History of kids fashion (1960 to 2020)

As kids grow, it is not out of the ordinary for them to start becoming conscious of what they want to wear. As a parent, you want to help your little one express their personality as much as possible, and this typically involves being aware of the latest styles and trends in kids’ fashion.

Read on to discover how kids fashion has changed over the years, from 1960 to 2020.

Trends in the 60s

For boys in the early 60s, corduroy slacks and denim jeans were popular. These trousers would be paired with a matching blazer, sweater, or jean jacket. Girls on the other hand were all about collared dresses, pleated skirts, and bib-front dresses.

Earth tone plains and olive green shades were all the rage, especially for fall. In the late 60s, navy blues and pale yellows became the main focus for boys. Sports jackets and simple understated plaids also gained popularity as the go-to casual looks. Girls leaned towards bright pink and yellow shades, as well as tent dresses, puffy sleeves, and longbow collars.

Trends in the 70s

In the 70s, boys commonly wore three-piece sets that were modeled after the outfits that men were wearing at the time. Other separates that were popular during this era of fashion include sweater vests with funky patterns and colors as well as pullover sweaters that featured buttons or stripes. Flared pants were all the rage as well, and would often feature solid colors, colorful plaids, and stripes.

Girls would commonly wear pale pastels with prints and rich colors with unique patchwork pieces and other prints. Boldly colored coordinates that would be popularly seen included flared slacks with matching shirts and jackets as well as overalls paired with printed bibs.

Trends in the 80s

The 80s in fashion is known for its colorful and over-the-top aesthetic. Popular boys' clothing in the 80s included tapered pant, boldly patterned sweaters, collared shirts, plaid blazers, cuffed pan, dyed canvas pants, patterned jeans, and jacquard cardigans. Acid wash denim jeans were a must-have in every little boy's closet, and pants sets that featured popular TV characters, as well as Nike athletic coordinates, also couldn't be missed.

Girls preferred to wear fun patterned and brightly colored leggings, drop-waist dresses, oversized sweatshirts (often paired with acid wash denim jean skirts), and cuffed bottom pants.

Trends in the 90s

The most notable kids’ fashion fad in the 90s was fluorescent clothing. Popular shades for girls included bright mint, hot pink, coral, turquoise, orange, bright red, and yellow. Girls wore calf dresses paired with leggings, oversized t-shirt, slouch socks, crew-neck t-shirts, laced trimmed bike shorts, pantywaist tops paired with skirts or jeans, and leotards. It was also quite common to see mothers match outfits with their daughters.

Fashion trends that were popular with boys included jean jackets, soccer shorts, sweatpants, tartan shirts, cargo pants, colored jeans in purple, red, and bright mint green colors. In the mid-90s, both boys and girls preferred to wear simple clothes such as flannel shirts overalls, and grey knitted sweaters.

Trends in the 00s

2000s kids fashion was heavily influenced by earlier eras. Girls in the early noughties gravitated towards box-pleated skirts, halter tops, sequined pants, satin skirts, mid-rise jeans, chunky sweaters, hot pants, flare jeans, cargo pants, daisy dukes, hoodies, hip-hop inspired sweatpants, floral print summer dresses, and solid bright-colored tights.

Boys on the other hand could be seen in tracksuits, leather coats, puffy jackets, ripped jeans, light-colored polo shirts, khaki chinos, corduroy pants, cargo pants, trucker hats, and tartan lumberjack-style shirts.

As the era came to a close, girls began to wear boho-chic dresses, tank tops, boot-cut jeans, denim miniskirts, and cropped jackets. There was also a brief revival of items worn in the late 1980s, with sundresses, pale denim jeggings, acid wash skinny jeans, neon leg warmers, and geometric pattern tops all coming back into fashion.

Boys in the late 2000s wore slim and straight leg jeans, knitted V-neck sweaters, windbreakers, Hawaiian shirts, ski jackets, and roll sleeve flannel shirts paired with white T-shirts.

Trends in the 10s

The 2010s saw the dominance of Athleisure, hipster fashion, and a revival of alternative fashions. Subdued colors such as mustard yellow, olive green burgundy, blush pink, and mauve saw a surge in popularity.

Popular trends for girls included T-shirt dresses, baby doll dresses, oversized coats, loose Capri pants, puffer jackets, yoga pants, leggings, cardigan sweaters, baggy pants, denim jackets, multi-colored tie-dye skirts, floral maxi dresses, white peplum dresses, and dusky pink midi-dresses.

Boys on the other hand favored graphic print hoodies, shirts that featur3 Mayan and Aztec patterns, flannel shirts, sweatpants, tracksuits, camouflage jackets, baggy cargo pants, brightly colored hoodies, bomber jackets, slim-fitting jogger pants, denim jackets, drop-crotch pants, grunge style tartan over shirts, and shawl collar cardigans.

Trends in 2020

This era has seen a lot of vibrant popup colors such as yellow and bright red, with past favorites such as pastel and earth tones taking a back seat. Prints, tie-dye, and stripes have also made a comeback in a big way, with both boys and girls rocking these designs.

Tencel has been the “it” fabric of 2020 thanks to its silky smooth feel and wrinkle resistance. The eco and sustainability approach that a lot of brands have adopted has also helped to boost this natural fabric’s profile. Toweling fabric has also been considerably popular, especially due to the sport-chic craze that is still going strong.

Find trendy outfits for your little one on Moonbun Baby

On Moonbun, you will find a wide variety of fashionable pieces to choose from whether you have a newborn or a preschooler. 

Final thoughts

The history of kids’ fashion is long and colorful. Certain looks or outfits have come to define a specific period – plaids are associated with the 1960s, just as scrunchies were part of the signature look in the 1980s.

You can recognize some elements of fashion trends from the past in the clothes that kids wear today, so don’t be afraid to experiment – as long as your kid is comfortable and happy to try out some past favorites.