Oversized, raw materials, earth palette: the keys to children’s style 2025

This publication is also available in: Français English (UK) Deutsch Italiano Español

From oversized sweatshirts to earthy palettes, here are five childlike silhouettes that combine style, ethics, and freedom of movement for the back-to-school season.

This back-to-school season, parents in search of aesthetics and consciousness are no longer just looking to dress their children: they aim to accompany them through a wardrobe designed to last, to be passed down, and to carry meaning.

The fast fashion for children is losing its momentum: in its place, demanding brands, often French or European, are emerging, advocating for a gentle approach to fashion. No flashy logos or childish gimmicks: it’s all about precision, understated volumes, natural palettes, and noble materials.

Children’s fashion in 2025 draws inspiration from adult streetwear, Japanese slow fashion, and reimagined workwear. It speaks the language of stylish parents while allowing the necessary freedom of movement for children. The boundary between comfort and elegance fades: clothing becomes a tool for expression, everyday allies, and carefully chosen pieces of their evolving narrative.

Here are five looks that tell this story: garments that serve as miniature manifestos.

1. The New Proportions of Children’s Style: Oversized, Mix & Materials

Gone are the rigid cuts or overly expected sets. In 2025, children’s wardrobes adopt ample, almost sculptural volumes. Kimono jackets, oversized sweatshirts, high-waisted pleated trousers, long dresses in thick jersey: silhouettes are elongated, softened, and inspired by adult wardrobes while never losing their freshness.

This is the case with Omibia and LiiLU, where the garments tell a story of fluid movement, a discreet yet assertive presence. A wide boiled wool coat pairs with a long skirt featuring an elastic waist. An oversized clay-colored sweatshirt covers a striped shirt with rolled-up sleeves. The look is designed in layers, better to accommodate days filled with play, school, and the unexpected.

This trend towards oversized clothing is not just an aesthetic choice: it also extends the lifespan of garments, allowing them to traverse two seasons or be passed down between siblings. A choice that is both practical, sustainable, and thoughtful.

2. Soft Palette, Hard Materials: The Return of Earth Tones and Raw Textiles

This season, what stands out is the return of earth tones. Not in the strict sense, but in the hues: muted mustard, clay brown, sage green, stone gray, dusty pink. Soothing colors that never go out of style and tell a story of childhood connected to reality.

The materials follow this trend: corduroy, organic cotton poplin, recycled denim, washed merino wool. Raw yet soft textiles that become more refined when wrinkled. They offer children sensory texture and a drape that accompanies movement, running, and resting. Studio Bohème thus focuses on trousers made from soft cotton gauze, while The New Society reinvents the back-to-school dress in lightweight flannel.

This organic palette is part of a new visual grammar, inspired by both Japanese wabi-sabi and the natural landscapes of Southwestern Europe. A return to essentials that reconciles aesthetics and grounding.

3. Brands That Think with Their Heads and Sew with Their Hearts

Among the labels to watch this back-to-school season, three names stand out for their ethical rigor and strong identity. Studio Bohème, based in Paris, works in a short circuit and prioritizes GOTS-certified materials. Their signature cut: carrot pants with patch pockets, reimagined this season in sandy colors.

The New Society, a Spanish brand, explores a soft and romantic aesthetic without ever veering into nostalgia. Pleated dresses, Peter Pan collars, fine knits in caramel hues… everything is designed to last and be passed down.

Finally, Bonjour Diary, which hand-embroiders each piece in a workshop in India, stands out with discreet patterns inspired by vintage prints. Their floral blouse in organic cotton, paired with khaki bloomers or a textured overall, gives rise to free, poetic, and contemporary silhouettes.

Behind these brands are often founding mothers committed to harmonizing style and values. Each collection is the result of a personal vision and a conscious respect for the rhythms of childhood.

4. Dressing an Attitude, Not an Age

Today’s children are individuals in their own right, and their style reflects this uniqueness. Gone are the days of pink for girls, blue for boys, garish prints, or generic messages. Each look becomes a reflection of personality, rhythm, and cultural and familial grounding.

Dressing your child is also about honoring an attitude: that of exploration, daydreaming, silence, or mischief. Clothing is a non-verbal language that allows children to feel free, aligned, and respected. An oversized blouse, a linen jumpsuit, or a pair of sturdy boots can suffice to embody this posture – discreet yet powerful – that every child already carries within them.

The role of the stylish parent here is no longer to dictate but to reveal. Observe, propose, adjust… so that the wardrobe becomes a space for autonomy and self-assertion.

Because a well-cut sweatshirt, fluid trousers, or a pair of robust boots is often more than just clothing: it’s a way to step into the world. And what if this back-to-school season was also an opportunity to redefine what it means to “dress your child well”? Less for pleasing or showing off, but for accompanying. Less for performing, and more for truly growing.