Buying clothes for preteen girls can be tricky. "We particularly went to purchase for the 10- to 12-year-old age group this year because lots of mums had told us they couldn't find anything for them," explains Geraldine Waldron, children's buyer at Clerys, Dublin.

"Very often the younger girls were having to go to teenage departments to find the kind of clothes they wanted, yet the clothes themselves were often much too old for them, with necklines that were too low."

To ensure the under-12s have the kind of fashions they want, but with an age-appropriate fit, Ms Waldron has brought in a raft of new labels designed specifically with this age group in mind.

One of the most popular of these is Bambola Fritta of Italy. Its range includes trendy knitted tops with hoods, combat pants and skirts as well as a nice line in dresses. Other new additions to the store are the German Whoppi and Spanish Mayoral brands.

"The response from customers has been very good to all the new labels," says Ms Waldron, "mainly because buying for this age group really had become a problem and, from around the age of 10, girls are under huge pressure to look fashionable."

Grey is this year's colour and while it might not seem particularly girlish, it is typically "lightened" with cream or lavender coloured co-ordinates, she points out.

Dan Melligan is children's wear buyer at Arnotts. He has introduced a variety of well-known fashion labels to the children's department, all of which have proven a great success. His pre-teen DKNY range from Donna Karan is doing "incredible business" for example, he says. Prices range from £35 to £60 for trousers with tops running from £20 to £40.

Other brands proving popular are Diesel "more expensive again" and Kookai "very suitable for party time", plus Elle and Kenzo.

Again, while the clothes are trendy, they are not designed to make the child look like an adult, he points out.

"We are very conscious of not pushing kids into adults' clothes, but at the end of the day you do have to give them the level of fashion they demand. Girls under 12 are very label-conscious."

They are also very conscious of the fact that having the right "gear" isn't enough, you have to wear it in the right way. At the moment this means buying a three-piece outfit comprising trousers worn under a dress with a little top to go underneath, he says.

Full-length skirts are also particularly popular at present.

Combat trousers are still very much in demand and worn with draw-string tops. "Really, we are seeing an advanced version of the sportswear of a couple of years ago. Girls are always first to move in fashion and they have moved out of tracksuits," he explains.