A Guide To Children's Jeans

They’re hardwearing, trendy and loved by all ages, but if you’re keen to kit your children out in jeans, how do you ensure you get the perfect fit?

Denim is one of the world’s favourite fabrics, not least because it’s so hardwearing and long-lasting. The fabric has a long history and has been widely used since the late 18th century.

Denim originally got its name due to the place where it was first made. It was first created in the city of Nimes in Southern France, between Avignon and Montpelier.

The ‘de’ part that forms the start of its name means ‘from’, so the name denim means ‘from Nimes.’ When it was first produced, it was a form of serge, but the cloth has since evolved into a type of cotton twill.

Children’s jeans are widely available in clothing shops today and there are products available for all ages – you can even find teeny, tiny jeans aimed at young babies. As with purchasing any form of children’s clothes, the important thing when buying jeans is to make sure they’re the right size and will fit correctly. You certainly don’t want your kids to feel uncomfortable in the clothes they wear.

Children’s Jean Sizes

As is the case with other forms of children’s clothes, most children’s jeans are sold and marketed according to children’s ages. For example, a typical children’s clothing size guide is as follows:

• Up to 1 year
• 1 to 1½ years
• 1 ½ to 2 years
• 2 to 3 years
• 3 to 4 years
• 4 to 5 years
• 5 to 6 years
• 7 to 8 years
• 9 to 10 years
• 11 to 12 years
• 13 to 14 years

Although this type of sizing guide is useful to use as a baseline for choosing children’s clothes, it’s not always 100% accurate. This is because children invariably grow at different rates, so what fits one five year old perfectly, may be too big or too small for another.

The best way of ensuring that you buy children’s jeans that will actually fit your child comfortably – and that they’ll feel good wearing – is to take your child’s essential measurements. The labels on clothes often include the measurements, or if they don’t, you’ll find them on the manufacturers sizing guide.

Taking Your Child’s Jean Measurements

In order to determine what size jeans your child needs, you’ll need to take their measurements. Arm yourself with a tape measure, get your child to cooperate and stay still, and make note of the following:

• Waist size – measure your child around their natural waistline.
• Hip size – measure your child at the fullest part around their bottom.
• Height – measure your child from the top of their head to the ground. A more accurate measurement is gained if they have no shoes on and have their feet flat on the floor together.

The waist and hip size measurements are the most important for helping you choose the right size and fit of jeans. But in older children in particular, knowing their height is useful too, as jeans come in various different lengths. Once you’ve got the measurements noted down, keep a record of them and don’t forget to re-measure your child when they grow.

When you’re choosing jeans, bear in mind that not all manufacturers will use the same measurements on their products. So a waist that fits your child well on one pair of jeans may fit differently on another make. In order to get over this problem, always double-check the measurements on their clothing charts or labels, or ask shop assistants for help and advice.