When Jayne Goheen wanted to buy clothes for her twin daughters who turn five this year, she found herself frustrated with the limited options available. It was an unusual situation for her to be in, because the Los Angeles-based creative director and consultant usually knows where to shop. It’s how she amassed a vast fan base as one of the original style bloggers. (Her highly popular fashion and cultured-focused blog, Stop It Right Now, ran from 2009 to 2013.)
Not only are choices lacking when it comes to kidswear, they also seem to sit at polar extremes. On one side, there is the “sad beige baby” aesthetic — a term used in recent years to describe the new neutral, minimalist vibe that has become popular among millennial parents, who increasingly gravitate towards beige, grey and earthy tones when it comes to picking their children’s clothes and other items. At the other end, there are overtly juvenile styles that come in eye-popping colours reminiscent of a piñata.
“A lot of kids’ clothing is what I describe as American cereal marketing: it really grabs your attention, and the colours are always crazy or there’s some kind of Marvel comic graphic,” laughs Goheen. “I couldn’t find anything more middle of the road and classic.”
Goheen recalls her daughters’ infant years in which they lived in diapers and onesies. The challenge, she believes, begins around the ages of three or four when there is a need for more functional clothes. That age is also when children start to develop personal preferences as their awareness of the world — and themselves — grows, she adds.
As the stepmother of a seven-year-old girl whom I have helped raise since the age of two, I have to agree. After her easy-to-dress toddler years came an obsession with Disney princess gowns, which she would wear with pride to the playground. But those dresses quickly lost their appeal as they proved to be impractical; they would get in her way as she tackled a climbing frame.
So, she transitioned to T-shirts and leggings, which we bought from high street stores like H&M. They were easier to move around in and also felt less precious. Even if her lightning-speed growth meant that she wouldn’t fit into her clothes and shoes within a year, they were cheap and easily replaceable. But therein also lies the problem: they were cheaply made, not very sustainable, and didn’t align with my personal consumption values.
Those aren’t the only issues, either. At best, fast fashion retail is dated in its approach to gender (visit any store and you’ll see a corner of pink tutus designated for the girls and another with navy dinosaur-printed T-shirts aimed at boys). At worst, some follow trends too closely and produce child-sized versions of adult clothing, which can feel inappropriate. Which brings me to the question of where are we supposed to shop for our children.
A fan of second-hand sites like eBay and Poshmark when it comes to shopping for herself, Goheen has become accustomed to scouring preloved platforms for kidswear. “My personal ethos is to try not to buy new things, with the exception of underwear and socks,” she says. But fashion resale, which has developed a cool reputation in recent years, can be hard work. Shipping costs vary depending on the country and there’s no guarantee that something will fit — hardly reassuring when refunds are often not an option.
It’s precisely why the preloved market is not for Pernille Teisbaek, a Copenhagen-based stylist and creative consultant who is a mother of three boys and a girl. “I think some cities have great second-hand stores where you can go and try the clothes on. My kids are quite big so it can be difficult with sizing” — especially when shopping online, she notes. “I’ve bought many vintage Levi’s jackets, for instance, and they always turn up too small.”
Goheen acknowledges that her children are a conventional height and weight, which makes dressing easier. With a background in apparel (Goheen previously worked in creative design and communications at Stüssy), she is also “pretty adept” with a sewing machine and knowledgeable about sizing. “If I found a pair of Dickies trousers in size 2T, I’d know that it’s too slim for my liking, so I’d look for a 5T and just shorten the legs or take in the waist. I modify everything.”
How Goheen dresses her children — and herself — has little to do with maintaining a certain look and more to do with comfort and practicality. “I think most people assume that because I’m a fashion person, most of my decisions are aesthetic-based,” she says. “I’m not wearing baggy pants because they’re cool; I just don’t like things sticking to me.” She believes her kids feel the same. “LA isn’t a city like New York; we’re in nature a lot. We like to be active and dirty outside, so don’t put on so-called nice clothes.”
Durability and functionality are also top of mind for Teisbaek. “The reason I try to source vintage leather jackets is that new leather can sometimes be stiff. But once it’s worn in, it’s so soft and comfortable to wear. That always comes first, for me and for my kids. I’m making sure that they are able to move around and are wearing something that suits their lives.” Thrifting is tricky in Denmark as there are few physical stores offering second-hand clothing, she adds.
Among Teisbaek’s favourite places to buy kidswear is Dickies. The workwear chain is among a wave of outdoor companies, including Carhartt (where Teisbaek also shops), that have been gaining new relevance among fashion enthusiasts for their multifunctional styles. “You wear them all the time, and they never break,” she says. “I would prefer my kids to wear something that they’re not worried about ruining.” Although she does occasionally treat her children to premium French label Bonpoint.
Model and creative director Tylynn Nguyen, who lives in Calabasas with her two sons and daughter, is also a fan of Bonpoint as well as its French counterpart Petit Bateau, but her current go-to is The Animals Observatory, which offer sweaters, skirts and trousers in tasteful colours and prints. Today’s parents are “inundated with information”, so it’s important not to be swayed into buying fancy kidswear, she believes. “It’s about being smart with your choices, and if something works, then stick with it.”
Mugwort Mugwort, the online kidswear store co-founded by Goheen in November 2023, is not to be overlooked either. It imports contemporary styles from South Korea at reasonable prices — a knit vest costs $40 — although Goheen hopes to eventually develop her own in-house label. “My friends and other moms still ask where do you find good kids’ clothes? We all agreed that we were looking for something a bit more economical but wanted more than Target’s Cat & Jack range. I feel like that’s still missing.”
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