dressing 13 year old girls

2boxers · ‎03-20-2012

help! has the fashion industry lost their minds? I'm a baby boomer with a 13 year old granddaughter (who is 5'9")and I am try to help out with buying back to school clothes. and I have never seen such garbage hanging in stores or on line. why are they making shirts for girls off the shoulder , or so flimsy they won't last for two washings? Everything in her size looked liked a floozy as my mom would say. and who in the world came up with the hideous high low style? My 38 year old daughter is disgusted as well. I wish our area schools wore uniforms.What do you buy a 13 year old with the body of a woman?

GCR18 · ‎07-03-2013

My sister has a 12 year old and shops for her at JCPenney. My niece likes colored jeans and sweatshirts. She won't wear any close fitting tops. She's very self conscious about her chest and tries to camouflage it with loose tops.

Bella Carro · ‎10-01-2011

For the most part, I'd stay out of Junior departments, at least for tops. Probably okay for jeans. Macy's Junior Dept is the worst, IMO. Nordstrom usually has a decent selection. You may also want to try the "contemporary" department in a department store. Still on trend but more tasteful. Unfortunately, probably a little pricier too. If you live near a Von Maur they have crazy great sale prices on their round racks which are all markdowns. I know it can be tough. Hopefully, your granddaughter has not been overly influenced by some of the trends. My DD is 15 and is actually pretty modest, at least for now, thank heavens. If I may, a piece of advice before shopping: have expectations and boundaries on both sides before entering a store. My DD knows where the lines are. She once came home with a very realistic looking fake second piercing in her ears. My head spun so fast and my eyes about popped out! She had a great laugh at my expense

. Good luck! (I'm doing a happy dance that mine is in a uniform).

goodstuff · ‎03-09-2010

I'd suggest a good first step is to separate styles you just don't care for (the high-low style, for example) from styles you find objectionable because they are immodest or suggestive. I'd give the child some leeway with her sense of style, and set some clear and simple guidelines for propriety (no short shorts, no crop or halter tops, no low-rider pants for school). With the guidelines in place, let her help choose her clothing, and give her room to express her tastes within the guidelines.

It's really overstating things to say that everything in your granddaughter's size is "garbage, flimsy, off the shoulder", etc. There's plenty you'll choose to avoid, but you can certainly find jeans, sport pants, tee shirts, blouses, and dresses that are wearable and appropriate. Try classic stores like Belk's, JC Penney, Dillard's, etc. Target and WalMart usually have decent jeans, tees, etc.

Andreatoo · ‎04-04-2014

I'm confused? There is plenty of a modest clothing out there in your granddaughters size. Are you still looking to dress her up in a little girl's clothing? I'm not sure where you're shopping or what you are looking at

Katluvr58 · ‎02-05-2014

My daughter is 16. Thirteen wasn't that long ago. The trend is for flimsy shirts, long sweaters, off the shoulder tops but the girls all wear cami's under everything. Everything my daughter owns I make sure that she has a cami to go with it. So of course she has a lot of shirts in the same colors so the cami can go under several tops. I stopped fighting the trend about 2 years ago. The girls won't wear it if it is not in style. Also my daughter loves jeggings, leggings and low cut jeans. She has a bend over rule for shorts. She bends over and if I see too much she can't have them. Same with tops, if she bends over and I see too much that top is vetoed. The same bend over rule for the low cut pants. She/we have the best luck at JC Penneys, Target and Kohl's. Remember what fits today may not in a month or two and that styles change (although the cami thing has been around a few years). Don't spend a lot of money on any one item. My daughter is 5'7", leggy and 34B. Plus she is very attractive. I don't fight the clothing too much and it has paid off, she doesn't date yet, goes with a crowd of mixed friends (boys and girls) and is starting an early college program this year. Plus I don't know what your weather is but the coat of the last 2 years has been North Face. Expensive but warm and sturdy. Good luck!!

I just talked to my daughter and she loves a store called Wet Seal They have some tops and sweaters that are more conservative that she really loves. Otherwise she said JC Penneys and Kohl's. North Face is still in style for this year also.

Colonel Meow · ‎05-25-2014

On 8/20/2014 Andreatoo said: I'm confused? There is plenty of a modest clothing out there in your granddaughters size. Are you still looking to dress her up in a little girl's clothing? I'm not sure where you're shopping or what you are looking at

I recently helped with the back to school shopping for my half-sister (who is a pre-teen). We hit classic department stores (Penney's, Macy's, Dillards, etc) and found plenty of age appropriate clothing. I agree with Andrea - maybe it's the type of stores you are shopping at.

F1wild · ‎11-30-2011

I would find out what your granddaughter would like first. Then maybe do a bit of online pre-shopping together to see what stores carry what she likes. Also check to see if there are any school guidelines. Get her some everyday things and maybe let her pick out something a little special for a dance or night out with friends.

Off the shoulder is not a floozy look, it's just a current look with a nod to the '80s Flashdance style. The high-low look has been around for a bit. Some like it, some don't.

I think the most important thing is to really listen to what your granddaughter would like then work together to find it. If you say things like "floozy and flimsy" you're going to sound old-fashioned and judgemental. Inexpensive clothes that are not made to last are just that. They're on trend for a hot moment then on to the next trend. Remember, we were all 13 once and had our own fashion do's and dont's.

Andreatoo · ‎04-04-2014

schools have dress codes even if they don't have uniforms. I was a teenager in the 70s and we probably dressed worse. Does anyone remember the Viceroy hip huggers? today's low rise are high waisted by comparison