Harper Beckham's style choices are as much documented as her mothers
Suri Cruise and Harper Beckham are influencing children's style, as new research shows that UK parents feel pressure to keep up with them.
Half of parents questioned, by COTTON USA admitted that celebrity culture and mini-fashion icons like Suri Cruise and Harper Beckham influence how they dress their children.
52% of mums and dads said that they felt pressured by other parents to dress their children a certain way, with a staggering 87% of respondents saying that other parents treat their children like fashion accessories. However, one in four parents strongly disapproved of the celebrity clothing trend or said they had concerns about the movement towards more fashion conscious children’s clothing.
Despite these pressures parents prioritise quality over style when choosing clothes for their children. While the majority of parents agreed that style is important when dressing their child, only 15% felt that it was most important, compared to 26% who ranked quality as the most important factor.
Parents’ desire to find quality items for their children may help explain the surprising finding that 66% of parents spend more on clothes for their children than for themselves or their partner.
More than three quarters of parents would be prepared to spend more for quality clothing compared to just under a quarter who would shell out more for style. Additional considerations that parents ranked above style included durability and comfortable, natural cotton fibres.
For parents, fabric is a key consideration when shopping for clothes for their children. When selecting fabrics parents see durability and softness as equally important and 66% of parents will look for natural fibres above synthetic. Cotton was named the most desirable fabric by 79% of parents, a clear favourite and more than 12.5 times more popular than the next fibre, wool.
Stephanie Thiers-Ratcliffe from COTTON USA said: “The research shows an increasing interest in stylish clothing for children but while trends come and go, it’s clear that good quality, comfortable and durable fibres like U.S. cotton never go out of fashion.”
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