My Hopeful Year for 2014 Tween Fashion

Today, because I am backtracking trying to learn a few things about what worked well on the blog in 2013 and what didn’t work well, I hit upon this back to school post again. It was one of my best viewed health posts all year. That gave me pause. What, if anything is there to learn from that? Posts about fashion rants are hot? No, I don’t think that’s it. Posts about kid’s fashions are hot? Maybe. Posts about retailers that don’t understand what Moms and Dads want are hot? Maybe a bit closer. How about one size doesn’t fit all? That’s my take.

This was the original post. It’s about my daughter and our continued quest to find clothes that fit her, stores that sell clothing that isn’t –

A. too trampy that I wouldn’t put it on a 25-year-old.

B. too skinny that it wouldn’t have ever even fit the toothpick girls I see clutching each other in a strong wind.

C. too tall that it must be meant for some glamazon child I have met maybe once in my lifetime.

https://www.thriftymommastips.com/?p=450

So how have things changed in the last few months here since this post? And how have things changed in the fashion landscape? Personal temperature check. I have changed my shopping habits at our house. I shop for my child, and without my child, often. Why? Because the shopping experience often makes her feel like crap. I don’t blame her. As a 40-year-old when I try on jeans meant for a toothpick body I get aggravated. And I am a grown up with all the resources available to me to leave the store, complain publicly, or vote with my pocket book. She doesn’t have that yet. That’s the personal end of the story for now.

What’s the fashion end of the story? Well, I think we all know what happened over at Lululemon. Huge change. Stores made over and also a change at the helm. Apparently I wasn’t the only person who thought that the fact that they hid plus sized workout gear was a dumb move. There were numerous tweets and posts and I can only assume that all the bad press, coupled with that unfortunate transparent fabric issue sounded the death knell for the CEO last year. Former founder Chip Wilson made one too many poor statements about fashion, plus-sized women and various other media flubs. Lululemon was a beloved fashion icon almost the moment it opened its doors. So hopefully this news of a new Lululemon CEO will translate into some changes.

Old Navy started a plus-sized women’s line. And that’s something. My friend Aeryn Lynne at Geek With Style took that post and ran with it several months ago. She is still a big fan of the plus sized fashions at Old Navy. I have found some reasonable, smart sizes and cute fashions at the local Target store also. This outfit below is one example. I continue to be a fan of the Justice store because of their half sizes, which gives me more options. Not enough options still, but there’s some hope moving into 2014, at least I like to think that in my glass is half full kind of way.

The fashion story has just started for 2014 but I am hopeful that this ongoing issue gets a bit better this year. We lead an active lifestyle in this family. In my family, we are all constantly working out or training for martial arts or swimming or something. We promote healthy living and healthy bodies and we have family memberships at the YMCA and have had those since my kids were babies.

Next month, my gorgeous girl I talked about in the original post will be a junior black belt. Her kick is so strong, trust me you don’t want to be anywhere near that. She is fierce and smart and talented. I can only hope that retailers can keep up with my girls in 2014.