Fashion Is for Any Age

Carol Pogash implies that obsession with fashion is a trend restricted either to women in their 30s or to the affluent (“The Clothing Boom in the Land of the Little People,” Aug. 20). A keen interest in fashion is noticeable among women of all ages and income levels. It just so happens that a large number of women in their 30s can afford to purchase clothes at Gymboree and BabyGap.

Also, Pogash quotes Berrie Thorne, professor of sociology and women’s studies at UC Berkeley, as saying that one reason parents dress up their children in designer-label clothing is to say, “we’re rich.” I disagree. Most women in my category (30s, double-income, college degree) dress up their kids because they enjoy fashion--for themselves and their children. Buying snappy outfits for my 3-year-old daughter is even more fun than buying them for myself. And although most of the labels we buy are more expensive than the clothes sold at Target or Kmart, the prices really can’t be called exorbitant.

I consider fashion one of my hobbies, one that makes me happy.

Carissa Bennett

Glendale