Besides a pair of tennis shoes, I haven't bought anything from the kids' department since I was 20. While I realize it's cheaper and I might find things more in my size (I think I can technically wear a kids' 10), I just don't feel COMFORTABLE there. And if I wear anything that remotely LOOKS like kidswear, people will automatically think I'm much younger. If I wear grown-up clothing, people will think I'm closer to my real age (most people think I'm somewhere in my 20s) As PAG said in her post, it's all about looking more sophisticated. And there are kids' clothes that don't even fit me. I tried a pair of pants back in 2000, and it just didn't feel right. In any case, it just makes me feel like a reverse child - an adult playing dress-up in kids' clothing (rather than the other way around). That's why I don't really understand why other small women bother going to the kids' section. Do they really want to be seen as children? Because they're also the ones who complain about people thinking they're underage.
I realize that fit is often an issue. But like I said earlier, kids' sizes aren't made to fit grown-up figures. We have boobs, a small waist and hips - even if we're relatively thin/boy-shaped. If a pair of kids' size 12 jeans fit at the hips, there'd likely be a huge gap at the waist. Fits at the waist? Tight in the hips. Most adult women have an 8-12 inch difference between their natural waists and hips. Most kids' clothes aren't made to fit that. Sure, there are some brands which COULD work - Gap's slim fits, for example - many more don't.
