An Open Letter to Toddler Clothing Manufacturers

Dear Sirs:

(I say sirs because honestly, it's clear that you are neither women nor mothers - were you either of these things, the following letter would not be necessary.)

Is it so much to ask that you hold some sort of Baby/Toddler clothing manufacturer summit and decide on a single sizing standard? It is nothing short of insanely frustrating to arrive home with six outfits that, given the casual nature of your life and the size/age of your toddler, should last him throughout the summer, only to wash them and dress him in the first to realize that not only will they not last the summer, it's unlikely they'll make it through May.

The kiddo is coming up on 16 months old. He is in the 9th percentile for both height and weight - a size our doctor kindly terms "petite" (this is opposed to the "shrimpy" that I'm sure will come at some point from his schoolmates should he not have some sort of growth spurt before school age hits.) My point is that, given these circumstances, clothing labeled "18 months" should by all accounts be large on him today and last him well through the summer. Instead, this clothing is clearly designed to fit a 12 month old since if he did not wear diapers, he would have the mother of all wedgies.

Now, I understand that children grow at different rates (a concept that clearly eludes you) and so the age-based sizing is, perhaps, not the best choice. Instead, why not simply label things according to a height and weight range that the garment is intended to fit? And, if you are a single manufacturer who labels clothes under many other names, perhaps aim for some sort of consistency in your sizing. I find it laughable that I have jumpers from Carters and also from Just One Year and Child Of Mine (both of which are made by Carters) that are all the same size when you hold the garments next to each other but that each bear a different age-based label that ranges from 9 to 18 months.

Nearly every mother (or father, should he be the one taking the child to the doctor) knows the average height and weight of their child. A label that simply used those ranges would eliminate all the confusion and make me considerably less likely to try to avoid purchasing clothes of this brand again.

Of course, you would lose some sales since people wouldn't buy a seasonal wardrobe that they expect to fit only to find that you'd snookered them and they actually bought clothes that are one size too small. But all things considered the, "Ha ha, you moron" marketing plan doesn't seem like the best way to go.

Sincerely,
A mother who just thinks it's wrong that her 16 month old little boy's 18 month shorts are Daisy Dukes.