A couple of weeks ago, I bought two pairs of shorts and a couple of t-shirts for Cordy at Target. (Side note: I cannot profess my love of Target enough. I only wish I could walk into that store without walking out at least $50 poorer.) After washing them, the new clothes were placed into her dresser, ready to be worn.
So last week when I pulled out a new t-shirt and shorts, I wasn’t prepared for what happened. I put Cordy’s shorts on, pulled them up to her hips, and they stopped. Tugged a little, got another inch higher. Tugged some more – another inch. A little more tugging and jiggling and telling her to suck in her stomach because it’s good practice for the body image crisis you’re sure to have as a pre-teen, and they finally reached her waist.
The shirt took less effort to put on. But something was still wrong. Instead of a 1-2″ overlap of t-shirt and shorts, there was a gap. I pulled down on the shirt, managing to stretch it enough so it just met the waistband of her shorts. Being a truly lazy parent rushed for time, I let her go to school like this, even though I’m sure it was tough to sit down with shorts that tight.
Later, I tried the other pair of shorts, and they were the same. Here’s the thing, though: I thought I was buying big when I bought them all in 5T. Apparently my 3-year-old is too big for 5T now. See, when you raise Amazons, they tend to grow out of the little sizes faster than they should.
Returning to Target this weekend, I found myself browsing the toddler clothing again. (Can’t help it – I’m just drawn there every time.) I picked up a pair of shorts and nearly put them in the cart when I remembered that 5T is too small now. However, she still needed summer clothing.
My little girl is growing up, I told myself. Times are a-changin’, and I guess I need to change with them. She needs clothes from the big girls section now.
I glanced across the aisle. Large pictures of older girls, in flashy accessories, hats, and stylish shoes smiled and laughed at me. Wait, are they wearing make-up? I felt woozy.
Pushing the cart ever-so-slowly into this new terrain, I examined each new fitted t-shirt, spaghetti-strap tank, and pair of short-shorts and had an overwhelming urge to run away. After all, my little girl is too young for this:
And you have got to be kidding me, no freakin’ way this:
And oh god, kill me now! anything but this:
All were available in her size.
So what did I buy? Nothing. Oh sure, there were some more simple pieces that covered body parts well, but the thought of dressing her in big girl clothes made my eyes tear up and my chest feel tight. I ran away, reminding myself that Gymboree might cost an arm and a leg, but at least the Gymboree 5T sizes still fit her and look like clothing for preschoolers, and hey, I’ve got an extra arm and leg each, right?
She may look physically older than her actual age, but I’m not ready to complete the look with more grown-up clothing. It’s not like she wants any of this clothing, anyway. She has practically no interest in clothing, and wears whatever I put her in without a second glance. The only time she has any opinion is when she spots her Little Einsteins t-shirt and asks to wear it. Otherwise I could dress her in a burlap sack and she wouldn’t care.
Cordy may be big enough for the big girl clothes now, but clearly mommy can’t handle it yet. You can call me irrational – I won’t deny it. I’m not quite ready to let go of clothing cut for a toddler body in favor of clothing cut to make a girl look closer to puberty than infancy.
And at the same time, as I write this, I wonder to myself: when did I become such a prude?
Don’t you hate how clothing sizes fit differently from all of the manufacturers? Drives me nuts.
I’m kind of glad I don’t have your dilemma. Older girls clothes are too skimpy, I do agree. Older boys clothes are just ugly but things are covered. Whew! I’ll take ugly over skimpy any day!
I don’t think you are a prude — there is so much out there that is inappropriate for little girls! I have a very hard time shopping for my (Amazon, 7-year-old) niece because of it.
At least with the gymboree stuff — you know it holds up well and you can save it for Mira.
stand your ground, honey. it only gets worse.
let us NOT discuss the frustrations of my very petite 13-year-old who has a children’s department body with a teenage brain.
and the part where i don’t WANT her walking around dressed like a skank.
I feel your pain. Kate’s already out of 5T where her shoulders are concerned, and I totally agree with you about the scariness of the girls’ department. Fortunately, I was able to find some plain old shorts and tees at Wal-Mart.
I’m running into the exact same problem now that Princess (also 3 years old) is starting to leave the toddler sizes. This summer she is sporting lots of t-shirts from the Disney Store along with the soccer shorts bought from the local sports mega store.
I think I may have to start learning to sew just so she has something to wear that is age appropriate in a few years.
I have definitely found it a BIT harder to buy in the bigger girls’ section, but there are still lots of options. Just delve a little deeper next time…
It IS a big deal to cross over into the big kid department. Look for the adjustable waistbands so that you can still buy big but use longer (Target actually seems to have more of these than WalMart).
My daughter (5 1/2) is mercifully small for her age, and so is just starting to hit the age where she can shop in the “big kids” section. I hate it! If she were easier on clothes, I’d just buy her a tiny amount of Hanna Andersson or something, but her love of all things grass stain makes that tough.
You’re not a prude. Target, like almost everything else, favors the Prosti-Tot line.
Oh I hate the older kids section! My kids are small for their age, but Isaac is 5 now, and so I have to go over to ‘the other side’ for him sometimes too. It makes me sad for some ridiculous reason.
Target clothes always run small, annoying. What about Land’s end? They have stuff on sale sometimes.
Great post. Some of the clothes out there are definitlely “iffy”.
my friend and i were just having this conversation today. my oldest isn’t 3 until july, but already wearing a 6/7 … i hate how everything is so lowcut!
My son’s clothes are coming from the big boy section now…But big boy clothes are the same as little boy clothes. They still have trucks, race cars and sports on them. Good luck. 🙂
Seriously, if it is the cheap Target stuff (Circo) it runs so damn small! I get so pissed because I am always having to return stuff for a bigger size. In fact, I have taken to making LG try stuff on! Ugh!
Target clothes do just run small. My daughter usually wears 12 month clothing with room to spare, but I bought a pair of shorts & a t-shirt last week that I couldn’t even get on her. Try other toddler stores – J.C. Penney perhaps.
The skimpy clothes aside…consider yourself lucky to have a 3-year-old who doesn’t have a clothing preference. I always know how my day is going to go by how many times Sam changes his shirt in the morning!
hahaha. i have the opposite with Emily. she’s 7 and still wears a size 5. everything looks way too babyish on her!
Oh, I hear you!
My 3 1/2 year old daughter has always been average in size and I couldn’t believe I have to buy her a 4T or 5T to get any clothes that aren’t too small. My sisters can still buy 3T with occasional 4T in shirts for their boys that are the same age of the same brands despite supposedly being the same weight and height for sizing purposes. Drives me nuts!
I am not ready to shop the “big girls” section. They need to have 4-6X in little girls styles not low rise pants and skimpy tops for my preschooler.
One of my former colleagues was panicking when her daughter outgrew Gymboree this year. Everything was skankwear!
Target clothing shrinks like a mofo anymore. I usually buy a size or two up.
Carmen, momtothescreamingmasses
I love Target, too. I have a little boy, and I can usually find his clothes okay, but I can’t find a sweatshirt for him. Apparently stores only stock clothing one or two seasons ahead. Because there’s no need for long sleeves or long pants here the tropical midwest, I will have to venture further afield.
I second the sewing machine idea. You can turn old t shirts into kids’ pants pretty easily.
You aren’t irrational. I don’t have girls, but I am just gabberflasted about what they have for them in the stores!
But I just had a HUGE crossover…my older son has to get his shoes in the, gulp, MEN’S department. GAAACK!
I’ve been facing the same thing with my little girl. She’s in a 5T but with some stuff, she needs bigger – and I’m just NOT buying that stuff for her. Nuhuh, not happening. I’ll grab ebay stuff for her for now and hope for the best LOL
Oh, I get sucked into the fifty dollar Target vortex every time I go there. I don’t know what it is about that place, but it’s like a magnet for my visa.
I am right with you about the clothes too. I am just astounded by some of the clothes they have for little girls now. My mother would have shot me before letting me out of the house in things like that…wow I sound old.
Good luck!
Great post. I’m fortunate to have a boy right now but if we’re lucky enough to ever have a girl I’m sure I’ll be panicking when she gets to the “Big Girl” clothing stage. How exactly does one teach modesty in your daughter when everything on the rack is anything but modest?
I don’t think you’re a prude; it is hard to dress little girls. I only recently stopped shopping Gymboree for my 8 year old, who refused to wear it any longer because it is babyish) because their clothing doesn’t look so slutty. Good luck- I wish I could say it gets easier…
My little girl is 5 and a half, and I’m still not ready for her to dress like that. Plus, there’s no way I am buying her Hannah Montana (or any other pop culture) anything. How do you explain when the bubble bursts and things start happening that you do not want your child to emulate? Also, I never understood the whole buy your kids Abercrombie thing. The promote nudity, under-age drinking and promiscuity in their catalogs, but lets buy their clothes for our preteens. Woohoo!
Even if Cordy were 10 or 15, those clothes are inappropriate!
When I was four I had the MOST AWESOME string bikini. It was bright pink with green stripes and I LOVE LOVE LOVED it. By the time I hit the age my mom would have shuddered at the thought of me wearing a bikini, I had gotten much, MUCH more modest.
Your not a prude at all. I had a sililar post to this last year around this time because I couldn’t find a bathing suit for Boom that didn’t look like it belonged on a beach in Miami or on a stripper.
My fav thing that they do now though? Insanely short skirts made ok by the fact that there are shorts underneath. Ick. Thank Heavens for leggings of all lengths otherwise Boom would probably be in boy clothes.
On another note, last Easter I had to go into the mens section for my oldests dress shirt.. I cried right there. They grow up far to fast.
now way … don’t go to the big girl stuff just yet – I will cry I know I will! Hang in there … maybe try a differant department store b/c you are right gymboree is $$$$
Ugh. M is 14 months old, and wearing 18-24 comfortably, and I’m buying her shirts in size 2T because they fit, and will fit for longer. I have so much to look forward to.
Do you guys have an outlet mall nearby? We love our Hannah Andersson outlet, and Children’s Place. Also Penney’s has great prices on basic clothes.
Or, go for my personal least favorite, boys clothes. Its what my mom did, and I’m not scarred or anything. 😉
It drives me crazy when different manufacturers and designers have different fits. Why can’t there be ONE prototype!? ANd let me just say… I agree with you 100%! There are some things out there in the kids department that make me cringe and I cannot believe some parents let their daughters wear that stuff. GREAT post!!
– Audrey
Have you thought about thrift stores? I’m surprised no one else mentioned it – you don’t have to worry so much about the trendy/Hannah Montana-type explosion, and if they outgrow it in 3 months, it’s not like you spent a lot of money on it. Granted, you have to devote a little more time and energy, but I think it’s worth it.
Good luck!
I’m with you! It’s only recently that my little sister (who I’m charged with taking shopping because Dad doesn’t want to take a preteen/teen girl shopping)could fit in the Juniors sizes, about a year and a half ago we could still get “girl” clothes. Do you know the arguements that came because I thought the “girl” clothes were too revealing for school? I’m no prude either, but little girls should be little girls!
Children’s Place: less expensive than Gymboree, and still with “coverage”clothing is larger sizes.
You’re not a prude! If I had a daughter I wouldn’t want my little girl wearing a bikini either.
Our society is sexualizing girls at younger and younger ages (and thus encouraging pedophilia!) so I say Fight it as long as you can!
Hey you never updated on summer school for Cordy – did you get in that good school!
You aren’t a prude at all! I’m dreading the time when my daughter is old enough to pick out her own clothes! Oh, I’m usually good for at least $100 every time I got to Target… it must be something in the air.
It’s times like this when I’m really, REALLY glad I have boys. I just can’t think of an equivalent for some of that stuff when it comes to boy clothes.
Just wait until she’s older and you’re trying to find a pair of pants/shorts without words on the rear end! Or a shirt that she can wear without looking like a stripper/hooker. And appreciate all the understanding looks from other moms as you have a show-down in the store with your daughter as you explain to her (again!) why she can’t buy that teeny tiny little swimsuit.
You are absolutely not a prude. What passes for acceptable clothing these days, especially for young girls is horrifying. At least with boys, the worst tends to be rips and unfinished seams… in new clothes 🙂
It’s so bad that my son’s elementary school had to resend the dress code this spring — no sandals, no exposed stomaches etc. I keep explaining to my husband that that doesn’t mean if my son’s t-shirt rides up a bit that he will get detention for showing his tummy.