Kids' clothes so stylish, I wish they came in adult size

kids clothes
(Image credit: Gety)

Kids' clothes have come a long way since my childhood days (which not so fortunately happened to land during half the 80s), where the two only options seemed to be unbearably twee or shapeless polyester, or both combined.

Nowadays, as I've gleefully discovered since becoming a mum myself, baby and children's clothes are a whole new level of stylish. The kind of stylish I wish came in adult size so I can dress like my daughter (in a non cheesy way obviously).

There are plenty different styles to choose from now. If you love the way the royal children dress (here's where Prince George and Princess Charlotte's clothes), then you'll love the traditional dresses and rompers featuring woven motifs and Peter Pan collars by the likes of Rachel Riley, Jacadi, Pepa & Co and Amaia Kids.

There's nothing wrong with a little bit of twee, and Boden, Jojo Maman and Mamas & Papas get that balance right for me. I just love their knitwear and party clothes at the moment.

No matter the age group or gender you're shopping for, there are so many trend-led styles for AW23, whether on the high street or by designers.

Specifically, I am loving chic neutral separates (read: quiet luxury), shearling jackets, knitted dungarees (read: apres ski) and logo sweatshirts (read: athleisure).

There's something to suit all budgets as well. Designers such as Khaite, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry and Dior all offer highly covetable styles that look straight off the runway, from party dresses to loungewear.

As for the high-street, you're simply spoiled for choice. The likes of Zara Kids, H&M, Mango and Arket all have a huge offering so you can build a complete wardrobe for your baby, toddler or kid, from outerwear to sleepwear, swimwear to essentials such as babygrows and underwear.

Shop my edit of the best kids' clothes below.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.