Are Children Influenced By Fashion These Days? Reveal the Truth

Yes, children are influenced by fashion. As the industry is bringing many lucrative items, endorsing celebs and idols to promote those; children are being more exposed to the environment. But the impact of fashion has both positive and negative sides. As long as it is not an obsession and parents balance fashion with non-fashion, the influence won’t be negative. 

Introductions 

Fashion is one of the most robust industries. Young girls and boys are one of the most successful categories it has influenced. In this article, I will talk about the fashion industry’s influence on children, its impact both positive and negative, factors that affect children’s clothing choices, and ways for parents to balance the effect among children.  So, after reading the article you will know the answer to the question: are children influenced by fashion these days.

Let’s get started. 

Factors Influencing Children’s Fashion Choices 

Check below the factors that affect children’s fashion choices. 

• Child’s age: Fashion should be based on a child’s age group. Though children look good in everything, they shouldn’t be allowed to dress up like the grown-ups or the adults. 
• Region Or Climate: The environment, region, and climate where the fashion is being practiced is a big factor. For example, winter style varies from country to country, as the US has snowfall but the South Asian countries don’t. 
• Parent’s income: The income of many parents is another factor. Young girls and boys whose parents have lavish money can spend much more on fashion than those whose families are on a scheduled or tight budget. 
• Child’s body structure: Children have different body structures, some are thin and some are healthy. So, if the manufacturer doesn’t provide fashion items for different sizes, then that should be considered as well. 
• Occasions: Consider the programs or occasions where the children are going to attend. For example, if it is a rock concert party, birthday party, or family program. 
• Latest trends: Follow the latest trends that are going on around the world. It may differ based on culture, even so keeping an eye on it won’t hurt. Also, you can adjust it another way, for example, one of kids clothes is floral skirts, can be worn with party shoes as well as with sneakers. 

Positive and Negative Aspects of Children’s Fashion Influence 

Young girls and boys are naturally influenced by a lot of news and actions that happen around the world, fashion is one of those. It has both positive and negative impacts on a child’s thoughts, activities, behavior, and development. 

Here are the positive aspects of fashion influences on children-  

Express creative thinking 

Fashion helps children to express their opinions, and individual preferences and build their personality. As they explore different styles, colors, patterns, choices, and trends, in stylish items (clothes, shoes, jewelry) they can think critically, and nurture self-expression and confidence in them. 

Boost confidence 

Children can feel empowered when they feel confident with their voices, choices, and decisions. This is what fashion does to a child to boost his/her confidence and stick to their preferences whenever they appear fashionable with the children wear like clothes, shoes, and jewelry they wear. 

Stay aware of culture and fashion trends 

By learning about fashion and style, children can become aware of the cultural trend and awareness which diversify their senses, and create adaptability to different traditions, and customs. Thus global fashion insightfully impacts the young generation as they expose cultural identities. 

Connection to the greater community 

Fashion helps young girls and boys get more social and connect with their peers. As it connects the community of near similar tastes, and teaches them new trends, cultures, and traditions, through interaction and adoption. Sharing and engaging in these helps children be connected to a big community and experience a sense of social belonging. 

Adjustment to fashion evolution 

The fashion industry is changing constantly, what was a trend 50 years ago is history now. Children are being taught about this and they grow a deeper understanding of style, adapt to the changes, and foster openness to the changes. This has a positive impact on children as they can skill up this transition. 

Grow artistic sense 

Watching different designs, styles, looks, and arts in fashion items impacts a child’s mind greatly. They explore the variations thus they can understand the different aesthetic looks, which stimulates their artistic sense. 

Eye-opening to a new career 

Being learned about fashion helps children develop a passion for style, and ultimately many children choose in the end, to work in the fashion industry. Thus the industry put the seed to bring out more talented and creative brains in the industry by making them interested in this. 

Fashion not only affects positively, but also negatively. Here are the negative aspects. 

Materialistic emphasis 

Every parent wants their child to grow up with humanistic values, being too materialistic might affect the child devoid of ethical growth. Children will start to value what society esteems rather than what is right. 

Social pressure 

When fashion is widely spread, children might feel the pressure to adopt the styles everyone is following. Not every child is open to wearing what’s trendy or everyone is wearing. So, this creates low esteem among children and they start to compare themselves or are forced to buy to avoid peer judgment. 

Physical comparison 

As fashion items worn by models who have exceptional body image, flawless skin, and are always beautiful, this unintentionally creates a negative comparison and ends up feeling low about their own self, and their physical stature, affects their life, leads to eating disorders, and many more. 

Financial pressure 

Fashionable items are costly, if these are branded, or made by a popular fashion designer, or from eco friendly materials then it’s way more than the reach. So, children who get obsessed with style up accessories, their parents might face trouble keeping up with those types of expectations considering family expenses or limited income. 

Improper exposure 

Some style up clothes are too expressive and highly inappropriate for children, as they promote children’s bodies in a negative way, making children feel pressured to grow up fast or behave like adults. Thus, this hampers child natural growth and negatively affects their innocence and well-being. 

Celebrity influences 

There are several fashion trends that go among celebrity followers. one of which is when the celebrity has been endorsed by some products or brands, the followers need to own that one. If this is a fashion item, this causes problems in a child’s lifestyle, as they feel bound to do this, and not getting their desire fulfilled makes them dissatisfied. 

Balancing Parental Guidance and Children’s Fashion Independence 

Fashion is an inseparable term for us, from infants to older people, fashion has umbrellaed all ages up people. Even if some people deem it negative, there is no escaping it completely. But there are ways to balance it. 

• As a parent, talk with your child, and engage in realistic discussions with them from an early age. This will develop their thinking ability better than their peers. So, whenever they are out, they won’t be naturally moved by other children. 
• While shopping, team up with your children. Let them choose from time to time. If you don’t like something your kids have chosen, positively motivate them to think differently. 
• Limit on following trendy items, even the fashion accessories advertised by celebrities. You can talk about the budget directly with your kids. 
• Encourage their choice and appreciate their decision on clothes or other items they choose, even if they don’t match with what’s trendy or different from how other children are dressing up. This will help them focus not much on fashion, but rather stay true to their own choice. 
• Teach your kids to prioritize comfort rather than look fashionable. 

Navigating Fashion Influences: A Guide for Parents

As a conscious parent of young children, you can navigate your baby’s fashion preferences into a healthy passion or obsession. There is no steadfast guideline for it. Every family has different values and structures, adopting which children grow up. 

If you want to navigate their thoughts on fashion, it will be somewhat challenging for you, so buckle up for that. Here are some general idea guides you can try implementing, feel free to bring forth your ways. 

Motivate their self-expression 

Whenever they are talking about what they like or not, don’t judge or put your comment first, listen to them. Restricting their opinion will make them feel devalued. If they want something that you can’t approve of, have a good talk about why it is not possible or they should think differently. 

Encourage their creativity 

If they have come up with some unique fashion idea for themselves, let them experiment, give them the chance to explore different styles, and looks, even if those don’t match with your choice. Don’t flat-out reject them. 

Limit Boundaries 

Do you want to follow your children some rules on fashion? Then limit little by little what they should not do. It can be about children’s clothing decently, or choosing simply designed ornaments, etc. When you are going to set boundaries in their choice, set up an arrangement like it is an important meeting they are having. 

Teach them about minimalism and quality 

Everyone doesn’t have a big budget to spend on fashion. What you can do is to teach your children about minimalism, and how they can follow the maximum fashion style with whatever they have. Style is different every day. Also, whenever they want to buy several things, teach them that it is better to buy one good item rather than 5 cheap items. 

Let them follow media persons 

Do your kids have a favorite celebrity? Let them follow him. Keeping celebrities in check will help them learn fashion styles in an iconic way. But make sure to have them understand the difference between advertisement and reality. For example, celebrities are seen as fashionable in front of the media, not outside. They live simply inside. 

Teach them to be comfortable with their body 

Children have different growth rates and health sizes, which is very different from a model’s body. Teach your kids the difference. Models have a profession to keep up, for which they need to stay fit, thin, and look always gorgeous. So, no comparison is needed for it. 

Be the model for your kids 

Children follow their parents by instinct. You can take that as a chance to teach them how to dress up nicely. Make your own fashion choice as well, embrace your unique style, and ask your child how you look, just a way to connect them in your choice. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

Conclusion 

So, if you are still wondering, are children influenced by fashion these days? The answer is, YES. Young children are influenced by fashion worldwide. So, whether parents like it or not, the fashion industry will spread its influence, trends and culture will be widespread and the children will get inside into this situation spontaneously. It is up to parents how they groom their kids to learn and adopt this topic and be influenced by it.