JD Institute of Fashion Technology
Fashion Design For Kids Apparel

Kids’ clothing is always fashionable and attracts everybody. Besides being so, they ought to give security so that kids are not harmed from the impacts of nature. Kids apparel also needs to be soft and comfortable so that the child is not irritated. Durability and comfort also provide psychological satisfaction to the kids. A lot of artistic experiment goes on the garments for kids. However, all of them do not meet the standards. Many clothing companies design clothes that look good but can not satiate the needs of the customers. A lot of focus should be given to the manufacturing of fashionable outfits for kids. 

Basic requirements of kids clothing

The kids’ apparel must be:

• Fluffy, loose, and cozy, so that it is easy to make them wear it and open it
• Non-flammable, non-irritating, and light in weight
• Made from organic fiber, which is safe and does not cause any harm

Types of Kids Apparel

The garments for children have various categories into which it can be divided. They are: 

• Casuals: Casuals are informal dresses like t-shirts and knitted fabrics. They can be worn at the house and on any ordinary occasion. They are generally loose, easy to wear, and printed or painted. 
• Daywear: Day wears are two-piece clothing that is mostly made from cotton. They are solely designed to be worn at home during day time. They may also be called summer wear due to their lightweight. Providing comfort is the only sole purpose of this apparel.
• Nightwear: Kids change their garments many times in the day. At night the loose clothing that they wear is called nightwear. Unlike daywear, they are comfortable as well as simple. 
• Party Wear: Part wears are gaudy and designer dresses that a kid wears. They can be ethnic at times. These apparels have a glossy look and designs. Even experimental cuts and shapes are also seen in this dress. They are clothing that makes the child look good as he/she goes out.
• Sportswear: Sportswear should also be loose so that there is freedom of movement. They are knitted and have elastic that makes the child play easily. 

Specific factors must be maintained while designing clothes for kids. They are listed and discussed under the following pointers.

Posture

A garment for the kid becomes acceptable when it fits properly. The shape and size of the clothing make the kid comfortable. Be it the spinal contour or the frontal contour, the posture of kids always remains irregular. 

Many research has also opined that a child’s posture has an immediate effect on his/her body shape. Thus, it would be best if you used a three-dimensional parametric for manufacturing kids’ apparel. This ensures universality and maintains the standard. 

Design 

The design attracts kids much more to any clothing. While you produce kids clothing, make sure to: 

• Select a structure: Make sure that the dress fits appropriately. You can try out casual cuts and experiment with them.
• Keep the design simple yet impressive: Too gaudy dresses do not look good on kids. Use small embroidery, stitches, prints, patchwork, and appliques.
• Cozy fitting: Everyone, especially kids, prefer comfort over other things. If the clothing is not comfy, they won’t like it. Make some designs and cuts that would ensure comfort. Kids do not prefer too tight-fitting clothes.

It would be best if you also kept in mind that people do not spend much on kids’ clothes. As the kid would grow, the dress would be of no use. So design apparels that are pocket friendly. 

Fabric

Using the proper fabric is the essential thing in designing garments for kids. While you make dresses see that you use delicate items that won’t irritate. Many materials cause itches and rashes. 

It would help if you avoided certain fabrics that create a problem. You may use certain glossy cloth for designing. However, make sure you use comfortable items for the base.

The materials that you can use for manufacturing the garments for kids are: 

• Organic cotton: Cotton, which is grown without any chemicals. The most common and ideal material for kids’ clothing. 
• Organic Wool: Wool that is used conventionally is not suitable for a kid as it is polluted and dyed. Thus, organic wool should be a perfect choice. 
• Linen: Linens are much better than cotton as it does not use pesticides to be grown. It can be blended with cotton also. 
• Coir: Coir has excellent moisture absorption quality that makes it demandable.
• Viscose fiber: The fiber is not only soft but comfortable also. It has a silky touch. 
• Bamboo fiber: Bamboo fiber is an antibiotic fiber. It can be quickly dyed and weaved. The elastic stability makes it comfortable.

Finishings

The finishing of the clothing improves the quality of the apparel. There are various types of finishes that kids’ clothing may have. They are: 

• Antibacterial static finish: The treatment makes the fabric resistant to the growth of bacteria. 
• Antistatic finish: This finish is obtained from a chemical treatment that makes the material attract water particles so that the fabric repels electric charge. This is done mostly to the synthetic fibers as they are hydrophobic. 
• Antimicrobial finish: This treatment prevents the growth of algae, bacteria, yeast on garments. Antimicrobial finishes are mostly done on sportswear. 
• Crease retentive finish: This is a heat treatment done to fabrics to get a permanent crease. The treatment is reserved for all garments that need pleat, especially skirts. 
• Moth resistant finish: This treatment is applied over wools as they are exposed to moths largely. 
• Anti-stretch or anti-shrink finish: Many fabrics shrink and stretch very fast. This treatment makes the material resistant to shrinkage and dimensionally lasting. 

Conclusion 

Experiments with kids’ apparel is a never-ending process. Yet, it must ensure that the product you get is safe and comfortable for kids. Though clothing for every age requires safety and coziness, the kids need it more. There are many kids clothing stores that keep all this in mind. While manufacturing fashionable kids’ apparel, you must take extra care to make it simple. It would help if you also took care of the stitches and trims such that they don’t hurt the child.