Help! Where is all the good “Tween” girl clothing?

I have a 9 year old, who looks a little like a 12 year old. It’s quite something really, the hair brushing of a morning is becoming quite tricky with her being almost as tall as me, not to mention the increase in tears at the drop of a hat, the big feet, the constant growing pains. Man, it’s hard to be a kid sometimes. Especially an almost 10 year old girl. She is almost in size 8 ladies shoes and most of the time I find myself shopping for her in the women’s sections wearing a size 8, but it would seem, that I have a “tween” well and truly on my hands.

As much as I would like her to dress like this, it’s not going to roll.

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And I recently had a request from another reader with a daughter in this age gap that is struggling to find clothes that are decent. It’s the tricky out of the kids stuff, but not quite an adult (even though she’s as big as one). So help is needed!

WHERE ARE ALL THE GOOD TWEEN CLOTHES?

I find the Seed teenage stuff a little meh (I’m not sure why everything is cropped?). The Witchery stuff can be a little better and I recently discovered Boden which has some good stuff for girls on there too but I’m yet to actually buy some and test it out.

So I thought I’d ask you guys, cause you will know…where are the best places to get clothes that are not pink or mostly black and a bit ugly for tween girls (that 9-14 year old)?

Help!

I am going to add in links to all the suggestions that are coming through on Facebook so we have them on this post. Thanks for everyone’s suggestions!

One Sunday 
Joe Tween
Next Direct
Cotton On Kids
Country Road (to size 12)
Scotch & Soda
Pavement
Just Jeans Kids
Target
H&M (kids 8-14)
Joules (UK)
Marks & Spencer (Australian website)
Pumpkin Patch Urban Angel
Gymboree (to size 12)
J Crew (ship to Australia for $7)
Zara Australia (couldn’t get a link for this though apologies)

Comments

  1. Hi Beth, I have boys and they like to look very ‘street’. I like the mix of clothing available at Pavement Clothing. Try here https://www.pavementbrands.com/girls

  2. Just Jeans teen kids , Zara kids, supre do super small sizes but bit crop topish but sometimes ok. Target goes to size16. Gap. Cotton on. I quite like Seed teen . Good luck , they get a mind of their own and wont like anything you do.

  3. Lorelle Coates says

    Hi Beth,
    Country Road always has nice pieces and try Next online.
    Good luck! I’m still dressing 3 five years and under, not looking forward to “tween” shopping.
    Lorelle

  4. Mellymoo says

    Hi Beth, I have the same problem with my 9 year old. Just Jeans have a nice kids range, as do Cotton On Free.

  5. Following along as finding it difficult to find nice clothes my daughter likes, FUSSY, 8 going on 12!

  6. Oh Beth! I hear ya!!
    My daughter is 9, and I’m having the same trouble!!
    Lately I’ve been getting some good pants/jeans from target – as well as basics (long sleeve tees etc) and sometimes Myer have a few brands that are good quality – not too old for her. I’d have a look on their website and see what’s there. Also, I know it’s cheap as chips, but I found Kmart sometimes have the odd great find. At the moment – my LJ is wearing a denim jacket with a grey fleece hood we found at Kmart. It doesn’t help that they get very particular about clothes at around this age!
    Good luck!

  7. Jessica Brown says

    Hi Beth, my 11 year old whom is tall and slim (she’s a swimmer and has abs, thighs and a bottom we can only dream of) is too big for CR 12’s, just fits in Witchery 14’s. We find Pavement is great in summer but meh in winter, Bardot do some nice pants in winter, but is too brief in summer. I go to this website in Canada and do a big shop (10 pieces) when they are on sale. I get some great international brands in good sizes from here, http://www.moncouturier.com/, I pay about $40 in shipping but figure I save that not driving around and fighting with her at the local mall. Shoes are hard too, we get a cool pair of converse from our local DFO, some ballet flats from Witchery Ladies and our boots come from here on sale http://www.ogamigam.com/ kids width but ladies sizes (she is wearing a 9/40 now). Good luck.

  8. Pavement is really good my 10 and 13yesr old like it !

  9. My boys pretty much just wear surf brands, now, it abbé pricy but it’s usually pretty good quality. Roxy has some nice girls stuff. Surfstich is probably the best online.

  10. I love Boden for my 6 year old who needs to wear a size 8! I find that is good quality and young and fun not black and kindof sexy

    • I have the same issue! 5 yrs and wearing size 8. All of a sudden she looks like a tween but she’s still a little girl 🙁

  11. Cotton on have a tween/teen brand called free that might fill the gap?
    I have a 5 year old boy who still wears a size 3, so haven’t tried any of it but it always looks like a good balance in the emails they keep sending me

  12. J Crew ships to Australia for only $7. The quality is fantastic and as they are different season to us you can get great deals. Resale on eBay is good too.

  13. Bardot Junior. Quickest service on line delivery. I have a 13 year old daughter who loves most of it.

  14. Miss Leona at Myer always have lovely tween clothes along with brands mentioned above. My 14 year old started wearing princess highway from Dangerfield when she was 13, some really lovely innocent clothing lines there for future reference.

  15. My 8 year old daughter had a ball choosing clothes at H & M, maybe try there. She has 2 older teenage sisters, so she a bit of a fashionista haha!!

  16. Michelle Collins says

    Nothing’s changed, mine are now 14 and 16 and it was the same when we were in that age bracket. Go with Boden, great quality and the girls mostly loved it. Abercrombie & Fitch have great hoodies and their small ladies is quite small. Worth paying a little extra for good quality and something you don’t see all the time.

  17. I’m totally in love with web-window-shopping at Birdsnest and The Iconic.
    Perhaps they might be worth a look?

    That being said… I have 3 boys, so can’t be of much help in the ‘girl’ department ; )

  18. Pavement, H&M and Nextdirect are the pick I reckon.

  19. I have a 12 year old daughter, tall but lean so a lot of the smallest size adult clothes don’t fit. I have found Gap is great. There is a store in Melbourne Central but I’m not sure if there are stores elsewhere. Agree Pavement and Zara kids (for shoes). Pumpkin Patch have some great kids clothes in larger sizes, but I don’t really like their Urban Angel line.

  20. Hi Beth we have the same problem with our very tall 8 year old Scarlett. I still want her to look like a little girl & some of the tween clothing is hideous- leopard, cropped, backless- no thanks! We have found some good pieces at Zara Kids and cotton on kids. Pumpkin patch sometimes too. Good luck there is definitely a market for 7-14 year olds who want to look cute not tarty – they are still young girls for heavens sake! xxxx

  21. Hi, it all comes down to the child really, I have two girls and their styles are worlds apart. One very girly (age 12), one tomboyish (age 11). I find at this age sizing is hit and miss and I go between child sizing and adult. To name a few:
    NEXT Direct,
    Cotton On Teen,
    Jay Jays for joggers and jackets,
    Sportsgirl (t’shirts),
    Myer (joggers & dresses),
    GAP for jeans,
    Pavement is hit and miss
    Surfstitch
    Factorie is a fave for the 12 year old.

  22. Oh me too me too. But a boy. Hairspray and product every morning ! Cotton On Free. It’s the best. Online and in bigger cotton on kids stores.

  23. Asos do great mid and high waisted jeans/pants with the right amount of stretch. It’s a great place for basics and lovely dresses. Free shipping and free returns. It’s sort of my go-to place for lots of items for my hard-to-fit body type!

  24. If she still fits into size 12, try http://www.Gymboree.com. They charge for shipping, but if you share an order with a friend, it’s not too bad at all. I love that they have so MANY more colours than pink!

  25. Hi Beth, Thanks so much for this post. I have two tween daughters, both tall and the ten year old looks like she could be her 13 year old sister’s twin. Both about to be taller than me. Clothing them is my biggest headache.. Target has been good for jeans in the ladies section, my 13 yr old just fits into their kids size 16 leggings, but the kids tops don’t even come close to fitting them. Suzanne Grae is good for shorts that aren’t skimpy on length, but I am stumped for the rest. I’ll definitely be checking out some of the places mentioned here.

  26. Melissa B says

    Thank you so much Beth and everyone else for all the wonderful suggestions. I find my son easy and happy with the surf brands which suit both comfort and style but my daughter is so challenging at 9 years old. There is a lot of crazy gear out there. I am off to have a look at some websites. Must remember that she will only love what I hate – her words! Should be easy!

  27. Hi Beth,
    I love this post because it reminds me of that in between stage my girls went through. They are now 15 and 17 and are at an in between stage again. It does not help that they are a tiny size either because most adult clothing is too big. My 17 year old struggled to find a graduation dress, eventually found a size 6 that had to be taken in by a dress maker. It’s hard to find something that is stylish tasteful and age appropriate thats not all leg or clevage. Check out Pumpkin Patch and their Urban Angel range which is for tweens. Usually expensive however when on sale 🙂 bargans and great qualtiy. Age group is 5 to 12 years but sizes are generous and I have worn many a t shirt from their range. There are $20 knit dresses for sale right now. $25 playsuits and jumpsuits. You will love them and so will your girls. http://www.pumpkinpatch.com.au. I look forward to the follow up post on what you found for your tweens. I loved this stage in my girls growing up…. did I say that already?

    • I second the suggestion of the Pumpkin Patch Urban Angel range. I have a 10 year old who is in ladies size 8 shoes and ladies size ten clothes. The Urban Angel range are very generous in sizing – the M is equivalent to a girls 14-16 but aren’t tight fitting. We recently got her a few nice items on sale. My daughter loves their range.
      Shoes are a different thing altogether though – ladies size 8 means small heels on most shoes, call me old fashioned, but I don’t want her wearing heels or wedges at age 10, she has all of her adult life to do that. We have a few arguments over what she likes compared to what I like but the shoes are one argument she doesn’t win.
      Thanks for the post, it is so easy to feel like you are the only parent with a 10 year old needing clothes that I could almost share with her, I look forward to going through the websites that are suggested.

  28. Have you tried http://www.primary.com ? They go up to size 12 and have solid colored clothes that are very reasonably priced and delivered quite promptly here in the USA. Is there something comparable for you there in the Southern Hemisphere or can you get delivery from Primary perhaps? I hope you can, Beth.

  29. michelle says

    Almost 9yo boys are tough too, especially if you are on a bit of a budget, ahem. We went to try on jeans in Target, he flipped out and insisted on trying them on over his other pants at first. It won’t surprise you to hear we bought no jeans that day. Up until now I just bought things and he wore them. I’m not ready for this new stage! Cotton On has the smallest ever range, no pyjamas, apparently 9yo boys no longer need pyjamas? They always were my go to, alongside Target, so I’m a bit stuffed now our local Target is a ‘Country’ Target, and that is all there is for 9yo boys where I live! I’m glad you brought this up, I’ll be checking out the links too.

  30. My vote is for Next online and the Cotton On Free brand for my 10 yr old. We also find a few things from Target, Myer (I can’t remember what their in-house brand is called…) and even Big W occasionally.

  31. Totes! I have 4 girls and it’s a battle! Sometimes I’ve found pieces at Fresh baked, Aldi, Ghanda, Best and Less, Big W, Target, and new stuff on eBay. Charlie and me goes up to size 10. My girls don’t have huge wardrobes of clothing and wear the same stuff over and over. A few accessories can go a long way too, puffer vests, scarves, cool shoes etc…

  32. We love Target for basics for my Lulu & also Next Australia. Great quality, price & age appropriate. Celebrates the age that they are ?

  33. Marks & Spencer have an Australian website now. Their kids clothing is lovely and their customer service is great.

  34. Target and Myer are usually my go to’s! Next is also good.

  35. ezibuy urban for online shopping, pretty sure they’re AUS not just NZ

  36. My daughter likes the clothes in Zara.

  37. Shazziebazzie says

    The Myer city (Sydney) store has great clothes for tweens – Tilly and Bardot amongst others. I also find KMart great

  38. Definitely Johnny B, Boden’s older kids line. Also Zara, H&M, Just Jeans, the 1% of Best&Less that is awesome and not trashy (they also have 8AA soft cup bras when that time comes), ASOS as they go down to tiddly sizes in some lines(I bought a size 2 women’s jacket for my super petite 13 year old this season and it fit!). They also have cool shoes that won’t break the bank. My 11 year old with size 8.5 feet got a pair of faux Doc’s for less than $50 this year too.

  39. I bought some stuff for my girls at Ghanda when I was in Tassie but you can buy online. it even has a teen section.

    http://www.ghanda.com/teen/teen—girls/

  40. These lovely ladies cooperative just showed up in my feed: http://www.clotheswithoutlimits.com/

  41. Man, 11 year old girls are tough!!! Pavement is a big winner and some seed items. Country Road but almost out of it. Next is hit and miss for quality I think though we’ve got some stuff she loves. Nearly flipped my kid when shopping for her recent confirmation outfit. A gorgeous Miss Leona dress from Myer and then couldn’t find shoes! Up to Bloch for a good old faithful pair of ballet flats and discover she’s no longer in the $80 kids ones and that she’s now in the $150 adults ones….and so it begins.

  42. I have a 12 year old and most of the tween stuff out there is hideous. Why oh why can’t Country Road go to size 14 or Cotton On Kids go to size 12 ??? Why does everything for girls over 12 have to feature sequins ???? My 12 year old wears bits and pieces from the following places: Sportsgirl, Glassons, Country Road (size 6 womens), ASOS petite label, Munster, some Target (but I really have to pick through to find the simple designs), Cotton On, Witchery, Gorman (on sale) H &M but not the kid’s section( again they love the sequins and the crop top) – size 6 in womens. Boden, some Next Official (but lots of it is gross) TopShop, some of the Zara range, Uniqlo womens, some of the Pavement range but they can lean on the older and too busy side, Indie through David Jones can be quite good when they keep it simple, Minti is fun, One Red Fly have some great party dresses.

  43. Thanks Beth. I’m looking forward to checking these out with my 11 & 1/2 yo. She’ very tall (like her parents), slim ( like her dad!), wearing size 11 shoes ( bigger than her mum) and is currently wearing grey school pants that are way too short because size 12 falls off her and size 10’s are too short ( and she’s only go to get through this last winter of primary school!). Always difficult to find clothes that are appropriate for her age. She can wear size 6/8 ladies, but so often it’s all too old for her! Add to this she’s a contentious little thing, so we always have to check into the environmental & social chops of the manufacturers ( v proud of that, but gee adding another challenge to clothing the kid!). Thanks again, I feel a rainy weekend of interwebs surfing for the two of us!

  44. yes! I have the same problem. I have an 11yo who is tall and fitting into ladies shoes and LOVES fashion and a 9yo who is not far behind, and my usual go to Target just dont have the sizing or the styling right! Both of my girls LOVE Pavement. Groovy, the right sizing, good quality. More expensive than Target, less expensive than Country Road.

  45. Liz Dwyer says

    http://au.nextdirect.com/en/
    NEXT clothing is lovely and reasonably priced.

  46. Oh yes. My sister’s eldest/my goddaughter is the same age as Daisy and probably about the same size by the sounds, with a sister coming fast up the ranks 15 months behind her, and my sis is in STRUGGLE TOWN for clothes for them. I remember the mum I worked for as a governess having the same issue with same aged girl – clearly this is a widespread problem?! I was going to suggest Boden and Next, as I find them great for Eleanor (I know, toddler girl not exactly same but their stuff seems ‘different’ to the norm and so far good quality). I would really love it if H&M and Zara would do online shopping too!

  47. Leanne Collinson says

    I definitely encountered this problem with my daughter, we lived in FNQ , it was very difficult to find suitable swimmers for a 11 year old who’s breast buds went straight to a C cup !! . We had swimmers custom made in mix and match colours so she would feel like she fitted in .

  48. Pavement has some great clothing for tweens. They have a number of stores in Sydney. I’m only familiar with the Parramatta store.

  49. 11 year old who does not like “girly”, but occasionally can be found in sequins or pink, 6 loves shoes and swishy skirts,
    I started buying bigger sizes years ago, mainly for the elder, things she does not like could go to her younger sister, shoes too,
    op shops, (you have to drop in regularly or find one that has quality/consignment,
    The eldest has taken to my influence of wearing some boys things – t shirts, shirts, jeans, jackets
    Quality over quantity, buying 2 one in the bigger size
    Or like me an almost hobbit, saving my “good things”, the eldest will fit into my pink velvet jeans next year, (I’ve kept them since I was 16)

  50. Thanks for finally talking about >Help! Where is all the good “Tween” girl clothing?
    – BabyMac <Loved it!

  51. Hi everyone. I feel your pain. Hence the reason why I opened my store 12 months ago. Its called Innocence and Attitude. Specifically catering to tweens and teens. Both Boys and Girls aged 8 to 14 years. Quality brands, age appropriate styles. These brands are a great fit for our kids. Very affordable. Latest trends and styles. Guaranteed amazing customer service. Shipping Australia Wide.

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