Long lasting quality items favoured — with fashion highlights

Press, 11 July 1979, Page 13

Long lasting quality items favoured — with fashion highlights

Children’s clothes are no longer being overlooked by the New Zealand fashion industry.

Distinctive, stylish garments are in demand now that “dressing up” has taken on such a new lease of life. Although the competitiveness of consciously dressing the young in fashion seems to be a recent development in this country New Zealand designers are taking note of the European influences in children’s wear and incorporating these trends with their own ideas in clothes to suit the local market. Modified “mini” versions of the current adult attire not only in style but also proportional in length and in fabric are further moves by designers overseas to bring about a complete co-ordinated look into family dressing fashion. Accessories for children have also been forcasted in a big way — another direct example of the move to combine adult and infant fashions.

In the shops to date the standard pinafore is probably still the most popular garment for girls. Its versatility lends it to a wide range of occasions and its easy fit provides a longer

lasting outfit — a child will not grow out of a pinafore as quickly as a waisted dress, it can be worn on its own in summer or with different tops and jumpers in winter. Pinafores come in cottons, corduroy or in dressier velvets, brushed, cottons and knitted woollens. Variations include top stitching and decorative braid, coloured piping, pockets shaped in the form of flowers and fruit or featured in contrasting fabric.

The traditional use of horizontally striped fabric for children’s clothing has left the more, conventional mould of primary colours to expose a rainbow of subtle and unusual shades such as crimson, peacock, orchid, almond, banana, poppy and rust, either pinstriped or bold for pinafores, jumpers, skirts and trousers.

A large number of manufacturers are now arranging their separates in a variety of mix and match designs so that parents can keep adding garments each year to a child’s existing wardrobe of the same brand.

Dresses for girls are still very feminine and flouncy

for best and there is now plenty of scope for a mother who likes to dress her daughter in “ribbons and bows.” Tiered, ruffled. pin tucked lacy dresses look charming and appear during the winter in petite florals, in pastels or navy and red. Some have contrasting waistcoats and petticoats others are plain or have merging tiers in a succession of the main colour. Tartan blouson dresses with lace edging around the collar, yolk and pockets; geometric patterns in modified versions of the adult fashions and the more neutral, classical country favourites in checks or plain camels and cream are further examples of what is available. Accessories are now the big extra and no doubt very popular, with the children. Disco bags in various shades of velvet or printed cotton; brooches — safe and more secure than stick pins but with similar designs featuring animals, fruit and vegetables; silver jewellery; caps, berets and waistcoats. For more casual wear there are denim skirts, jeans and corduroy trousers, tartan shirts, woollen jumpers and cardigans. Clothes for boys are fun to wear — the general theme of fashion has been carried through in handsome plums, khaki and brown, for gear to dress up in. Suits as such are not. so available largely because casual smart clothes are favoured. A mulberry coloured shirt with matching corduroy trousers and waistcoat is an example of a more popular choice. The colours available in this ensemble include the classic browns, each piece is optional or can be purch-

ased as a set. Variations depending on the occasion can be made with separate shirt, waistcoat and trouser combinations. Boyish accessories include bow ties, belts, badges and caps. For more casual wear, velour sweatshirts are comfortable and, hard wearing and come in rich reds, yellows, greens and browns. Chunky ribbed sweaters with fabric elbow and shoulder patches in corduroy or velvet or with colour variations; turtle neck jumpers, brushed cotton cowboy shirts, colour matched to American wide cut corduroy pants and jeans. There is plenty of choice in shoes. Boots have been popular with the longer dress length for girls this year and for both girls and boys — Crackerjack gumboots in red, orange or blue, Bata Bullets, sneakers, moccasins and Charlie Brown lace-ups. An appealing touch of fancy for the young are the Kermit and Miss Piggy Muppet slippers in blue or red. These are available at a number of stores in the city. Shoe stockists advise leather, rubber-soled shoes in preference to plastic, because the foot breathes better and does not slip. A plastic sole is not very flexible. For infants learning to walk, “Dandy Stepps” are suggested. A child must have a good stiff ankle backing to help balance. Babywear is no longer associated with the pastel shades, infants are now being dressed in bolder and more distinctive patterns and from six months on the clothing comes in bright golds, reds and royal blue specially popular in jumpsuits and jefseys. Most baby wear available in New Zealand is imported

acrylic. Many retailers would prefer to sell woollen garments because they are warmer, but unfortunately they are not often available. Even if you are not prepared to pay top fashion prices it appears the majority of shoppers are buying for quality. By selecting carefully the fewer items you can afford, your child’s clothes can be versatile and practical, last longer and probably be cheaper in the long run.