Top to Toe: Fashion for Kids

Top to Toe: Fashion for Kids

New exhibition at Young  V&A relives 300 years of fashion for children.

4 October 2008 – 19 April 2009

This autumn, the V&A Museum of Childhood will present a major exhibition exploring the
history of children’s fashion, reliving iconic and defining moments from the past 300 years of
children’s clothing, vintage fashions, rare objects and photography.

Top to Toe: Fashion for Kids will profile the changing attitudes, themes and fads of one of
fashion’s most intriguing and enduring demographics, and promises to provide nostalgic
moments for all generations. Visitors may recall evocative brands like Ladybird and Clothkits, or
encounter classic memories from their own wardrobes such as parkas, knitted woollen
swimsuits, leg warmers and ponchos.

The Museum holds one of the most significant collections of children’s clothing in the world
with over 6,000 outstanding items ranging from the 1700s to the present day, over 100 of
which will be featured in the exhibition. Other objects, including a group of paintings depicting
historical outfits from the V&A’s main collections, will complement the clothing on display.

The exhibition will demonstrate how children’s clothing has changed over time, covering four
broad themes: Milestones, Changing Fashions, Fashion Drivers and Practical Fashions. It will
consider how materials, colours, shapes and styles have developed but will also show how
many classic garments have remained unchanged or have been revived, due to practical design
or enduring appeal