Kingsley for Older Kids

Sometimes when I'm scouting clothing lines for Juvie I feel like I'm in tween limbo. The choices for babies and little kids are vast and varied; the choices for juniors-and-up are likewise overwhelming. So why do most designers ignore the big kids?

I love the designers who recognize that older kids do, indeed, wear clothes on a daily basis. Companies like Erge, Jade, iT Jeans, Charlie Rocket, Wes & Willy, and Tractor make a store-owner squeal with delight for their consistently great offerings. Some women's lines are recognizing that younger girls might like their style too, which is why Splendid and Ella Moss started tween lines this year.

Now some of those hip toddler lines are getting into the act, too.

Kingsley, whose "pots and pans band" t-shirt graced Baby Shiloh on her first cover shoot, has upsized their great line of t's, pants and sweatshirts for (mostly) boys up to size 12. Hooray! We already have a few styles for summer, and they're rad stuff. Coming this fall, Mr. Mouth is a great skatepunk-style line designed by the lead singer of Smash Mouth that goes all the way up to men's sizes.

I can only hope that as these lines succeed, more and more designers will realize that not only do older kids have to wear clothes every day, they like them to be good-looking too!