Children's clothes: pretty prints for girls – in pictures

Boden prints for kids are absolutely fantastic this season – all with a 1950s vibe and muted, gorgeous colours that will have you wishing they sold the fabric by the metre. This pinafore-style dress with bloomers to wear underneath has a deckchair-and-bunting print and as it's made of cotton canvas, is a bit more robust than the delicate print might indicate, making it great for crawlers as well as walkers

Pinafore dress, £20-22
By Boden
boden.co.uk
Photograph: Boden

Lovely little shorts for summer, or put tights underneath on chillier days. Note: tights under floral shorts are fine if you are a toddler. Do not attempt as adult, thanks. The belt is just decorative, the back has a much more practical elasticated panel

Floral shorts, £6-7
By Mothercare
mothercare.com
Photograph: Mothercare

Bread & Jam make limited edition runs of simple pinafore dresses in the most fabulous prints. If this wonderful retro print is too much for you, though, you should check out their 'pick-a-pocket' range, where the fabrics are just showcased in a pocket and trim

Pinafore dress, £29
Bread and Jam
ilovebreadandjam.com Photograph: PR

Lovely, snuggly organic cotton in a pleasingly retro tree print – it feels soft enough to sleep in, and light enough for warm summer days

Tree print tunic set, £22.50
By Organics for Kids
organicsforkids.com Photograph: PR

The great thing about these frocks, other than the lovely vintage prints layered with vibrant colours, is that the top is 100% cotton jersey, so it's incredibly comfortable to wear. Comes in a large variety of different colour ways and prints

Dress, £49
By Jelly Lane Originals
jellylaneclothing.com/shop
Photograph: Jelly Lane Originals

A lovely special occasion frock, this dress is lined, though still very lightweight, and the flower corsage can be detached. The colour may not be the most practical, but it's machine-washable at 40C, which should sort out any post-party muck

Dress, £24-26
John Rocha for Debenhams
debenhams.com
Photograph: John Rocha for Debenhams

This lovely mushroom-themed print skirt is fully lined, making it less 'high summer' and more 'good to wear on slightly nippy days when we all wish it was warmer'. The waist is elasticated and the sweet belt detail can be easily tied and untied

Skirt, £19.99
By Zara
zara.com
Photograph: Zara

Fed up with dresses? This might work as a compromise – butterfly-print ruffled dungarees that come with a comfy cotton T-shirt to wear underneath

Jumpsuit, £19
By Ladybird at Littlewoods
littlewoods.com
Photograph: Ladybird at Littlewoods

A gorgeous Liberty-style print makes this unlined cotton shirt a lovely summer top. It's got a reasonably wide neckline so you shoudn't need to undo too many of the buttons to get it on, either

Shirt, £14
From Jojo Maman Bebe
jojomamanbebe.co.uk
Photograph: Jojo Maman Bebe

The Little Bird range at Mothercare is an absolute gem of collection – full of vintage-prints and styles, cool basic denim shorts, unisex rainbow-print pyjamas … Who would have thought Jools Oliver would pull that out of the bag? This skirt is lined, with a lovely bright contrast-colour waistband (the back is elasticated for a comfy fit)

Skirt, £9-£9.50
By Little Bird at Mothercare mothercare.com
Photograph: Little Bird at Mothercare

Another winner from Boden – this sweet floral print dress is made from jersey, so is super-soft and washes very well

Jersey dress, £18-20
By Boden
boden.co.uk
Photograph: Boden

With a striking, tapesty-inspired print, this fully lined skirt has a weight to it that makes it suitable for even chillier days when paired with tights. A wide elasticated waist also makes it a very comfy wear

Skirt, £16
From Monsoon
monsoon.co.uk
Photograph: Monsoon

If girly, vintage-style prints float your boat then you may have a Cath Kidston habit already. Pass it down to your daughters with a sweet, simple lined cotton skirt. Great for summer playdates

Cotton skirt, £16
By Cath Kidston
cathkidston.co.uk
Photograph: Cath Kidston

A sweatshirt dress is a great practical choice, and Little Joules makes some fantastic ones. This gorgeous bright print will appeal to even the most girly of girls, while keeping them nice and warm – and washing easily too. The little pockets are a nice touch – always entertaining to see what treats are in there when you empty them for the wash …

Sweatshirt dress, £30
By Little Joules
joules.com
Photograph: Little Joules

How to take Liberty art fabrics and give them a bit of edge: mix and match them, and add an exposed zip. This makes it both cooler, and also rather practical for little hands that might struggle with buttons. Then again, the child with parents who can afford this dress probably has a personal dresser anyway

Tiered sun dress, £105
By No Added Sugar
noaddedsugar.com
Photograph: No Added Sugar

Why doesn't Marks & Spencer make dresses this lovely for women? Another cotton frock, fully lined in a contrast pink, which gives it a nice weight and drape: and what five-year-old these days doesn't demand a good drape in their frock? The print features a sweet little cottage in a rural scene

Dress, £14-16
By Autograph at M&S
marksandspencer.com
Photograph: Autograph at M&S

For florals with a more practical edge, Gap has some great floral-print jeans for young girls. Dress them with a plain white T-shirt, just to see how many seconds the T-shirt stays white for

Floral print jeans, £17.95
By Gap
gap.eu
Photograph: Gap

Lined but very lightweight, in very soft-feeling viscose fabric, this is definitely a wear-all-day dress – its gently elasticated waist would also be very comfortable

Dress, £28
From Yumi
yumidirect.co.uk
Photograph: Yumi

Another beautiful dress for the little girl who has everything, including her own chauffeur and walk-in wardrobe. Made from Liberty print, this frock looks suitable for Harper Beckham's summer outings. The rest of us can only dream …

Dress, £99
By Caramel Baby and Child
caramel-shop.co.uk
Photograph: Caramel Baby and Child