occasions when they have been caught by the paparazzi when out with their parents dressed in very basic, practical clothes when the situation calls for it. So as much as your son loves those new Gucci Kids shorts you bought him, they probably aren’t suited to a rough and tumble at the park. They are, however, probably just fine to wear to the next family barbeque.
Rotating designer clothes with practical everyday clothes is another great way to prolong their useful life and to help make sure your kids have dressed appropriately for every occasion, whatever the occasion might be.
Practice Good Storage Habits
The way you store kids designer clothes can also make a huge difference to how long they last. If a garment needs to be hung up (a dress, a suit etc) opt for child-sized padded coat hangers whenever possible. In a pinch, the plastic ones will do, but try to avoid wire at all costs, as they tend to snag and tear at fabric all too easily.
For clothing stored in a drawer ensure the drawer is clean and dry and – as old-fashioned as this might sound consider tucking a mothball in there. Times may have changed but moths haven’t and they will still munch away at whatever fabric they can find – including the high-end fabrics that designer clothes from the likes of Gucci Kids are crafted from. Also, try to make sure the clothes are carefully folded and that they are completely dry before they are put away to avoid transferring any dye to other clothes.
By following some of these tips and taking a little extra care, designer kids clothes will last for years. Want proof? When the new Prince Louis of England was born recently in his first official photo he was wearing a designer sweater his sister Princess Charlotte wore three years ago, and she was wearing a sweater her eldest brother George first wore when she was born. That’s another big advantage of designer kids clothing you see; they make fantastic hand-me-downs!