SHOPPING FOR CHILDREN isn't as simple as it used to be, and today's fashion-conscious mothers are spending more than ever on clothes. Children's clothes have become status symbols, turning playgrounds into fashion battlegrounds. This hasn't gone unnoticed by luxury brands such as Gucci, Burberry, Prada and D&G, which have released a range of children's merchandise in recent years.
'I give everything to my kids to make them happy,' says Alice Chiu Ka-yuk, a mother of two, who dresses her children only in designer brands. 'Everything I wasn't allowed to have, I'll buy for them.'
New parents are often the most susceptible, and satisfy their need to indulge by buying luxury items for their newborns. Brand names make some parents feel more confident. They love seeing their children decked out in miniature versions of their own clothing.
But is it appropriate?
'Kids don't care about what they wear,' says a woman who works at a high-end children's clothing store in Central and asked not to be named. 'Buying expensive clothing isn't about the kids - it's for their parents. It's about showing off. Kids become another vehicle to display one's wealth.'
Image might be important to some parents, but what about the quality of the clothing? 'I opened my first boutique 14 years ago, when I noticed there were only a few high-quality fashion stores in Hong Kong,' says Fanny Lam Man-yee, a mother of four and founder of chain stores Barocco, Baby Dior and I Pinco Pallino. 'There are an increasing number of people looking for non-logo pieces and focusing on quality.
Lam says the stores also attract 'VIP costumers who want to dress their kids completely in designer looks. These are loyal customers who buy every item from a single brand, including stockings.'
