We are so lucky that there is such an incredible choice available these days for children’s clothing.
Kids fashion is big business – I’m sure children today are much more fashionably dressed and stylish than we ever were! I’m pretty sure that they won’t be as embarrassed as we are when we look back at photos of ourselves as children.
There are lots of small independent businesses popping up alongside traditional high street shops, and you can even find plenty of designer boys clothing online. Whatever your budget and preference, the choice nowadays seems endless.
Here are our top fashion tips for younger boys.
Choose comfortable fabrics
This is so important. Children tend to have very sensitive skin so you need to make sure the clothes you choose are comfortable for them to wear and don’t cause irritation.
Our son is particularly sensitive to fabrics and scratchy labels (I’ve even had to cut them out in the past), and always prefers to wear soft, breathable fabrics such as cotton.
Go for colour – and lots of it
I’ve noticed that even in the five years since I’ve become a mum, there are so many more colour choices for boys now in the shops and online.
Traditionally, colour choices were much more limited – particularly for boys – but now really anything goes which is fantastic.
Kids tend to be automatically drawn to bright colours, be it pink, purple or rainbow-coloured so allow them choose what they like and let them be creative with their colour combinations.
Look for practical designs
It’s so easy to get carried away and buy adorable-looking pieces which make your child look like a mini grown-up. But you need to think about practicality. Are they machine -washable? Do they have difficult to do-up zips or buttons? Has it got a fiddly belt?
When you’re potty training boys, make sure you choose trousers that are easy to quickly pull up and down for emergency trips to the toilet. And if you’ve gone through potty training already, you’ll know that every second counts!
Have fun with bold, bright prints
Big, bold prints are everywhere! And they’re fab.
If your child has a favourite animal or object, it’s more than likely you can find it printed on an item of clothing somewhere!
Prints are a brilliant way for children to express themselves through their clothes, so have a bit of fun with them.
Remember comfortable, well-fitting shoes
Kids pretty much never stop moving, right? They are always on the go with endless energy that I am quite jealous of!
So shoes also need to be made of a good quality breathable material that is also long-lasting and can handle a fair amount of wear and tear. (Anyone else’s child scrape their shoes along the ground instead of using the brake on their scooter??! Argh!)
Remember to get your child’s feet measured regularly as they can go through quite spectacular growth spurts in a short space of time. I was so embarrassed when we got our son’s feet measured and his shoes were two sizes too small – the shame! Sorry toes!
Let them choose when they’re ready
It’s really important to let your child choose their outfits when they’re ready and show an interest.
This has only really just happened recently with our five-year-old son. He’s now much more interested in the style of clothes and colours/prints that he’s wearing.
For other children, they may want to choose independently from a very young age. If they want to, then let them, even if you’re not quite sure of the colour/pattern combo they’ve gone for. They may put an outfit together that you never would have thought of, but that actually works really well.
It’s a great way for them to express their budding personalities and you never know, you may have a future fashion designer or stylist in the making.
Share your thoughts
Do your little ones enjoy choosing their own clothes? Have you got any fashion tips to add? Please let us know in the comments.
Disclaimer: In collaboration with Strawberry