Today I did the most unfortunate of things. . . I went Christmas shopping at the mall. I can think of no other activity that kills the Christmas spirit quite like going to the mall in December! I went there to buy a dress to give to my daughter. In the first department store I visited I found the perfect purple velvet dress that I knew my little princess would absolutely adore, but it cost exactly twice what I had determined I was willing to pay. So I went to six other stores on what turned out to be a wild goose chase, looking for another "perfect" dress (heck, I would have settled for an "adequate" dress) and found nothing even close. As you probably guessed it, I ended up back at the first store and bought the expensive dress I had looked at hours earlier. I left the mall exhausted and grumpy and fiercely determined not to go back for months.
In the car on the drive home I composed the following letter in my head. This is not a letter I will ever actually send to anyone because I know it would never do any good, but I'm writing it here so that I can vent just a little bit!
Dear Manufacturers, Designers, and Retailers of children's clothing:
I feel it necessary to bring it to your attention that although little girls tend to exhibit an inordinate amount of sass these days, they are, in fact, NOT just short teenagers. Designing a dress for a five-year-old that could only be described as "sexy" is just wrong. Please allow little girls to be little girls. While your bold and crazy prints would be lots of fun on T-shirts, my child has to wear these clothes to church and a color scheme that looks like it is trying to recreate the view inside a kaleidescope is just not appropriate. Likewise, silky, clingy, skanky fabrics are just not suitable for items intended for young children. What ever happened to cotton? Oh, and sleeves would be nice. And no--covering up a sleeveless dress with a cheap little jacket thingy is not the same thing!
And while I'm at it, let me also inform you that my child has no desire to be a billboard. Must you plaster Dora, Tinkerbell and every other children's icon on all of your clothing? Is it too much to ask for plain fabric or a simple floral print once in a while? My kids are bombarded by commercialism enough as it is, they don't need to be constantly reminded of the most popular toys, TV programs or movies every time they look at their own pajamas.
Please consider putting the "kid" back in kids' clothing. Otherwise, I will be forced to learn how to sew. And I assure you, no one wants that.
Thank you.
4 comments:
Here, here! I couldn't have said it better myself. I think you really should send it out to some clothing manufacturers.
I have often been so grateful that I don't have to shop for a little girl. Finding decent, non-trashy looking boy's clothes is hard enough; but at least it is modest. Every time I look at little girl's clothing I feel for every mom who has to try to find decent, modest, appropriate clothes for her daughter.
I also appreciated your comments about the billboard thing. That is one of my pet peeves too. Sheesh! What some people do to their kids!
Manufacturers so need to hear this. Send it! This is one reason I actually do sew once a year--it's my chance to be sure my girls have one new modest dress annually. Not that I don't gripe the entire time . . .
Great letter. It needs to be sent to many manufacturers, and to national newspapers, and any other place where the right people will take notice. I empathize with your experience.
Over the past six months, I have composed in my head at least a dozen letters to different people (real and imagined), but have never taken the time to write one down. Your letter is very well stated and sprinkled with its own bit of sass.
I agree with the others that you should send it to someone. Locally, it reads like something Ann Cannon would print in her column. Or think big. Send it to Dear Abby. If she prints it, it will get nation-wide circulation.
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