With winter fast approaching, I have started plotting a few key purchases for the season: a nubby Chanel-inspired cardigan and a thick houndstooth shift dress with slightly cropped sleeves. I’ve already bought my everyday coat – a rugged navy-blue parka with faux-fur detailing on the hood.
I found them all in the children’s departments of stores such as Zara and J Crew, in sizes intended for teenage girls around the age of 14.
I’m neither emaciated nor especially eccentric. Many children’s brands offer clothes cut amply enough to fit some adults, especially ones like me: shorter than average, with a bit of a paunch and what could accurately be described as child-bearing hips. Brands such as Crewcuts, J Crew’s children’s line, include pieces that go up to a kids’ age 16, the approximate equivalent of a UK adult size 8. Several items, particularly tops, jackets and A-line dresses, fit grown-up women – both in size and sensibility. “We see the line between adults’ and children’s sizing as very grey,” says Alex Theophanous, co-founder of Alex and Alexa, a British website that specialises in designer children’s clothing, stocking brands including Kenzo and Hugo Boss for ages up to 16 years. “A big percentage of our older size range is not only for children but for adults.”