Shopping Jun 22, 2009 @ 4:19pm

The Kids Are Alright

Our first thought when we saw this photo: weird.

American Apparel introduces: Kids Shiny Leggings.

AA is known for some out-there products (slashed leggings, all-mesh dresses) but their selection of kids clothes has been pretty tame until now.

Now, I like leggings, and I like shiny things, but the combination of the two was just never for me, unless I was going to an 80s rocker party. And when I saw them on this little cutie, I thought, “Oh, come on now, do we really have to try and push kids into these tacky eyesores?”

But then I realized that maybe this is exactly the sort of kooky thing a kid get away with and in doing so raise far fewer eyebrows than if their mom or teenage sister slipped them on. The great thing about being a kid is that you (hopefully) were completely un-self-conscious, and would run around in a pair of pajamas with a blue one piece bathing suit over top (a personal favorite outfit of mine.) Everyone just thought you were adorable, and you didn’t even care!

We grow older and everything changes both for good and bad. But maybe we could all use a dose of our carefree childhood choices? It’d certainly make things more interesting.

Alas after going back and forth, we’ve decided that these shiny leggings are still creeping us out. So while we won’t soon be purchasing them for our friends’ little ones, they certainly got us thinking about trying to embrace our inner child more (just in a different fashion) and letting the kids we know do the same.

—AMANDA JEAN BOYLE

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posted by guest

Jun 22, 2009 4:36PM

These are so cute!
Looks like something Kingston Rossdale would wear:)
BUT I also think they are only cute as hell on TODDLERS...

posted by nycshoegal

Jun 22, 2009 4:45PM

oh, look, a 3 yr old looking like streetwalker ! how adorable.

posted by Nacho

Jun 22, 2009 4:51PM

What, exactly, about that photo says streetwalker?
a) That little girl couldn't be cuter.
b) Little girls wear leggings all the time.
c) Little girls love shiny and glittery things.
d) Just because an adult female can potentially skank up an outfit which may include leggings and/or something metallic, does that make a toddler skanky for wearing it with a pudgy diaper outline and an innocent top? If the toddler was wearing eyeliner, 4 inch pumps, and a midrif bearing bra-top, you'd have a story. Those are just darn cute.

posted by RashomonRebel

Jun 22, 2009 4:55PM

Dov Charney will put shiny leggings on his grandmother if he knew he can make money from it.

posted by nycshoegal

Jun 22, 2009 5:03PM

#3, the shiny glittery gold is the answer to your question.
in my humble, personal, subjective opinion just because kids like shiny glittery things doesn't mean they should actually wear them. i have the same feeling towards "cute" kids wearing shiny, glittery nail polish. eek.

posted by guest

Jun 22, 2009 5:04PM

As the mom of a 4 year old (yes, that's right, I am quite an old lady and I fully realize that the average reader here is most likely 15 years my junior but that's ok, I love fashion and Fashionista), I have to say that I hate any sort of clothing for little girls that makes them look like Britney wannabes. I completely get Amanda's point about kids being little and cute and can get away with wearing what they want, but that doesn't mean we should give them options that are indeed what a streetwalker would wear. And yes you can say these are borderline cute on a 2 year old but put them on an 8 year old and it's a little too JonBenet Ramsey for me. No matter how cute and innocent the child, there is a sexual element to shiny skin tight leggings.

Kids should be kids and they should be allowed to dress like kids as well.

Oh and as usual Rashomon Rebel is dead on and very funny. :)

posted by nycshoegal

Jun 22, 2009 5:07PM

and THANK YOU, mom #6

posted by guest

Jun 22, 2009 5:17PM

#5, I feel the same way as you about grown-up things kids shouldn't be wearing (high-heels, eyeliner, anything too sexy) BUT I also think kids should express themselves. My nieces are free to dress themselves--they wear the most ridiculously mismatched outfits and put pink glitter spray in their hair and half the time they look like crazy little ragamuffins and the other half the time they hit on something really cute and artistic. That's what being a kid is about. I say bring on gold and glitter. But not necessarily from American Apparel. Dov Charney has no business being near children.

posted by Nacho

Jun 22, 2009 5:27PM

Does this little munchkin look like a streetwalker?
http://store.americanapparel.net/rsac106.html

Perhaps we'd all agree: it's how you put it together, no matter what your age. Perhaps gold is a bit hooker, true. But baby fat, pigtails and saddle shoes really make it hard for me to see whore-ishness in a toddler.

I agree, anything over age 3, and it would be a no-go.

posted by frankielovestoshop

Jun 22, 2009 5:34PM

They have these in Topshop Mini for babies. I think its a bit creepy on babies but cute on those toddlers.

posted by nycshoegal

Jun 22, 2009 5:36PM

ok ok with a long v-neck sweater or a dress over + the leggings being a bit looser than skin-tight, fine. but no metallics with tank tops. my god.

posted by guest

Jun 22, 2009 5:56PM

I was in AA with my friend and her 4 year old daughter that immediately gravitated to the shiny pink leggings. We both smiled and said, you know, I bet your Daddy wouldn't like those very much. And she put them back. Thank goodness. They are a little skanky for a child.

posted by grammyweezy

Jun 22, 2009 6:44PM

why the hell are people calling toddlers skanky? it is impossible for a two year old with no concept of sexuality to be skanky. dov charney on the other hand, is certainly skanky.

posted by guest

Jun 22, 2009 6:52PM

First thought when I saw the pink ones in the store: AWW CUTE!!! Then I thought I ought to get some for my sister(17 years my junior)- loves pink, hates skirts.
Second thought: Oh god, those will make her look like a baby prostitute!! Completely inappropriate! Like everything else in AA besides the plain t-shirts, they ooze sleaze.
So basically, unless they're goin under a tutu for some kind of costume, there's no way in hell.

posted by Signature9

Jun 22, 2009 6:57PM

I agree with #13, I don't think toddlers (and hopefully not their parents either) are attracted to these for their sex appeal. That said, there's something about the gold ones that are a bit much. The pink ones could easily be a favorite for a girl going through a princess phase, and while not a fan of leggings as pants, the black ones don't look far off of that.

http://www.signature9.com

posted by guest

Jun 22, 2009 7:07PM

I was a kid in the late 80's and I certainly remember my shiny purple leggings as my very favorite thing to wear. Of course I paired it with a giant cat sweater....

posted by poseur

Jun 22, 2009 8:12PM

besides the point but there's no way in hell i'm paying up for those overpriced crap that is probably going to be itchy for my kid even if they looked lovely.

also: i aggree, no
also: Rashomon Rebel: YES!

posted by guest

Jun 22, 2009 8:26PM

i agree with 13 aswell. No matter what they wear, a toddler cannot look skanky-- it just doesnt work that way. but the mauve ones are really cute and if i had a daughter id def buy those.

posted by justcallmemarge

Jun 22, 2009 10:12PM

I don't know what all the fuss is about. To all of you who say the toddlers would look inappropriate riding in their strollers, I really can't understand it.

It's perfectly fine for young children to run about naked or in tiny little bathing suit sets but once they touch the modest, shiny legging all hell breaks loose?

I think you're just jealous that they look cute on those under the age of 5 instead of trashy on everyone else.

posted by guest

Jun 22, 2009 10:15PM

y does AA find the need to torture little kids, these disco pants are too tight

posted by etoilee8

Jun 22, 2009 10:28PM

I hate them on adults, I LOATHE them on children. They're just wrong. Barf. And Rashomon, ha!

posted by guest

Jun 22, 2009 10:59PM

for hipster parents who wish to further humiliate their offspring

posted by RashomonRebel

Jun 22, 2009 11:36PM

Right #19, and your avatar aka role model is of someone who recently showed the world her tits and ass.

That explains your comment.

posted by Jac

Jun 23, 2009 1:51AM

yes! rashomon! nice.

posted by Peter

Jun 23, 2009 2:49AM

I wonder if she smells like a baby prostitute.

I love quoting that movie...

posted by guest

Jun 23, 2009 7:19AM

i love american apparel on my little babies.
now mommy and baby can have matching sparkle tights.
who can't like?
why you people have to make everything to be slutty. breasts and tights aren't dirty.
violence is dirty.
americans get everything backwards.

posted by nycshoegal

Jun 23, 2009 9:51AM

#19, there is inappropriate stuff to wear in any age! i don't understand the people who think that kids can pull anything off.

and RR #23 - i just died.

posted by darcykins

Jun 23, 2009 10:09AM

i agree with justcallmemarge.

those kids look cute, not like hustlers.

i personally don't find american apparel clothing sleazy on adults either though.

Dov and some of the ads, maybe.

and #23, what is wrong with showing the world your tits and ass?
if you got a nice set or even if you don't, why not?

you would think fashionistas wouldn't be so stunned by nudity.

posted by RashomonRebel

Jun 23, 2009 11:59AM

Don't get me wrong #28, there's nothing wrong with celebrating the human form. It's just I'd rather see nakedness from Albert Watson than someone's ex-boyfriend.

Moms, if you really want to enhance your child's imagination, why not make them clothes from your own hands, which will have more meaning and intrinsic value, than buying and supporting a company that is sexually-charged and full of sexual harassment lawsuits.

Really, it's not that hard to fasten 2 pieces of metallic fabric together
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETYqXeJYkN0

posted by southweststyle

Jun 23, 2009 12:15PM

I have an 8 month old, and my initial reaction was, "how cute!" even though I wouldn't wear them myself.

My baby girl wears leggings from Baby Gap and Children's Place all the time - leggings are super practical at this age, when pants don't always fit right. But I don't know if I could go in a store like AA and buy something for my daughter. Fashion doesn't exist in a vacuum.

However, I don't think these are as bad as putting a baby in a bikini.

posted by guest

Jun 23, 2009 2:00PM

I honestly believe that if these weren't made by American Apparel, a company so many of you seem to be offended by, no one would have a problem with them. Nothing about a child wearing sparkly/shiny leggings screams slutty. It's absurd that anyone would get so worked up over this.

posted by guest

Jun 23, 2009 2:38PM

first i liked thse. then i thought they were kind of sleazy and inappropriate.after reading many of the comments, though, I have to agree that a toddler/young child cannot look skanky. I think I may get my little sister the blue ones for her ocean-themed birthday party to put under a little dress.

posted by guest

Jun 23, 2009 5:00PM

we bought these for our 3.5 yr old daughter. . .she fell in love with them in the store. they are her favorite piece of clothing- shiny and bright pink. honestly it never crossed my mind that they were "skanky" or something a "streetwalker" would wear(by the way, are we really participating in further demeaning and disrespecting women by calling women who are prostitutes "streetwalkers?".

if we're going to complain about how our little girls' concepts of sexuality are shaped, we should start with the sexual images they are exposed to every day (especially those of us living in nyc), the over-sexualized characters in children's stories(i.e. jasmine, the little mermaid, barbie),how they perceive how you(their moms)appropriately sexually express yourself (i.e. in how you dress, what you watch, how you interact with and talk about men). and if we're going to complain about clothing, we could start with clothing for little girls that is considered "sexy" when worn by women- like bikinis. but i think there are much more important things than clothing that shape our daughters' sexuality- and i'm pretty sure metallic leggings aren't one of them.

posted by grammyweezy

Jun 23, 2009 5:03PM

okay, i have to say something further about american apparel. i object to people involved in american apparel being sexually harassed/assaulted by dov or anyone else, but i have absolutely no problem with the sexual nature of their brand image, and i can't believe that anyone who reads this site would either. how many fashion houses/magazines/advertisements are overtly and unabashedly sexual? just two recent examples on this site that come into mind are the pirelli calander and the serie noire editorial with eniko from french vogue. is it okay for french vogue and terry richardson to use sex (either exploitatively or as social commentary, depending on your opinion) but not not okay for american apparel?

posted by grammyweezy

Jun 23, 2009 5:05PM

sorry i know this is supposed to be about the children :)

posted by southweststyle

Jun 23, 2009 6:39PM

I get your point #34, but none of those places are selling children's clothes or are they?

posted by grammyweezy

Jun 23, 2009 6:53PM

sorry southweststyle, i should have clarified, i was just responding to people's comments about american apparel being sleazy/slutty. i sort of consider the children thing to be a silly argument, because as i stated above, i don't think it's possible for a 2 year old to be skanky.

posted by guest

Aug 13, 2009 9:05AM

okay i debated back n' forth then i checked out the site to see the different styles ...

1. gold shiny ones worn with a shirt look like a bad 80's music video for tiny tots

2. worn with a tutu, skirt, dress, ect that makes sense. it would allow the kid to run around in a skirt and have fun.

3. as above in the tutu, skirt, dress combo could make a cute addition to a themed outfit for a party or something

4. little kids should not wear bikinis

5. okay fine saying a kid can't look skanky is kind of right... i guess...

6. however there are pervs out there who may see a small one it that kind of "non skanky" outfit and get a thrill... does one really want to risk that??

7. as for my thoughts on the store AA itself never gave it much thought before now just a store that is too far out of the way to care about their styles or prices...