Harper Beckham Is Not To Blame For Mothers Spending Too Much On Children’s Clothes

I love baby clothes. I love shopping for them. I love organizing them into adorable little outfits. I love telling people how cute their little ones look in baby clothes. I was pretty sure that this was a universal thing, my love of baby clothes. I thought that mothers before me have always loved babies and sweet miniature apparel. However, the Daily Mail would have us believe that our obsession with baby clothes is all because of one little girl: Harper Seven Beckham.

That’s right. Apparently this well-dressed little toddler, and maybe Suri Cruise before her, have turned moms into style fiends who are will to throw away perfectly good clothes and turn up their noses at hand-me-downs all so that their children can be more like celebrity kids. Just read the headline of this piece on baby clothes: “Average baby wardrobe has 56 outfits as parents try to emulate Harper Beckham.”

Well guess what Daily Mail? My daughter probably had more than 60 outfits in her early wardrobe and she was born before Harper was just a twinkle in Victoria Beckham‘s eye. Yes, maybe my daughter and I started the trend of extensive wardrobes for super cute little girls. Maybe we’re the reason “parents have refused to dress their children in clothes received as gifts because the item was ‘too unfashionable’.” Maybe it’s our fault that “one in eight children aged under one have more than 100 garments.”

Or maybe it’s just that mothers have always loved baby clothes because we enjoy dressing our children up like little dolls. Maybe there’s a combination of factors behind the reason that so many parents are buying larger wardrobes for their children. For one thing, dual income households often have more disposable income to spend on things like baby clothes. For another, cheap clothing is exceedingly available for all age groups. Don’t forget, parents are spending more money on their children in general, for everything from education or daycare to extra curricular activities. It makes sense that if we’re willing to spend more on their music lessons, we’re also willing to spend more on their clothes.

I’m sorry, but I have to call bullshit on this fake, Harper Seven inspired rush to outfit our children in the most fashionable little clothes. Moms have always wanted to do that. Sure, the styles of have changed. Today’s children’s clothes are more mature and modern than ever before. We don’t do much of the matching hair bow and frilly socks shtick. But the fundamental appeal of dressing your children up hasn’t changed.

I love shopping for my daughter. I love playing in her closet. Her clothes are cuter, cheaper, and she’s not worried about her “post-baby body.” Why wouldn’t I spend more time thinking about her style choices than my own?

Honestly, plenty of moms have loved itty bitty baby clothes long before the fourth Beckham child came along. We can blame lots of problems in this country on celebrity tabloid culture. The amount of money we spend on baby clothes is not one of those things. So let’s cut Harper, Suri, Shiloh and every other celeb tot a break on that front.

(Photo: C.Smith/ WENN.com)