LONG gone are the days when you had to pass the teenage threshold to enter the world of fashion. Today, babes in arms are wearing the latest looks hot from the catwalks. As a child, I remember wearing functional rather than fashionable Mothercare clothes until I was 12 - even though they were a tad too short on the arms. My mum shopped there long after she should have simply because there wasn't an alternative.

Today, parents are spoiled for choice when it comes to kitting out their children. And it's highly likely their offspring's wardrobe will be just as trendy - if not more - than their own.

Store giants such as Marks & Spencer and Next have led the way in creating ultra-fashionable looks for children. Supermarkets Asda and Tesco have widened the choice by offering great fashions for youngsters at cut-rate prices.

Woolworth's Ladybird range is also popular for its value-for-money quality and even Boots the chemists has childrenswear now.

Department store Debenhams continues to innovate with ventures such as introducing designer lines like Junior J by Jasper Conran. Also strong in kids' lines are high-street chains Gap and Monsoon.

This week, all eyes have been on the capital as London Fashion Week got into full swing. Before that, the style wise had their eyes on New York for its annual fashion fest.

But next week, children's fashion takes centre stage as the first Junior Fashion Week gets underway - culminating in the annual awards for childrenswear on Friday.

The week-long event has been organised by the glossy parenting magazine Junior, with the awards being sponsored by Marks & Spencer.

Catherine O'Dolan, editor of Junior, said the aim was to raise the profile of children's clothes and the designers working in this field.

"We want to celebrate children's fashion - everything from Clements Ribeiro to Marks & Spencer, Next and Monsoon."

She believes changing social trends are responsible for the widening choice offered to parents today.

"Children are consumers at a much earlier age. They have access to computers and see many more branded goods. It also reflects changes in parents, many of whom now have children later and have more disposable income. Many mothers work and don't want their lifestyle to change. If they are used to shopping at Jigsaw, they want to dress their daughter in Jigsaw Junior."

So what can we expect in the style stakes this season? Here is the Evening Press's guide to the five key looks which will help children leap into spring:

1 It's in the jeans: Denim is the big fashion story for spring, so it should be no surprise that it's making a huge impact on kids clothes too. M&S has a fantastically fashionable cowgirl range complete with dark-denim frayed jeans (£13-£21) and even cowboy hat (£8). All from the M&S Direct To You catalogue (order line 0845 603 1603). Denim is also a highlight of the Tesco collection, with a long denim skirt (£12) and hooded jacket (£14) for girls and hard-wearing stonewash jeans (£12) for boys available. Adams at Outfit, Monks Cross, and Next are also awash with funky denim gear, including fringed skirts and pinafores and matching jackets.

2 Flower power: Embroidery has burst back on to the fashion scene and is bringing a welcome splash of colour to children's wardrobes. Many denim items come complete with pretty floral trims, but look out too for embroidery making its marks on T-shirts, shirts, skirts, dresses and beach wear. Most main stores have an embroidery theme threading through their new collections of childrenswear, so you are rather spoiled for choice.

3 Fringe benefits: Fringes have proved to be the ultimate fashionable finish this year and children's clothes are no exception. Stemming from the cowgirl influence, look out for skirts and dresses with fringed hems. The ID:X collection at Debenhams for children aged between 7-14 has a groovy selection of tan suedette clothes including dresses and trousers (£20/22). And the even better news: they're made from 100 per cent cotton. Next also has a range of fringed clothes including denim hats (£4.99-£5.99) and sweaters (£16.99-£19.99).

4 Boy story: Super-trendy and super-cool, lads can be lads thanks to leading stores now stocking a wide selection of cargo pants, adjustable trousers (which unzip to become -length and shorts), hooded tops, over-the-shoulder bags and kagools. M&S again comes up trumps with a good selection in its Direct To You catalogue. Particularly funky are its pull-on camouflage trousers (£14-£22). Tesco even does these lines for toddlers (aged nine months to 4 years), with combat-style denims (£8) and navy kagools (£12). Woolies' Ladybird label also scores well on this front, as does the new boys' collection at Next.

5 Pretty in pink: The colour girls just love to love is destined for even greater things this year. Prepare to be dazzled by all hues of the colour from brightest fuchsia to subtlest strawberry milkshake. Dresses, fleeces, gilets and kagools are all in the pink this year. The colour is so of-the-minute, it's hard to avoid it in the high-street collections.Thanks to our models: Laura Hare, sisters Lauren, Millie and Ruby Hudson and brothers Adam, Jonathan and Matthew Scaife. Big thanks also to all the staff at Monks Cross Shopping Park, Huntington, York.

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