WHO TO CALL: Fashion Editor Layne Christensen 985-2131 (118) OME. OF the biggest trend setters in fashion wear the smallest sizes. By Carol Crenna Contributing Writer Parents know that shopping for kids" clothes is more complicated than simply picking the lat- est styles. The merchandise must be durable. _easy-care. versatile and most of all, win your child’s approval. ‘To find out just how much a child's tastes determine what is purchased by the parent, we scoured the playgrounds and the preschools, the care facilities and classrooms for child style. Then we interviewed dozens of tots between the ages of three and 13. PIRAS CHARKAWI hangs out in baggy, Their disceming tistes start voung. demuand- ing clothes that are comfortable. flattering and warm, but also clothes that reflect their charac- ter and make a statement about them. And they wort wear what they doi’t like. What did we find? Little girls from three to eight still want to look like traditional litde girls. Pink is the over- whelming favorite color and dresses are pre- ferred over pants. Little bovs of the same age don’t sway much from the traditional image either. stating blue and green as favorite colors with sports team jerseys and jeans being the clothing of choice. Many eight- to 13-year-olds hive already sense of style and are influenced by sure and what grownups wear. Details are very important, whether it is a fit- tle pull-tab on a shoe, a culf on a dress, a graph- ic patch on jeans or the smallest orna- ment or hair accessory. Here are some of the responses: At Little Rascals Daycare the kids asked North Shore News to please give Santa the list when we were fin- ished with it. Michel, 3, likes green or blue sweat- shirts and his Muddy Buddies, which are nylon rain pants that he wears over his jeans. Sara, 3, likes long purple dresses and short pink dresses with earrings to match. Connor, 3, is an individualist and states emphatically that he wants to wear a big sticker with a picture of his dad on it as well as a gun and a black bow tie. Kaitlin, 4, is influenced by TV and # movies and likes her Power Ranger pants. Jasmine boots, Simba shoes and matching Simba lunch totebag. Sean, 44, says his favorite item is his f red underwear with green and pink race cars on them. He also likes his jeans with a Mickey Mouse patch. Derek, 5, loves his black feather and suede bomber jacket, and beneath it, he likes to wear very long shirts with Power Rangers, Huskies or Canadiens emblems. Paige, 5, likes to wear “teenagers* colored jeans. Comfortable with the casual clothes,” particularly vests, which she wears meee look, he also likes “to wear a tuxedo.” efore you with jeans and jean jackets. She likes pink Sica ermermmenn splurge Sew on a serger before you get one. If you are thinking of investing in a new serger or trading-in your old one, this class is for you! 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Meagan, 5, likes to wear nylons and blouses with her long dresses and says her favorite colors are purple and green, At Hollyburn Out-Ofr-School Care in West Vancouver, six- and seven-year- olds were interviewed, Sonim, 6, says he does not like jeans. He likes sweat pants, especially in green or brown. His preferred shoes are hiking bvots and high-top runners. Misha, 6, has a preference for gold but his favorite item is a red shirt chat his dad gave him. He also likes his San Jose Sharks shoes. Jareth. 6, has sophisticated taste, pre- ferring golf shirts and striped jeans as well as his Curious George T-shirt and Wild Cats shoes. . Joshua, 7, proudly announces his Osh Kosh B*Gosh denim overalls, Brooks nin-. ning shoes and Converse sweats are his favorites. but also likes a Pavel Bure jersey. Chelsey, 74, who has fashion flair, slides a white crinoline beneath her denim jumper and finishes it with dark pink boots. She has several turtlenecks and also likes black Jeg- gings and jazz shoes. Scott. 7, is a football and hockey fan and likes jerseys from the Cowboys and the Canucks. The Westview Out-Of-School Care Centre in North Vancouver had the most eager group aged six to 13, who lined up to give their choices. Jesse, 6, doesn't like jeans that fall down, only ones that have a waistband which stays up. He likes his denim vest, a red star T-shirt, San Jose Sharks hat and hightop shoes. Lea, 7, likes tops with extra long, baggy sleeves. Goofy and Garfield sweaters ‘are favorite items, and she also loves long gold necklaces with hearts. Ahmad, 7, says black and white are his favorites, but he also likes his purple and red jeans and red jacket. . Lucille, 8, hates dresses and likes anything News photos Paul McGrath EIGHT-YEAR-OLD AMBER Kruger has.a wide range of tastes — from black jeans to fancy dresses. She especially likes “shirts with sleeves that look like bellbottoms.” that is black. She specifies that nylon turtle- necks, betibottoms, shirts with too-long sleeves, -: Dr. Martens shoes and canvas — “definitely not leather” — sneakers are favorites. Naim, 10, should be a designer. He didn’t used to like jeans when they were more fitted because the fabric was too “scratchy,” but he how wears the more comfortable baggy. ones. He likes them to have an elastic waist so they stay up, but doesn’t like them so long they slip underneath his heel. He likes his running shoes to have a cushioned inner lining and a toe that doesn't wear out. Devon, 10, likes anything too big for him and lists No Fear shirts, a Panthers jersey, army green jeans, a silver chain, a roller hockey jack- et and Lynx runners as top choices. ; Dennish, 13, likes blue and black because, he Says, “they are emotional colors for me." He likes to wear tuxedos but he also fikes his very oversized jeans and a thigh-length black bomber jacket and fuzzy fleece hooded pullover.