I think she looks adorable and, since she's basically wearing jeans, a tee, flats and a coat, perfectly appropriate for a girl. She definitely looks ten times better than most girls here in the states and I blame some of that on the dreadful choices we have for girls that age here. I remember feeling such frustration when I wanted something non-cheesy for my daughter- sometimes it seemed like everyday was Easter in the girls section: pastels, cheap satiny fabrics, bedazzled everything. Who knows, maybe that's what accounts for the struggle we have here with style compared with French women's easy chic.

I think she looks age-appropriate, and would have no problems dressing my girls (9 and 7) like that. And often, they do dress like that -- striped shirt, jeans, ballet flats. They don't own trenches though I definitely like this way better than the trashy fashion that you find in malls these days for children.

Sinead, I regularly shop the sales racks at Gymboree, Hannah Andersen, TEA, sometimes GapKids, and there are virtually no pastels (maybe at Easter?), no cheap satiny fabrics and very little bedazzling. Today's girls have a WIDE selection of colors at their disposal in the US. Hope that helps your search!

For example:

http://www.gymboree.com/shop/d.....3554210462
* an almost all blue collection - no pink in sight

And so on. Gymbo certainly has SOME pink items, but it's very easy to avoid if you or your little girl are anti-pink, and that's just one store. HA and TEA are also great for non-pink lovers.

Sorry to go off-topic!

It's fascinating to compare the difference in children's styles between countries. The look at this French children's site is very different than the Gymboree site above:

http://www.bonpoint-boutique.com/fr/fille/

It's rare to see a North American child dressed in black and grey tones, but not that uncommon in France. And even very young girls wear scarves with their outfits. The sizes for these looks start at 3 years.

Gaylene - I think the difference between these two sites is fascinating, but I think it also has a lot to do with price point in this case. When you shop in the children's sections for similar priced items to the ones on the US site you get a style that's not so different, IMO. At least here in Germany.

I definitely prefer the more classic wardrobe items to all the cheap glitter and prints and I would want to dress my children tastefully, but the way this girl looks makes me uncomfortable. I think it's mostly the ballet flats (I agree with Julie, not good for growing feet) and the belted trench that looks like it's extremely fussy and done that way by mum who will adjust it for the right 'look' every time her daughter fidgets. The rolled hems don't bother me that much. I think you can dress your children with style and still let them be kids, it's possible.

But maybe I'm biased because I was one of the children that were never dressed up by their mum. She took care that I was dressed appropriately for occasion, weather and modesty and the rest I could decide myself. And I was a little tomboy, most of my friends were boys.

I guess I just have a problem with the idea of a child in an 'outfit' that is 'styled' in some way. That doesn't mean that you can't buy tasteful or stylish clothes for your children - they just have to be practical, age appropriate and enable your children to be just that, children.

I could see my 9 year old dressed like this. She wears skinnies, and doesn't own a trench, but she has very cleancut, neat looks and incidentally wears quite a bit of black and grey.

Maybe it's as simple as the children of celebrities receive a lot of attention from the parents regarding their clothing when they appear in public. It can't be easy for children to be photographed & scrutinized by strangers.

I want to shop at the boutique Gaylene posted...hope they have a very wide range of sizes.

The Bonpoint site that Gaylene posted--am I weird to say that I found most of those assembled outfits completely inspirational for what I'd like to achieve? As a fully-grown woman? There's so much energy, casual chic, polish, functionality and mix-and-match potential to these looks. I feel like I would learn a lot from studying them.

Eta: besides the design, combinations and sense of quality, I really like the colors and how they're lively but in a subtle way.