There are nearly 2 billion children in the world, and this number isn’t expected to slow down any time soon. While fashion isn’t something that children think about often, their parents are the primary consumers of the fashion apparel they use, making the children’s clothing and accessories niche a valuable, and often overlooked, segment. Finding inspiration from other brands as well as learning how children perceive fashion is key to understanding the product design opportunities that exist for designers of children’s fashion apparel. If you are a designer who primarily sells products for adults and is looking to expand by adding a children’s line, read on.
Some Considerations Before You Begin Production
Children’s clothing is different from adult apparel in a few key ways that designers should be aware of. You may have to start a new tech pack from scratch because the sizing of the clothing will be different as well as the materials. The tech pack considerations would mostly depend on the age range you target for your children’s products. Since kids grow and change so rapidly, it can be a challenge to choose which age range you want to manufacture clothing for. This will vary based on your business model. For example, if you are a luxury brand, you will likely want to target older kids or teenagers, because they tend to have more of an interest in stylish clothing, and parents of young kids care more about how practical the product is. However, if you are a more lighthearted and casual clothing company emphasizing things like comfortable fabrics, it may make more sense to target younger kids as end-customers.
The process of making children’s clothes includes sampling and production as it does with adult clothes. However, you may gravitate toward different materials and design considerations due to:
- Cost – Children grow quickly, so you may want your production investment to reflect the fact that consumers will need to replace the clothing in the near future.
- Practicality – Products for children should be simple to put on.
- Safety – Consider making your clothing fire-resistant, light on detachable small trims like buttons, etc.
- Durability – The clothing should be durable as kids are usually very active and more susceptible to situations where their clothes can tear or be damaged.
- Washability – In addition to being durable, clothes for kids should also be easy to wash.
How People Perceive Fashion throughout their Childhood
Children develop at a rapid rate and how they perceive fashion becomes a big factor as they grow up. Their fashion serves as a method of self-expression and can boost confidence, self-esteem, and help express individuality. Additionally, allowing children to make their own fashion choices helps them learn about problem solving and creativity in certain situations, like how to dress for the weather.
Creating designs with certain colors and patterns as well as designing products with comfortable fabrics is relevant for creating adult clothes, and is also just as relevant for producing children’s clothes. Arguably, it may be even more important since children undergo significant developmental growth and benefit from having clothes that make them feel confident and comfortable.
Most Relevant Clothing Items for Children
Some clothing items are consistently relevant for children during most fashion seasons. These items can be a good starting point for a designer considering expanding their adult-only clothing line into the children’s market. Some of the most relevant items and materials worth considering adding include denim, comfortable shirts, and jackets/hoodies, and athleisure. Also bear in mind that very young kids tend to be fairly indifferent in the types of clothing they wear but are rather more interested in colorful designs and eye-catching patterns. It is usually around the teenage years where children will start to identify their preferred styles.
Overall, offering some children’s fashion products can benefit your business. While plenty of businesses don’t completely focus on this segment, children are still unique in terms of how they view and consume fashion apparel. Creating the right products for children and knowing which age groups your business wants to focus on can give designers a boost in creativity, diversity in products, and even sales. A study done in Entrepreneur India magazine showed that children’s fashion has been on the rise since 2019 and will likely continue to expand worldwide. Adding products for children to your adult label can be challenging, especially at first, but it is a recommended course of action to reliably grow your fashion business.
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