Preteen Girls Fashion in India – Favorite Styles and Stores

Preteen girls – not kids anymore and not matured enough to carry fashions meant for young women. This lively set of girls needs something smart and sporty all the time. Here are some of my favorite picks for preteen girls fashion in India.

Preteen Girls Fashion in India

Shopping for kids can be even more gratifying than shopping for oneself, don’t you agree? But shopping for my preteen was not that fulfilling an experience until a while ago in India. There was a serious dearth of choices! While brands like Amy Byer and Marks and Spencer dedicate entire sections to ‘Big Girls’ in America and UK, I was struggling to find decent clothes for my growing girl. Kiddy frocks no longer suit them and grown-up slihouettes make them uncomfortable (and much older than they are!).

Thankfully, in the last year or so, I suddenly saw the scenario changing. Instead of having to look for age-appropriate clothes in XS size from women’s brands, I noticed many kids apparel stores increasing their size range up to 14 and even 16 years. So we finally have some brands that are focusing on preteen girls fashion in India and moms have reason to rejoice. After all, even XS size is still designed for ‘women’ with different vital stats. It is simply not tailored for girls and fits very ill. And we want our little ladies to dress sharp and smart, don’t we?!

International Brands with ‘Juniors’ Sizes

Also something to celebrate is the availability of international brands like M&S, Tommy Hilfiger and The Children’s Place being made available online. Although the first two are steeply priced, I try to hunt down deals from websites like LatestIndiandeals.in and shop at discounted prices. Offline stores like H&M (please start selling online if you are reading this!) also have preteen girls sizes in really cute European styles.

Favorite Picks, Wardrobe Staples and Outfit Ideas

Here are some favorite picks and outfit ideas I like to dress my preteen in.

Jeans

While I have myself moved on to the more comfortable leggings and jeggings saving my jeans for only a few occasions, my preteen loves her jeans and owns several pairs in every shade of black and blue and even grey.

Longline Shirts and Tunics

More than anything else, my daughter loves pairing longline shirts and tunics with 3/4th length leggings. They keep her looking sharp while allowing her to remain comfortable to play, cycle and run about without having to fuss with a dress. The above two are my most recent purchases.

Casual Dresses

Nothing beats the chicness of a dress – whether casual or party wear. I would never want my girls to grow out of their love for dresses. They are a staple at all times and ages in their wardrobes.

Printed Trousers

We have plenty of printed jean-like trousers in my daughter’s wardrobe. They add a lot of fun to her outfits. We pair them with tees, tops, shrugs etc.

Skirts

Smart and chic, skirts are always a favorite although not always practical for this age group. For play time, we skip skirts and go for shorts. But for birthday parties, eating out etc. skirts are paired with tops, crop tops, button down shirts, stockings etc.

Ethnic Wear

Biba and Twisha make ethnic wear for girls from really small ages upto teens. So it is easy for me to match the outfits of big and lil sis for special occasions! Even for casual times like a pooja or a solemn occasion, an ethnic outfit is needed.

Slogan Tops

My daughter loves slogan tees and tops just like her mom! And I love to shop for her. Tees and sweat shirts with cool, smart and funny slogans add funk to her outfits. We have lots of them.

Favorite Brands and Shopping Haunts

I do most of my fashion shopping from Myntra and Jabong and that’s where I find most of the preteen and teen fashion too. Like I mentioned, they have a lot of international brands which specialize in clothing for juniors. These brands can cost more than Indian brands but I love their classic and simple cuts and styles. Besides, it is always easy to find Myntra and Jabong offers. Amazon which is my favorite for almost every other type of shopping, is not always my favorite for fashion shopping. But don’t underestimate it. You can find a surprising number of brands and styles if you have time and patience to dive in and sort through.

Unfortunately, my kids shopping favorites – FirstCry and Hopscotch have nothing or close to nothing when it comes to big girls. But newly launched Tata Cliq and Lifestyle Stores have plenty!

Here are some brands that I love and shop regularly from. You will find most of them at the above mentioned websites:

• Max Fashion
• Y&F by Westside
• Utsa Kids by Westside
• Next
• Rio Girl (mostly found at Reliance Trends)
• Fame Forever by Lifestyle
• Barbie
• Palm Tree
• Allen Solly Junior
• Twisha
• Biba
• Peppermint
• H&M
• 612 League
• Giny & Jony
• Chemistry Girls
• UFO
• USPA
• Cherokee
• Mango Kids
• Zara Kids

Preteen and teen girls fashion in India has still a long way to go. But with a lot of new brands beginning to cater to this niche, we have a decent amount of choice. Do you struggle when shopping for your preteen or teen? What are your favorite brands and stores? Do share them in the comments.