What are the main trends impacting on the childrenswear market?

By Helen Mitchell, Group Head of Client Services, Istoria Group

First published in CWB (Childrenswear Buyer) Magazine, Dec 2019/Jan 2020

Childrenswear Market Trends

From the macro to the micro and from social and economic factors to new fashion tastes and innovations, here are six trends you need to be aware of right now:

Just who is the Modern Family?

The modern family is changing, meaning customers purchasing childrenswear are changing too. Brands need to adapt to this radical shift by addressing new audiences, including same sex and non-binary parents, as well elective co-parents, when non-romantic partners team up to have children. The Stork agency launched in the UK in 2016 to cater exactly for this growing matchmaking demand. Meanwhile, the trend towards multigenerational and shared households also gathers pace. In the UK, by 2025, it’s estimated that 2.2 million people will be living in multi-gen households – an increase of 47% from 2015 (Aviva, 2016). Made up of siblings, friends, aunts and uncles, cousins, godchildren and tenants, this new kind of shared household is rarely catered for by brands, services and retailers. Grandparents are also playing an increasingly major role in child-rearing and children’s book-publishers have been quick to reflect this. This autumn saw the release Paul McCartney’s ‘Hey Grandude’, for example, aimed at a market of ever-groovier grandparents. In my own household, to save on complex transportation, many items are duplicated across two homes, from cots and high-chairs to car seats and clothing. Grandparents need simple, non-bulky, storable items and easy-change clothes. Where are the grandparent-bundles to cater to this market?

Widening Inclusivity Definitions

I’m often struck by the sea of femininity that greets me in childrenswear retail, from colour to imagery across merchandising and packaging. There’s still very little signposting for men. Being inclusive isn’t just about gender of course. Parents come from a wide variety of different nations and religions, though many stores still push Easter and Christmas as the only celebrations that count. Last year, for the first time, London shopping centre Westfield London celebrated the end of Ramadan (Eid-al-Fitr), with a dedicated shopping festival, whilst in 2017 John Lewis hosted a Manchester pop-up store operated by Muslim women offering calligraphy services to celebrate Ramadam. Let’s not forget secular demographics and celebrations too such as Friendsgiving, Pride or Singles’ Day. Another sector the mainstream is also waking up to is children with disabilities. Marks & Spencer’s new Easy Dressing range caters to children with sensory and physical disabilities via soft fabrics and flat-lock seams, popper and Velcro fastenings, plus pockets and extra fabric to accommodate casts and feeding tubes. The collection is affordable and matches designs from the main kidswear collection. America shopping and lifestyle platform Wolf + Friends features curated web links of retailers offering need-appropriate, aesthetically-appealing products suitable for autistic and other special-needs children - a welcome antidote to dour therapy websites. Mike Adams, chief executive of UK company Purple, who work to “unleash the purple pound”, argues that disabled customers need overdue recognition on retailers’ agendas.

Getting in on the Rental Market

The rental market phenomenon is set to grow exponentially. ThredUp estimates that sales of second-hand goods will double in the next five years, yet most established consumer businesses still underestimate the lucrative opportunities this represents, perceiving the trend more as a threat. A targeted approach is key. Why not create spaces and opportunities to swap and resell old products, engendering engagement from millennial thrifting fans, as well as potentially stealing the lead from more generalist sites and swishing events? Rare or short-use items, such as nursery hardware and layettes, special occasion-wear, bulky cold-weather and destination-wear are prime targets. Mamas & Papas includes in-store Community Walls advising on product aftercare, reuse and recycling and also sells reconditioned products on its website. Pushchairs come in New, Loved or Well-Loved grades, with a manufacturing guarantee of up to two years, whilst unwanted prams can be traded in for vouchers. Subscription services are another rental phenomenon. Danish brand Vigga allows new parents the convenience of changing clothing as their child grows. A bag of unisex organic cotton clothing is exchanged for the next size up at regular intervals, with the brand handling all deliveries and returns.

Re-thinking Sustainability

Many aspects of fashion now come under the sustainability umbrella, from fabric provenance and worker conditions to re-cycling and long-term product futures. Consumers really care – and retailers need to reflect that! The ‘right to repair’ is a step in the right direction – and it’s monetisable. British mid-market fashion brand Toast, for example, hosted sell-out Sashiko Repair workshops, where customers are taught the Japanese art of sashiko stitch - a mending method bringing a new lease of life to cherished garments. Australia and New Zealand are currently pack-leaders when it comes to sustainable baby clothing brands, serving their more eco-conscious consumer base through smartly-sourced fabrications and ethical codes. Auckland's Nature Baby specialises in neutral-toned organic babywear, using GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified cotton or organic merino wool, whilst in-house blog reads like a sustainability guidebook. Smart new maternitywear brands are creating products for both pre- and post-pregnancy, in the face of falling dedicated maternitywear sales. Genuine recycling remains a logistical challenge meanwhile, but innovations are coming. Belgian start-up Resortecs has developed Smart Stitch, an industrial sewing thread that dissolves at 266°C, causing zips and buttons to detach and seams to dissolve, rendering fabrics ready for reuse. Outdated cleaning habits are another focus area, particularly when it comes to over-washing. Accessible guides and collaborations with washing machine manufacturers can help reduce waste while boosting brand authority.

The Luxe Fix

A world away from thrifting, the boom in luxury childrenswear continues. The industry is generally buoyant and is set to grow at a CAGR of 6% by 2021 (Euromonitor, 2017), with the Asia Pacific market forecast to reach €65.1bn by 2020 (BoF, 2016). There’s an even more exponential growth trajectory predicted for luxury apparel. From mini-me streetwear looks to destination-wear, it’s all about kids reflecting parents’ visual preferences and lifestyle aspirations - a real shift away from the former practical focus. The huge power that influencers have over millennial purchasing patterns also extends to kidswear,  with everyone from royal offspring to the mini-Beckhams, Carters and West-Karshadians becoming global fashion icons. Other key trends in this market right now include maximalist styling – clashing colour, print and pattern, offbeat retro mixes and random thematic references – and the tiny traditionalists, including brands such as Paris-based Bonpoint, London-based Caramel, and Baby Dior. Luxury vacation-wear is also booming, from swim and beach lifestyle to ski-ready outerwear, which is also being worn in urban environments as a lifestyle statement. Instagram is key here. How could it impact your business? Whilst scaled-down streetwear looks are all the rage, you still need to adhere to the rules of engagement: regular product drops, hard-to-get limited editions and open-source collaborations.

Meet Generation Alpha!

Not anxious like Gen X or cosseted like millennials, today's children are dynamic, creative and inclusive. They're rejecting problematic playthings, narratives and clothing in favour of a more diverse and inclusive future. If Gen Z (aged nine to 23) were the first true digital natives, Gen Alpha are the first AI natives, with AI becoming more deeply integrated into toys, for example, like US robotics start-up Anki's emotive bot Cozmo – the bestselling toy on Amazon US in 2016 and 2017 (One Click Retail, 2018). Lego, meanwhile, is bringing coding into the nursery with Coding Express, a train set aimed at 3-4 year-olds. Gender neutrality is a key focus area for clothing. In the US, 20% of parents with under-12s children support gender-neutral clothing for kids, rising to 24% among parents under 30, and 25% for urban parents (Mintel, 2017). ‘Not Just a Princess’ was launched after the founder became dissatisfied with the gender roles being presented to her daughter, launching a line of T-shirts that do away with the 'princess' persona and replacing it with careers such as a doctor, pilot or soldier, whilst UK blogger Erica Davies launched her #BetterBoysWear hashtag after becoming frustrated with the uninspiring range of clothing on offer for her son. Hundreds of parents shared their complaints about the choice of boring or franchise-branded clothing for boys via her Insta-campaign, highlighting a gap in the market.

Thank you for reading.

Here’s some of our work with baby and children brand, Elvie.

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