assessment 2a

1.  Childhood can be defined within certain parameters however within each society there
is an expectation the way an infant or adolescent should appear; throughout the ages
clothing has defined gender roles and the position of children within society. For
example in the 18th and 19th Century children’s clothed lacked a distinction between
masculine and feminine. Male and female children wore a form of “dress” referred to as
a robe or tunic. Even young babies were all clad in white cotton long dresses until they
were able to crawl, of which the length was shortened to calf length.
 In the late 1800’s young boys begun to wear knee length pants and vests with collared
shirts and young girls in remained in dresses or tunics.
 The colour-gender perception associated specifically with blue for boys and pink for girls
was only introduced in the 1940’s after World War II. Prior to this pink, being a closer
shade to red and red resembling Mars, was associated with boys and blue, representing
Venus was associated with girls. Over time this mandate has diluted and colour-gender
association is less prevalent.
www.fashion-history.lovetoknow.com www.fashion-history.lovetoknow.com Pinterest www.fashion-history.lovetoknow.com

2.  The children’s clothing industry is growing in popularity as many celebrities
lead the way stying their children in designer clothing and accessories.
 We now have specialist designer children’s stores along the lines of Seed,
Country Road, Pumpkin Patch and many fashion icons also manufacturing
children’s lines such as Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton and more.
 It is now estimated to be a $110 billion a year industry as Australians spend up
big to ensure their kids have it all.
Instagram
www.ralphlauren.com
Pinterest
www.dailymail.co.uk

3.  In comparison to the formal attire of the early 1800’s today’s children’s wear boats
much more freedom offering vibrant colours, appealing styles and imaginative design.
 However effective marketing has also led many parents in to the trap of excessive
consumerism to maintain a perceived status. The popular sandal brand Haviana now
operates a $152million business with hundreds of children’s designs available. Another
example would be Nike’s latest colourful range of ‘must have’ shoes proving popular
amongst adults and children alike.
www.haviana.com.au
www.haviana.com.au
Pinterist

4.  The cost to a mother and father to raise two children is estimated to be $812,000 –
including education, medical, clothing, feeding, sheltering and extracurricular actives. It
comes as a relief then that children’s active wear and every day clothing is much more
accessible in today’s society. There are ample varieties of specialist children’s stores,
large department stores like Target and Big W offering quality low price items and an
abundance of online sites. These factors have all contributed to the decrease in cost,
and increased quality and availability.
www.seedheritage.com.au
www.target.com.au
Instagram

5.  Children's Clothing - a New Trend in Modern Society. (n.d.) Retrieved January 23, 2015, from
http://www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/202110/kids_and_teens/childrens_clothing___a_new_tren
d_in_modern_society.html
 Spending patterns of couple families (2013, June 27) Retrieved January 20, 2015, from
http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/4102.0Main+Features30July+2013#couples%20with
%20young%20children
 AMP Income Wealth Report – Kids: The cost of raising children in Australia (2013, May)
https://www.amp.com.au/wps/amp/au/FileProxy?vigurl=%2Fvgn-ext-
templating%2FfileMetadataInterface%3Fids%3D1c047918d9ece310VgnVCM1000004320220aRCRD
 Aussie kids spend up big. (n.d) Retrieved January 20, 2015, from http://www.kidspot.com.au/aussies-
spend-up-big-to-ensure-their-kids-have-it-all/
 Havainas Case Study, (n.d) Retrieved January 24, 2015, from
http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/havaianas-case-study/1/187012.html