It claims that girls feel under pressure to wear clothes that make them look older and have to cope with advertising and magazines selling adult images.
As many pupils return to school this week, parents are under pressure to buy their children new uniforms or extra clothes, such as trainers or sports kit.
They are also freer from the numerous "status competitions" (the social pressure to drive a fancy car, wear designer clothes, enroll the children in private schools and take European vacations) that further drive up the cost of living in big cities and suburbs.