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SmackDown: Should Kids Wear Skinny Jeans?
Filed under: Opinions
Are skinny jeans for kids a denim do or don't? Illustration by Christopher Healy
Skinny Jeans for Kids Aren't Cool.
by Amy HatchLast time I checked, my daughter's back-to-school shopping list didn't include "items that can help put her self-esteem in the basement," and that's why we'll skip the skinny jeans this year.
When I saw the Wall Street Journal story on skinny jeans for toddlers, I had that "smack the forehead" moment. The story even shows with a graphic how the jeans are designed to "closely mimic the shape and style" of their adult counterpart, the denim trend that has so many women squeezing themselves into a dark-wash sausage casing.
In the interest of full disclosure, let me first say that I am one of those women -- I own not one, but two pairs of skinny jeans. But here's the thing: I am a fully- grown woman who has had 39 years to grapple with -- and come to terms with -- the notion of her own body image.
I'm not a 5-year-old girl like my own daughter, who is not a stick-thin baby waif, but instead has a muscular physique. She's beautiful, healthy and strong, and -- for the moment, anyways -- blissfully unaware that the rest of the Western world sees her as flawed. Not to mention that I'm disinclined to dress her like a miniature hootchie mama. It's bad enough that I can barely find a pair of jeans for her that doesn't ride so low that her underwear shows.
Now, she also has to contend with the fact she already doesn't fit the societal label of "skinny."
According to the Media Research Network, the research group Anorexia Nervosa & Related Eating Disorders Inc. found that one out of every four college-age women has engaged in unhealthy methods of weight control, including skipping meals, excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting, fasting and laxative abuse.
That number is staggeringly high. And now, we are starting even our toddlers off with the idea that they can -- and should -- sport the label of "skinny." The idea that they're just kids and that the message won't be absorbed is misguided at best and, at it's worst, dangerous. Any parent of a toddler can tell you that kids understand a lot more than we give them credit for.
And just why are we making clothing for little kids that mimics what adults wear? So often we bemoan the fact that our children, especially our girls, are growing up so much more quickly than ever before. We worry about teen sexuality, pregnancy and the objectification of our young women as nothing but sex objects, and then we set about creating a piece of clothing --for babies, no less -- that is designed for maximum sex appeal on adults.
We're hypocrites, too, pointing fingers at celebrity kids like Suri Cruise and her high heels, tsk-ing and judging her famous parents for decking her out like a miniature grown-up, and then we turn around and do the the exact same thing. The only difference is that we don't have to contend with the paparazzi.
Besides that, what ever happened to dressing kids like kids? I'm no puritan, and I love fashion-forward duds. I'm not advocating a return to Peter Pan collars and ankle-length skirts, but outfitting children in the exact image of adults and then expecting them not to adopt a precocious attitude makes no sense.
Recently, a major women's retailer was caught with their Photoshop showing, when an unedited image of a model showed up on their website next to the edited one. In the second, doctored photograph, the beautiful model's body was altered drastically to make her appear almost painfully thin. Women expressed their outrage over the image, taking the business to task for perpetuating the beauty myth in such a severe and obvious way.
Dressing babies and toddlers in skinny jeans does the exact same thing -- it sends a message, both to our children and to those who market to them -- that that you can never be too thin.
And that is just not cool.
Skinny Jeans Are Just Cute Jeans, People.
by Lesley KennedyI'm not gonna lie. I love shopping for my kids even more than I love shopping for myself. Cute headbands. Cute shoes. Cute dresses. Cute shorts. And, let's cut to the chase here: Cute skinny jeans.
Oh, I said it. Skinny jeans on kids are not too grown-up, they're not inappropriate and they don't send the wrong message. They're just cute. Like, really cute. And I'm not about to stop buying them because folks are balling their fists up and shaking them in air -- positively outraged that the popular denim trend has trickled its way down to the tot market.
"You're making 5-year-olds body-conscious!" they cry. "How dare you make my little girl worry about being skinny so soon!" they bemoan.
Please. My daughters, ages 5 and 3, are not concerned about their weight. They don't know what a diet is. They certainly aren't wondering if their butts look big when they pick out their clothes each morning. And let's talk about how "skinny" these jeans actually even are: I don't know about your kids, but slim-cut styles still hang off my girls and need to be belted to stay up most of the time.
My 5-year-old, a fashionista in training, goes from uber-girlie princess to copying iCarly to skateboard chic -- all in the course of one afternoon.
My 3-year-old? If it's not a dress, she won't wear it. But, occasionally, I'll convince her to wear pants underneath, and, seriously, if there's anything more adorable than a little girl wearing a dress over slim-cut jeans, I've yet to come across it.
You see, for kids, skinny jeans are simply jeans. They have absolutely nothing to do with sexiness or weight or body image, but everything to do with skateboard culture, comfort and -- yep -- looking cute.
And it's not just a girl thing. Skinny jeans are the must-have denim for boys today, too. But do you worry about boys becoming bulimic because of their jeans? No, you just send them off in their cool pants and Vans slip-ons and smile at their good fashion sense.
I think it's the name "skinny jeans" that gets people riled up. Thank goodness designers didn't decide to dub their latest versions of this style that's been around for decades "cigarette pants," as they were called when Audrey Hepburn and Sandra Dee wore them in the '50s and '60s -- can you imagine the outrage?
Because if it's not the name, shouldn't leggings stir up the same sort of anger? Did folks go crazy when girls started wearing them again in recent years with ... well, practically everything? They're certainly more form-fitting than skinny jeans, but they're totally accepted.
I bet if skinny jeans were called "skater jeans" people would see them for what they really are: slim-cut denim that's trendy and cool, super fun when done in bright colors and offered in a unisex silhouette.
When I see my kids in skinny jeans, I'm not thinking Lindsay Lohan -- I'm thinking Lindsey Vaughn. Skateboarders, BMX riders and other X-Games and Olympians have worn skinny jeans for years because, not only do they look good, they stretch and they are easy to move around in. Also, since they fit close to the body, there's no need to worry about baggy pants getting caught in spokes or wheels.
Fashion with function? Sounds like the perfect combo for kids' clothing to me.
Look, your daughter is not going to turn into Britney Spears just because she picks out a slim-cut pair of jeans. And, if you hate the trend, haven't you figured out that if you just sit back for five minutes, those five-sizes-too-big baggy jeans belted way down around the hips -- or, heaven forbid, the stonewashed pleated and tight-rolled styles I wore as a kid -- will soon be back in style?
Now, when that happens, you'll really have something to complain about.
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ReaderComments (Page 7 of 14)
8-20-2010 @ 8:35PM
Tia said...I personally that every one has a valid opinion on what they feel their children should or shouldn't wear. I also feel that bashing another parent for how they feel is wrong. We all are entitled to feel the way we do because of the word "individual". If you take that word and actually use it for what it means, then the world itself would be in a much better place. I wouldn't have to worry what someone was going to think if I disciplined my child in public, or the fact that I let my 12 year old daughter wear a bikinni during the summer months. If we all concentrated on our own lives and dealt with issues that only pertained to us, then we wouldn't be on here bantering like we are. I don't have anything against skinny jeans because I've raised my daughter to always be positive about herself regardless if she's a tiny waif or just the opposite. Unfortunately, she does compare herself to what society expects but I'm just going to drill into her impressive head that it doesn't matter to every one else how she looks. That if she puts focus on the important things in life such as school and having fun, then self image won't be such a high priority. I will also say that the parents that are saying dressing our kids in "adult" attire will cause them to become pregnant at an early age, is just blasphomy. It's all on how attentive you are as a parent and how much you participate in their lives. So let's all get a grip and decide for ourselves what we feel our children should wear, and not go by the person next door. But even if we did..we made that decision as an "individual".
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8-20-2010 @ 4:11PM
Holly Crap said...in life you only get to be a child for 18 years and I think they should be able to enjoy it and not be in a rush to be an adult. Sure I wanted to dress up like mom but that's what playing dress up is for. Right now you should let them enjoy being a kid.
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8-20-2010 @ 4:33PM
Maria said...There just jeans people your making a big deal out of this!
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8-20-2010 @ 4:19PM
jayy.thomp said...I love skinnies. I think is so cute to see little skinny leg jeans for little kids. They are just so cute. Im in high school and the only pants i wear are skinnies. Just because the name of the pants 'SKINNY JEANS' dont mean they were made just for skinny people. All skinny means is just they are tighter at the legs. At school you see so many different styles and shapes and sizes. That not stopping them from wearing skinnies so why is it stopping you for buying them for you kid. One of my friends at school are way past skinny and thats not stopping him from wearing them. As he says all the time 'skinny jeans arent made for skinny people'. The skinny jean trend is just like any other trend. Like bootcut jeans and flares. They sale them in the stores for you kids to wear and you buy them, so why cant your child wear skinny jeans ???
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8-20-2010 @ 4:19PM
Marci said...Skinny jeans with a short top on a child is NOT appropriate. Skinny jeans with a long top is just fine and no worse than the leggings trend. The name maybe should have been reconsidered considering the outrage many parents feel on this, but as a parent of two girls (age 5 and 9), I have no problem with them wearing them with the correct type of top. In fact my 9 year old is very slender and even slim cut jeans are way to big on her, these might just offer her a type of jeans that can stay up!
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8-20-2010 @ 4:47PM
julia said...You know, it really just depends on the kid. Even in the article, the difference between the two women's children is that they're built differently. If skinny jeans are what fit the kid, then by all means. However, trying to stuff a child into too-small clothes for any reason is going to mark them for life, and they will always think that unless it's too tight, it doesn't fit right. They'll be unhappy because they can't breathe, move easily, or look like everyone else. yeah, personal experience there.
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8-20-2010 @ 4:20PM
Jean Bailey said...One look I absolutely HATE is when a baby girl is bald and the mother has that stupid head band around their head with a stupid flower on it. Get over it, you kid is BALD. So what if people mistake it for a boy. Why is it important that everyone know the gender of your child? It's a child, not a sex object! Same goes when dressing a child in hoochie-type clothing. Mothers, stop trying to regain "your" youth in the way you present your kid!
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8-20-2010 @ 4:21PM
John said...I say let the parents be parents
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8-20-2010 @ 4:22PM
Aly said...I don't have the slightest bit of an issue with skinny jeans. I'm thirteen and not an extremely girly girl. with skirts and dresses every day. When it's not summer. I'm usually wearing skinny jeans. And to be completely open, there are very few guys if any that look at me and think Wow she's hot. Granted I'm a naturally skinny person so it help but I've never had an issue with being to skinny.
To be honest when I don't fit in a pair of pants anymore I either say oh that's to bad now I can tear them up and make them into skirts that are pretty and punk. That or I say "Yes! I'm not a freak I do gain weight what now."
I'm sorry but I'm at an age where most girls are worried about their figure and I'm am a perfectly healthy girl with no worry about about look sexy and what not I don't care what a guy thinks of me. If they like me its should be a plus that I'm cute not the only reason. So all in all skinny jeans aren't what people have started to make them out to be. Honestly They're just pants. Boot cut jeans fit to your but too there's not that much of a difference.
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8-20-2010 @ 4:22PM
Chelsea said...I'm 15 and I wear skinny jeans. I don't wear it because they make me look skinny--In fact, I can eat like a pig getting stuffed for the holidays and not gain a pound, but I do exercise-- I wear them because they are fashionable and I love the way they feel and fit.
I wear baggy things, but that's in the comfort in my own home. That also doesn't make me afraid to throw on a pair of basketball shorts and some sneakers outside the house.
I'm very comfortable in my skin and I know many people (boys and girls of all shapes and sizes) that wear skinnies and they feel the same way I do.
People are misinterpreting the fashion that we've grown into. To me, skinny jeans are just jeans with the bottoms that cling onto the ankle, not something that makes someone look "skinny". It's just like how boot-cut have a wider opening and "flares" flare out.
In my opinion, children have always been expressive in many ways, whether in art, music, or fashion. When you take something like skinny jeans and make them look bad when they really aren't it's just proving your character.
The mom on the left thinks that if her 5-year old wears them, they will make her look like a "hoochie mama". Well considering that she owns two pairs of skinnies she should know that you can't wear skinnies that are not your size. For those girls that are wearing tight jeans nowadays to show stuff off and look skanky, skinnies can't be operated that way. You either have your perfect fit, or you have bigger sizes. You can't squeeze into skinnies because of the fact that the bottom will be too tight.
Skinnies are just something that teens and adults alike are comfortable in and I don't see a problem with kids wearing them. It's just like dressing your daughter in leggings and a t-shirt. So if anything, this shouldn't even be a problem.
The girls in my school wear thongs, tight jeans, and beyond short mini skirts and shorts. In my opinion, between those and skinnies, skinnies are definitely the lesser of the two problems.
So in all, I think skinnies are just a way for girls,especially, to feel comfortable in their own skin as well as fashionable without overexposing and expressing themselves in a vulgar way. And in my opinion, that's what you should be trying to teach your toddlers and young children instead of limiting them from something that is actually helpful in changing the vulgar way they might dress in the future.
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8-20-2010 @ 4:28PM
Mary said...GIVE ME A BREAK. I can't believe this is even an issue, although when I was a kid, MINI SKIRTS (as I'm sure most of you girls wore) were also thought to be the DOWNFALL OF ALL KIDS (young and old) and you would have thought the world would come to an end if girls wore MINI SKIRTS.
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8-20-2010 @ 4:44PM
incognito said...and mini skirts are still the tall tell sign of a tramp.
8-20-2010 @ 4:27PM
jessica davis said...I personally don't see any problem with the so called "skinny jeans" the only difference between them and any other pair of jeans is that they are more straight fitting at the bottom. They are not really that different from the bell bottoms, they too are tight at the top and just flare out at the bottom. If you have issues with the skinny jeans then you should have a problem with just about all jeans except for the regular pants that are loose fitting all around. as far as the whole self esteem issue, i have been there done that and it is not all about what you wear or what your body looks like it is what you are told growing up. if you parent says you can't get those jeans because you won't fit them or that they just won't look right on you then you as a parent are sending them that message that they need to fix their self to feel better and fit the clothing that they want. Kids are going to be kids, there will always be pressure about what one kid has and the other does not. what one kid wears and the other does not. They make these skinny jeans in all sizes and they are not just for people with a size 1 waist. my sister is a nine and she fits them. my friends child is a bulkier fit and she wears them. it is all about how you as a person feel about yourself. Also about how you as a parent portray things to your child. So in my opinion these jeans are no different then people putting their child in a 2 piece bathing suit, or a spaghetti strap shirt. Think a little bit more about what you reasoning really is people about not liking these jeans. Is it really because you don't think they are "kid approved" or are you just really that self conscious about yourself that you think you children or other children will portray the wrong idea of these jeans. THEY ARE JUST A PAIR OF JEANS PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!
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8-20-2010 @ 4:28PM
GBeth62 said...I have a very skinny 9-years-old daughter who normally wears slim sizes. Skinny jeans fit her very nicely. They are not tight on her, and they look better than the slim sizes with the adjustable waist that don't adjust in the seat or the legs. As long as the clothes fit properly, I'll buy them.
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8-20-2010 @ 4:33PM
Kdonnelly06 said...I have had 3 kids... I wear a size 8 on a good day. I would not wear skinny jeans because I don't currently have the body type for them, but I think they are super cute! My 11 year old wears them because that is what she picked out. I don't think there is anything wrong with them. I would buy them for my 3 year old and heck even my 8 month old. I think I will go out and look for some for the little ones this weekend! BTW skinny jeans are named "skinny" because the jeans themselves are skinny, not because you have to be skinny to wear them. It is really ridiculous that people are even arguing about this... I wasted a lot of precious time to read and comment on this. Now I'm going to get back to laundry so my kids don't have to look like strippers when they don't have clothes to wear:)
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8-20-2010 @ 4:48PM
incognito said...negative- theyre called skinny for one reason, its not rocket science.
and if all the young teenage girls talking about "looking sexy" or "fitting some trend" wasnt enough for you- then youre hopeless
then again, you cant even take care of yourself, and remain healthy.
may i add little kids in skinny jeans looks absolutely retarded?
nobody thinks their kids ugly- the rest of the world does though.(the polls speak- majority agrees.)
8-21-2010 @ 8:38AM
Dianna said...With all the pedifiles out there, sure why not put your child in something that will make them a target?!
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8-20-2010 @ 4:31PM
laurie said...I don't know about toddlers, but I always wonder why people let their pretty little girls go out dressed like hookers and then wonder why they get hit on by adult men. Think people!!!!!
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8-20-2010 @ 4:45PM
Tami said...Hookers???? Oh come on... they are kids.
8-20-2010 @ 4:33PM
shannon said...I just bought three pairs of skinny jeans for my 8 year old. When she put them on, they weren't too tight or even as thin as leggings so I bought them. I am very conscious of showing too much (as I believe too many kids are these days). I do not allow my child to wear leggings without a shirt and/or skirt that covers her bottom.
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