Why can’t I find warm winter clothes for my little girls?

Snow is here, much to the delight of my two daughters. The joy in their eyes as they wake to a blanket of white is tempered quickly by their enthusiasm to get outside before we’ve even eaten breakfast. It’s morning, it’s a school day; we don’t have time for this.

Oddly, the fact that it’s a school day means that – with wellies, coat and hat quickly donned – my five-year-old girl is well-dressed for the chilly weather. Her school-branded PE kit, which she’s already wearing, is a thick sweater with a long sleeved shirt underneath and a pair of well lined joggers. If it was the weekend, it would be harder to make sure she was warm enough to go out and play. Most of her clothes are completely unsuitable at this time of year.

Like any child, she’s growing quickly – and the seasons change fast. I’m trying hard to save money just now (aren’t we all?) and have spent recent days scouring the larger branches of the local supermarkets looking for a winter update for her wardrobe. Shop after shop, I leave with nothing. To my irritation, all the clothes marketed for girls – dresses and skirts, say, or leggings and patterned tops – are flimsy, paper thin and impractical. If she wore one of these outfits in minus 3 degrees, she’d be shivering in minutes.

I stroll along to the boys’ section, where the colours shrink from bright pinks and primaries to a turgid mix of greys, blues, browns and camouflage – a miserable selection that bothers parents of young lads just as much as the sea of pink glitter for girls. But at least here the clothes are actually designed to be worn outside: thick fleece-lined trousers and jogging bottoms with reinforced knees (an essential part of the anatomy that apparently only boys use!), hefty jumpers, long sleeved shirts made of thick cotton. I pick up a packet of red and blue vests, thankful that for some reason my girl seems relatively immune to the cult of pink.

What is this obsession with dressing small girls in impractical clothing unsuited to the business of getting outside and playing? Has anyone designing these lines ever met a five-year-old girl? I can’t believe I’m having to write this down, but for the avoidance of doubt: they want to play in the snow just as much as boys.

If you’re lucky enough to afford premium brands, girls’ sections offer both quality, durability and style. There are rugged Swedish knits, luxury lined cord leggings, thick winter dresses with comfortable cotton inserts – but it all comes at a cost. For parents on a tight budget – and that’s an ever-growing population as the cost of living crisis peaks – these expensive choices are out of reach.

Those who have no option but to shop at budget outlet are forced to dress their girls in cheaply made, poor quality and cold clothes or – the better decision – dress them in the boys’ range instead. And then deal with the whingeing or disappointment that follows.

How hard can it be to make the same items in the boys’ section but in a host of other colours? Why not ditch the idea of boys’ and girls’ clothes altogether, and instead design good quality items suited to the season in a wide range of colours and patterns, from diggers to unicorns and every other thing in between?

My daughter loves dinosaurs, but the only purple dinosaur dress we’ve been able to find is made by a very pricey Swedish brand. The budget high street stores are missing a lucrative trick by only putting dinos on their blue and grey hoodies “for boys”.

When I complained about this on social media, a few people pointed me towards rental services for children’s clothes. It’s a clever model that makes sense when items are worn for such a short period of time. But most families and friendship groups operate a hand-me-down service of their own. Our younger toddler has a wonderful winter wardrobe, consisting almost entirely of clothes passed down from her older sister and legions of friends with older children, both male and female.

One particular festive jumper is now on its sixth child, having been through two sets of cousins previously, then passed by a friend to my eldest who wore it for two seasons. I enjoyed seeing it come back out again last month when my littlest finally grew into it. It’s still in good condition, so I will pass it on again. The rental model removes this very personal, emotional relationship with children’s clothing. Of course people are going to buy, and to gift, clothing for the children of their family and friends.

There’s an old adage about practical items: buy it cheap, buy it twice. That’s the second problem for those relying on budget outlets for children’s clothing, especially if you’re cladding young girls. When it’s thin and flimsy, it falls apart quickly. Children can destroy bad clothing in a matter of days. Marketing managers must know this. Perhaps they’re rubbing their hands at the thought. These clothes certainly aren’t surviving to be passed on, but I know the boys’ range is – I’ve bought and saved some of it myself.

As for my five-year-old? She’s kitted out now. I just dropped £165 at Gap. It’s a great privilege to be able to do this. It shouldn’t need to cost so much to keep a child warm this winter, even if they are ridiculously adamant about looking "like a princess" when it’s snowing.