For kids, nothing beats the laid-back rhythms of summer. Sleeping late, riding bikes and afternoons with nothing to do except raid the freezer for Popsicles.

But come the first of August, the reality of getting back into school habits hits. Along with that realization and acceptance comes the task of getting ready for research papers and spelling tests. First there’s buying supplies.

Luckily schools publish a supply list, so it’s almost hassle-free to walk down the aisle and toss folders, spirals and crayons in the cart.

Another big part of getting ready for school is shopping for new clothes. Quite a few schools require students to wear uniforms, and that rule makes those early-morning decisions a lot easier.

I was lucky. When my boys were in school, fashion choices were easy – blue-jean shorts, a shirt that had a super hero on the front and sneakers that allowed them to be the fastest in Dodge Ball.

Not so for those with girls.

I’m finding this out the hard way as I’m helping my daughter-in-law shop for clothes for her daughter who’s entering first grade this year. In my mind, an elementary-aged girl in Texas wears sneakers, capri pants or shorts and a T-shirt with unicorns on the front.

When I went shopping this week, I was shocked. Instead of age-appropriate clothes for elementary-school girls, all I found were skin-tight leggings and short shorts.
The shirts ended where the navel begins; and instead of puppy dog artwork on the front of the T-shirts, the designs were “I love to shop” or had pictures of Miley Cyrus sticking her vulgar tongue out.

Disgusting and disappointing.

So I kept looking for clothing that would allow my granddaughter to participate in recess sports yet still have a demure look. I found one – just one – skirt with shorts sewn in. On the other hand, there was a whole display of short-shorts that were no more than six inches in length from the waist to the hemline.

These are 6-8 year-old girls who should be able to remain little girls for a few more years, not grow up before their time. It seems clothing manufacturers want to create Lolitas instead of reinforcing the knowledge that girls don’t have to be half naked to be relaxed and ready for school.

Out of curiosity, I started browsing through the teen-age girl section, and they have the same vulgar clothing choices the 6-year-olds faced except the ones for the teenagers were a lot more, how can I say this nicely, skanky.

They’re cut low in the front, have rips and tears where there shouldn’t be rips and tears or the material is so thin, you can see right through it. The argument is girls can wear camisoles underneath the see-through shirts, but what’s wrong with making shirts that don’t make a girl look half dressed?

I’ve heard all the arguments that this is how girls like to dress, I’m being too old fashioned or I don’t understand what the fashion industry’s all about. My definition of fashionable is wearing clothes that fit and make you feel good about yourself, not clothes that would embarrass your grandmother if she saw you wearing them.

There’s still a few stores, both in town and online, that stock appropriate clothing for young girls, and that’s where I’ll spend my money. Because I know, somewhere in the retail world, there’s a nice supply of little girl T-shirts with puppy dogs on the front.

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.