RISE OF ‘MINI ME’ FASHION
Children’s wear is increasingly based on what the mother wears, feeding a trend worth billions
When moms and daughters look to the same trend.
Growing up in the mid-Eighties, sartorial diktats were such that I spent most of my time figuring out how not to dress like my mother. It was possibly no bad thing given that this was the suburbs, rather than the boulevards of Saint Germain.
Oh my, how times have changed. You can’t move on social media for mini-me dressing. In an era where middle-class mothers and daughters might actually go and get a piercing together is it any wonder that the luxury childrenswear market is booming?
According to market research provider Euromonitor, that market is forecast to reach $6.6bn (R91bn) this year – that’s a lot of parents dashing out to bag a pair of toddlersized £400 (R7,000) Gucci loafers to match their own.
Kim Kardashian is spearheading its recent popularity. Beyoncé is at it too, matchymatchy with her daughter, Blue Ivy, in their floral dresses from Dolce & Gabbana.
For many designer brands, it’s the chance to offer the whole family the same look. Fancy a serving of Alessandro Michele’s colourful mash-up at Gucci? Well, now you can also indulge your eight-year-old; with the advent of designer homeware, she can even match the crockery.
Brands such as Dolce & Gabbana incorporate similar styles, fabrics and design into their childrenswear. So, too, do Fendi, Balenciaga, Burberry and Dior.
It extends even to more contemporary price points: new to market is an army of mini-mes from American label Love Shack Fancy, while ex-Voguette turned kaftan designer, Pippa Holt, has introduced a collection of diminutive versions of her Mexican jetsetting kaftans.
Domenico Dolce believes that today, “more children are interested in dressing up as their favourite adults. It could be their parents or an older stylish cousin or celebrity. In other words they demand a mini version of adult clothing: shorter dresses, polka dot or animal patterns, fancy shoes”.
Undoubtedly, this trend will be disturbing for many: at one level peddling Lolita-esque fantasies, or otherwise the syrupy idea that grown women actually plan matching outfits.
It is just as nauseating as the thought of mothers wanting to hang out with their children as “friends” or, worse still, go clubbing together.
Parading a younger version of yourself also smacks of a certain vanity (and desperation) and yet, accents of the same style can make sense.
This is not a trend that is confined to preschoolers either: now that 60 is the new 40, there are older mother-and-daughter combos at it as well. Carole Middleton and the Duchess of Cambridge share a preference for slim-fitting tailored dresses, head-to-toe pastels, off-duty jeans and smart blazers, eyeliner techniques and even hairstyles.
This week, three generations of Redgrave women wowed us on the red carpet in an arresting tableau of similar monochromatic column silhouettes.
Genetics obviously play their part too because, often, mothers and daughters have the same colouring, shape and frame.
Meanwhile, I’m allergic to anything sparkly or covered in glitter. Living under the same roof, is it any wonder that my nine-year-old told me the other day (albeit eyeing up the sweetie jar) she likes outfits that are “matt”?
So is it possible to pull off mother-daughter dressing in a way that feels a little cooler?
Eva Karayiannis, founder of the fashion label Caramel, which was originally conceived as a childrenswear brand, believes the key to getting it right is to ensure that items are age-appropriate.
Increasingly, however, it is fathers and sons who are taking on the mantle. Recently, model and presenter Vogue Williams asked the childrenswear designer Rachel Riley to make a matching shirt for her husband Spencer to wear on a holiday.
After posting a picture of father and son on Instagram Stories, Riley was inundated with enquiries.
Lulu Rayne, buyer at Harvey Nichols, observes that this trend is far more popular. “Fathers and sons want to look like each other, whereas girls, particularly when they get older, mostly want to look different to their mothers.”