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by Sara Kolbie
School is in. The all-important first day of school outfit has been chosen, but autumn’s cooler weather now requires a shift to warmer attire. In keeping with fall fashion trends, the hallways of our local schools are alight with color reflecting silhouettes of decades past. The classics have been tweaked again, weighing heavily on the 1960s.
The glitz and glamour of prior seasons has faded into thinking “green.” Organic cottons and natural dyes speak of a new focus on providing our children with ecologically sound fashion. Folk-art inspired prints and vibrant colors reflect our continuing interest in the global market. Chocolate brown and other earthy hues pair with complimenting colors like red, aqua and lime green.
Think flower power. The juxtaposition of bright prints and florals is still popular for younger girls. Instead of the baby doll tunics of the past, blockier A-line tunics or dresses pair with contrasting tights or leggings. Think Brady Bunch with updated fabrics in saturated colors and patterns. Bellbottoms have been reborn for girls as wide ruffles of fabric are added to straight leg jeans to coordinate with the top.
While legs are being contoured, the arms are being highlighted with sleeve interest and details. Buttons, embroidery and felt appliqués create unique details that complement three-quarter and peasant style sleeves. Simple necklines are accentuated with fun, eye-catching trims.
For boys, comfortable tone-on-tone graphic tees are still popular. Straight leg jeans in a variety of washes, but still leaning dark, convey a relaxed tone for school or play. Dressy wear is more relaxed as well, but all-over embroidery is a new trend that even looks great for elementary-age boys. Layering contrasting shirts and a jacket, as fall temperatures drop, is still in. For the little ones, colorful knitted one-piece outfits offer a distinct European look.
Fashion for some children is a necessity—“You mean I can’t run around in my underwear outside?” For others it is an opportunity to define who they are or hope to be—Hannah Montana, Daddy, etc. Because children’s fashion parallels adult fashion, parents have to choose ageappropriate parameters.
Most parents agree that choosing what their children wear is a compromise between what the child wants to wear and what the parents are willing to purchase. How involved your child will be in the selection process is subjective to age and interest, but most 2-year-olds have some opinion about fashion.
This is my own experience. My 2-year-old wants to wear a dance leotard and tights everywhere. My 4-year-old boy begs for the Spiderman T-shirt he spots while we are shopping for school clothes. My 6-year-old wants to wear sequins to McDonald’s. My 9-year-old wears so much camouflage he looks like he belongs on the Outdoor Channel, not in a 4th grade classroom. My children’s fashion faux pas pale compared to their Mommy’s current fashion trend of just making it to preschool drop-off, showered and in clean clothes!
Thank goodness Columbus offers some of the finest children’s wear shops in the South. I visited just a couple of these locally owned shops to find solutions to my own family’s fashion “911.”
The Kiddie Shoppe in The Shoppes at Bradley Park is a full department store that has been outfitting Columbus children for 75 years. Owner, Rick McKnight looks for “freshness” when he chooses the clothing he carries. Working with exclusive vendors ensures his customers get unique clothing. You can be assured of excellent customer service. They provide the only children’s “sit and fit” custom shoe fittings in town. The Kiddie Shoppe has a great selection of coordinating outfits for fall portraits and holiday wear, as well.
Lisa Maxey, owner of 3 Wishes is celebrating almost a year in a new location at The Landings off Airport Thruway. She selects her fall line by attending Mart in Atlanta. 3 Wishes has a wide variety of girls fashion and holiday wear. They also carry a large selection of smocked clothing. Unique European and European-look lines offer high-end fashion without the travel.
So, pile on the decades past. Let your children relive the ‘60s, as their grandmother says, “I used to have a dress like that!” Local fashion has never been more fun or colorful than it is for the fall. It is wearable history in the making.
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