It's been turbulent times for children's jewellery, as the lead and cadmium scares in cheaper pieces continue to produce recalls and put a halt on consumer spending across the board. That said, the strong showing of Grunge for the 2010 Winter collection was quite strong and children's fashion is in no way in jeopardy.
For the new year, it's a case of kids will be kids as strong colours once again grab the hearts and minds of youngsters and it could be neon or strong beach & ocean colours for the clothes of kids in the summer. Dolce & Gabana showed the style of the clothes at their Spring/Summer show and they should find a willing audience with the kids.
For jewellery, the metal scandal has understandably affected the sale of cheaper items and metal accessories but this itself is a double-edged effect as it means there has been a boost for non-metal accessories which offer more versatility than their metal counterparts. Pearls and designs including kid-favourites such as animals and cartoon characters have been doing their usual rounds as have the summer colours such as yellow and pink.
Perhaps riding on the wave of the current global topic of environment preservation, the trend now seems to be veering more toward using naturally-occurring materials such as wood and wool to fashion accessories for children, particularly since the fall-out of the consumer with metals. Teaching kids to make their own accessories out of such materials seems to be catching on, and can only help the trade in the future as fashion-minded youngsters grow older and more savvy.
Perhaps because of the metal scares, silver is making a strong showing throughout as the key metal for children's accessories as it shows the same femininity that is going strong in adult fashion for 2011 while also being viewed as 'safer' than the cheaper alternatives. Items from beads to charms are being bought en-masse in silver, with bracelets carrying beads of the summer colours that kids love so much.
The future, though, may well lie with fabrics and other natural materials because of the environmental consciousness being developed in young children today. Growing bigger are slender rope for charm necklaces in various colours as well as fabric beads in light colours for summer and spring.
For the boys, fashion seems to be veering toward denim or the Bieber-look, with hats and scarves being seen in the 2011 collections of many top-class designers such as Gucci. On the jewellery front, boys have always been a hard market to break into (no demand means no supply, after all) but accessories have been going strong with watches and its bright neon in green and blue for the win, colours of the sea. Hats have also had a strong showing, though when the summer heat (eventually) hits it won't be surprising if these items find themselves ditched unceremoniously to the ground.
It's tricky terrain for the kids fashion trade at the moment, but business has yet to grind to a halt for the industry. Far from it, in fact, as natural materials and precious metals pick up the slack that the cheap metals have created with their banning from children's jewellery materials. String and fabrics for jewellery, silver and gold for those who can afford, and neon colours to melt the eyes as the heat melts everything else during the summer.
For the new year, it's a case of kids will be kids as strong colours once again grab the hearts and minds of youngsters and it could be neon or strong beach & ocean colours for the clothes of kids in the summer. Dolce & Gabana showed the style of the clothes at their Spring/Summer show and they should find a willing audience with the kids.
For jewellery, the metal scandal has understandably affected the sale of cheaper items and metal accessories but this itself is a double-edged effect as it means there has been a boost for non-metal accessories which offer more versatility than their metal counterparts. Pearls and designs including kid-favourites such as animals and cartoon characters have been doing their usual rounds as have the summer colours such as yellow and pink.
Perhaps riding on the wave of the current global topic of environment preservation, the trend now seems to be veering more toward using naturally-occurring materials such as wood and wool to fashion accessories for children, particularly since the fall-out of the consumer with metals. Teaching kids to make their own accessories out of such materials seems to be catching on, and can only help the trade in the future as fashion-minded youngsters grow older and more savvy.
Perhaps because of the metal scares, silver is making a strong showing throughout as the key metal for children's accessories as it shows the same femininity that is going strong in adult fashion for 2011 while also being viewed as 'safer' than the cheaper alternatives. Items from beads to charms are being bought en-masse in silver, with bracelets carrying beads of the summer colours that kids love so much.
The future, though, may well lie with fabrics and other natural materials because of the environmental consciousness being developed in young children today. Growing bigger are slender rope for charm necklaces in various colours as well as fabric beads in light colours for summer and spring.
For the boys, fashion seems to be veering toward denim or the Bieber-look, with hats and scarves being seen in the 2011 collections of many top-class designers such as Gucci. On the jewellery front, boys have always been a hard market to break into (no demand means no supply, after all) but accessories have been going strong with watches and its bright neon in green and blue for the win, colours of the sea. Hats have also had a strong showing, though when the summer heat (eventually) hits it won't be surprising if these items find themselves ditched unceremoniously to the ground.
It's tricky terrain for the kids fashion trade at the moment, but business has yet to grind to a halt for the industry. Far from it, in fact, as natural materials and precious metals pick up the slack that the cheap metals have created with their banning from children's jewellery materials. String and fabrics for jewellery, silver and gold for those who can afford, and neon colours to melt the eyes as the heat melts everything else during the summer.
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