Cover Up, Please!

I went shopping today to look for a couple of sundresses for the girls for their birthdays. I thought I would just go into the children's department of the store and there would be a nice selection.

They don't wear the little girls' dresses, the sizes 4-6x; they are in the big girls' dresses (sizes 7-14). I understand that a girl who wears a size 14 wouldn't want to look like a little girl, but a girl who wears a size 7 or 8 (who would be in first, second or third grade) wouldn't want to look like a girl who wears a 14 (say, someone who's in the sixth or seventh grade), would she? Well, she better if she wants a dress or a blouse or shirt!

I was amazed at the style of clothes offered for sale for first graders! I thought most of the styles were sleezy - chiffony, slinky, low-cut outfits that looked like they were for ladies of the night, if you know what I mean and I'm sure you do! Our kindergartener is cute and chubby and a delightful child. I can't imagine dressing her in these totally inappropriate clothes. Oh, she'd love to wear them! Our first grader is perfect for the size 8 - 10 clothes. She's love to wear the slinky stuff, too! I can see her and her sister dancing around the house pretending to be princesses but these aren't the types of clothes to go to school in!

The cutest clothes were over in the 4-6x aisle. They were the styles I was looking for. Age appropriate for both girls. But they won't fit. They're too short for the first grader and too tight for the kindergartener. Back over in the 7-14 aisle, I was about to buy Emma a pair of cotton knit pants that had a beautiful design of sparkles and curliques that ran down the size of the leg all the way to the hem. I thought I could cut the pants off and hem them, but then I realized that I would be cutting off most of the design. All of the pants had similar designs on them. So, no good. AND the cotton pants cost $20! There's not even a yard of fabric in them!

We'd like to see the girls stay "girls" a little longer, please! What are the clothing manufacturers thinking?