kids fashion blogs

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Talula Little


Namaste – A yoga-loving organic baby wear company.

Talula Little is an ethically motivated, family run business that just introduced the first of its GOTS-certified organic cotton baby wear – a fun collection of bandana dibble bibs that features adorable yoga-inspired illustrations and graphics. In fact, the company’s mission is to make beautifully handcrafted baby clothes that are comfortable and fun to wear.

“Our first project combines all the things we love the most – practicality, a holistic lifestyle and ethical mindfulness,” Lisa and Aviv tell us. “We are so excited that we couldn’t help ourselves and have included some poses inspired by our own little yoga baby!”

Every time you purchase a Talula Little product, you are supporting the production of organic clothing, encouraging its growth and actively contributing to a better and more sustainable world. That’s because Lisa and Aviv buy directly from co-op organic farmers in India in full compliance with Global Fair Trade practices.

“We have a toddler girl and everything we do is to empower her future. We firmly believe in organic production. It is so vital to the sustainability of our planet and for the next generation.”

Lisa and Aviv also believe that a healthy and positive lifestyle is the key to living well. Through practicing and teaching yoga, sensible eating and being mindful to use ethically sourced products wherever possible, they aspire to be extremely conscious in how they manage their daily lives – even as new parents.

“We all strive to give our little miracle-bundles only the best we can in life. However, this is often quite expensive and inevitably out of reach for some. Of course, there are countless cheap and cheerful baby products out there to cater for struggling parents. But in our experience, cheap and cheerful comes with a cost of its own – inferior quality and longevity sacrificed for price and profit.”

Lisa and Aviv dreamed about contributing to the community in some way and raising their own bundle of joy gave them the push to finally grow “a small business baby,” Talula Little. “We are so proud to say that our products are not only fun and comfortable to wear, they are ideal for a baby’s soft, delicate and developing skin, especially Eczema sufferers.”

New collections coming soon.

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Cooee Kids


An exciting and new, 100% certified cotton clothing line for kids.

When Anna Hesemenn and Naomi Wells meet while living in Uganda, they enjoy a mutual admiration and curiosity for the fabulous cotton available in this African country. Together with Cotton Made in Africa (CmiA), they create a company that makes children’s clothes with respect to the planet, the environment, the development and empowerment of people, and the fabulous raw materials they use. With social responsibility and good ethics at its core, their company ensures the entire production process supports the Ugandan people who make the clothes – from the farmers to the seamstresses.

Cooee is a new, sustainable kids clothing brand that makes beautiful everyday clothes for children ages two through seven. All garments are made exclusively from 100% CmiA-Certified African cotton grown and produced in Uganda. Anna and Naomi – who still live in Uganda – personally ensure the integrity of the field-to-fashion production line, working closely with artisans to make a positive impact. Cooee Kids also features unique hand-drawn print designs that engage a child’s imagination.

“We are both hugely excited to launch our first Spring Summer collection,” Naomi says. “It’s a dream come true for us. We care about our planet and how we leave it for future generations. Parents across the globe care more and more about where their children’s clothes come from and we are one of a handful of brands that can guarantee their fabrics provenance. We manage the entire production process first-hand and ensure every single garment meets our stringent measures.”

Cooee Kids’ SS18 collection of dresses, skirts, t-shirts and shorts brings to life things that make kids smile. The girl’s hero piece is the sky-blue monkey love dress that features a montage of monkeys printed around the neckline. Boys can choose a from a t-shirt printed with a mischievous crocodile on a bicycle, to a surfing monster catching a big wave.

Cotton Made in Africa (CMIA) is an initiative of the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF) that helps smallholder cotton farmers improve living conditions in Africa for both themselves and their children. Child labor, dangerous pesticides and genetically modified cotton are strictly forbidden. Smallholder farmers get a fair and timely payment and are trained in modern, efficient and sustainable cotton farming practices. This helps the farmers to generate higher yields and incomes.

Anna and Naomi introduced their first Cooee Kids collection to the UK and German children’s markets in early March. When will it be available in the States? Ask them, right here.

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ClosetKanban


Organize your kids’ closets with a simple solution.

Parents: If you’re frustrated with your kids’ over-stuffed, under-organized closets, here’s a simpler, smarter way to manage their wardrobes. The ClosetKanban system can help – these little kanban signboards are designed for clothing hangers. You can write on them like a whiteboard, then erase and use them over and over again.

Continuous-improvement consultants Kanban NY LLC is the company behind ClosetKanban – they design, manufacture and distribute these reusable, purpose-built “visual management products.” Owner Gregory Bohk says the company knows first-hand the advantages of Lean manufacturing and practices, which focus on eliminating wasted time, materials and costs at every turn continuously, no matter how minimal. “Lean is our way of working, and it’s foundational to our organization,” he says. “Through our products, we increase user convenience, enhance satisfaction, reduce process times, minimize waste and decrease costs, while retaining our focus on eco-friendly solutions.”

Retailers, Ring up More Purchases

Children’s clothing boutiques (or any retailer) can use ClosetKanban to generate interest in merchandise and drive increased sales with creative point-of-sale messages. The kanban signboards can be preprinted with any logo, artwork, messaging or other advertising material, too. Send shoppers home with a free tag that advertises your clothing line or store while leaving room on it for them to add hand-written notes.

Here’s what else ClosetKanban can do:

  • Check coats by name, not number – Label garments with the customer’s name, rack them alphabetically and eliminate the need for easily misplaced, printed tickets.
  • Get kids out the door quickly – Organize closets for the week ahead and plan on having smoother, less stressful mornings
  • Optimize your wardrobe – Identify your clothes by style, season, last-worn date, material or any other note to help you make the right choice, right away
  • Aid the visually impaired – Mark garments by hue to coordinate colors
  • Use them almost anywhere – Secure with rubber band to identify toys, tools or anything you use in play areas, workshops or craft centers.

Closet Kanban is available in multipacks of five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 50 and more, in a variety of colors, as well as the “complete system” that features five tags (one in each color), one wet-erase marker and a package of five rubber bands. Use them to attach ClosetKanban to tools and other items beyond hangers. Super simple, super easy.

Blu & Blue New York


Premium denim, redefined for kids. 

Since its launch in December 2015, retailers, customers, parents and kids are instantly taken by Blu & Blue, which has also built a wildly successful following among influencers and celebrity fans, too. Blu & Blue founder Aaina Jain leverages her family’s 35-year reputation in manufacturing quality denim to produce clothing for babies and toddlers that is versatile enough to wear all year long. Blu & Blue’s seasonal collections are contemporary, fashion-forward, comfortable pieces that are safety-tested, adorned with hand embroideries, denim techniques and washes. The denim in also combined with different fabrics, for a new, unique look for each garment. The super-soft yet durable apparel stands up to active playtime.

Company Mission – Do Denim Right #BluDoneRight

Blu & Blue is well-designed, mindfully-made and contemporary, with quality you can feel.  “Each Blu Product is made with you in mind – a quality conscious, fashion forward parent who values well designed, elegant and sustainable clothing for their children,” Aaina says in an interview with Home Business magazine. “Each product is thoroughly quality checked and given the Blu seal of approval before it is packaged and shipped directly to you.”

All Blu & Blue fabrics are free of lead, phthalates and flame-retardants. Every step of the design and manufacturing process is conducted in-house. Each Blu Product is thoughtfully designed, cut, stitched, ripped and repaired and washed at the company’s own state-of-the-art sustainable and eco-friendly manufacturing and washing facility. Special softeners and treatments are used to make the fabrics butter-soft for extra comfort, luxurious texture and look. The company also uses “saliva friendly” fabrics that are pre-washed for a safe and super soft garment.

The company says its strength lies in “our passion and commitment to deliver quality.” Retailers – check out Blu & Blue’s launch of the new Fall/Winter 2018 Collection at Children’s Club January 7-9!

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New Year Wishes


Blowin’ Snow

“My beautiful model was especially happy when I let her play with some snow during our photo shoot. She loved ‘blowin’ the snow’ out of her hands.”

-Javcom117*, Photographer. Photo taken at Swallow Falls State Park in Garrett County, Maryland. Some rights reserved.

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Qatrah


Have you heard of the slow-fashion movement?

Veteran women’s fashion designer Charu Wadhwa’s slow-fashion infant wear label Qatrah is designed in New York and ethically handcrafted in India by local artisans. Using handwoven, heirloom-quality fabrics, each Qatrah piece stands out in a sea of disposable fashion with designs that endure and can be passed down for generations.

“I think slow fashion lies in the essence of the textile process of Qatrah, where materials pass through the hands of one craftsperson to the other,” Charu says. “Qatrah is an effort to eschew factory and sweatshop culture in favor of equal pay and better working conditions for our artisans to create beautifully made pieces that can be worn, treasured and handed down from one child to the next.”

Charu’s clothing designs focus on freedom of movement for babies with airy silhouettes that reflect her Indian heritage. Rompers, harem pants, low-slung trousers and cotton-silk blankets (perfect for baby’s first trip home from the hospital) round out the breezy collection for 0 to 2-year-olds, available at www.qatrah.net.

Exquisite, Enduring Artistry

Qatrah is an ode from Charu to her daughter, Aria. Her newest collection, Little White Bird, has flowy, away-from-the-body silhouettes that feature the symbolism of the bird as its central motif. Charu revives the traditional Indian crafts of Daraj (reverse applique) and Chikankari (white on white embroidery) of Lucknow, with her distinctive, intricate embroidered designs of subtle bird details and playful, colorful tassel accents. The comfortable, breathable fabrics are all lovingly hand-dyed and finished on hand looms.

Upliftment

Charu Wadhwa is a designer with a strong interest in sustainable practices in the fashion industry and works for the upliftment of skilled and semi-skilled craftspeople. She hopes to be part of the new wave of designers and entrepreneurs that implement more conscious and careful practices within the fashion design field.

Charu’s extensive background in high-end women’s fashion sets her apart from other micro-fashion designers. Educated at NIFT in New Delhi and FIT in NYC, she has over a decade of experience working for the most esteemed design houses, including Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. From Nicole Kidman at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival, Naomi Watts at the 2014 Oscars, to Katie Holmes at the Met Gala, she has been instrumental in many memorable red carpet fashion moments.

“Do you know who made your clothes?” asks Charu. “At Qatrah, we work with artisans directly and towards their upliftment!”

Now, who wouldn’t love that?

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Kambia Kids


A clothing line company that envisions people getting together to help each other change the world. Crazy, right?

Los Angeles, CA-based Kambia Kids children’s apparel is inspired by diversity and creativity. The recently launched ungendered children’s apparel line for ages two through seven offers premium “NYC style” with a focus on streetwear to sleepwear.

The Kambia Kids team aspires to champion a child’s own individuality by creating a safe atmosphere where they can be who they are – live in their own skin, so to speak.

“We believe we can change an entire generation by supporting the personal growth, development and individuality of each independent person regardless of age, gender, ethnicity or status,” they tell me. “We can encourage the children we are raising to step outside the standard and challenge the status quo, and help them become the people they are met to be.”

How Does a Children’s Clothing Company Do This?

The Kambia Kids team cites this statistic: just 20 weeks into pregnancy, 85 percent of soon-to-be-parents are already designing their new nursery depending on the predicted gender of their newborn. Even before their baby sees the world where they will soon grow up, parents begin to program them as to how they should live, act, play and dress. “We live in a society with various gender roles, stereotypes and added limitations labeled onto all of us at such a young age. For things to change, we have to make a change.”

Kambia is driven to inspire and educate both parents and children by promoting brilliance, independence and originality. Kambia teaches power and peak performance. In addition to proving clothes for boys and girls, Kambia Kids believes in the value of helping children around the world. “We are gearing up to start a movement where every action we take has a positive impact on someone else:

CUSTOM DESIGNS

Each season, Kambia Kids introduces a custom design benefiting a cause. Click here to see this season’s shirt (pale moon swae tee), benefiting Trina’s Kids Foundation. To collaborate or send future ideas, please contact Kambia Kids here.

Kambia Kids understands how quickly children grow out of their clothes. The company offers loyal customers the opportunity to ship back used garments purchased so their designers can recycle the fabric and give your worn clothes to someone in need. The process is simple: shop with Kambia Kids, ship the clothes back when your little one has out-grown them and they will send + share them with someone in need. Learn more about their give-back program here.

Kambia Kids is 100% made, sourced and designed in the USA, paying close attention to detail and hold each hand-made piece to a high standard of excellence.

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Dapper + Crown


New Seasonless Apparel Children’s Brand Launches 

Based in southern California, Dapper + Crown is a recently launched, family-owned children’s apparel brand featuring classic clothes for children that can be worn every day.

Husband and wife team James and Yves Homan are thrilled to have their entire line Made in the USA – manufactured in Los Angeles, California utilizing imported fabrics.

“My clothes were typically made by my aunt or mother and handed down with love from one girl in the family to another,” says designer Mom Yves. “I could wear them to play or on a stylish Sunday drive with my dad, who passed down his innate love of fashion to me.”

Born and raised in the Philippines, she is inspired by reimagining these handcrafted pieces to wear herself or by others. After the Homans had their own daughter, they wanted to bring Yves’ wardrobe tradition to growing families in America.

Inaugural Collection

Dapper + Crown pieces are timeless in design and ageless in quality. Everything is made to be dashing and unique, as well as comfortable and durable:

 FIONA –  100% cotton, three-quarter sleeve top with collar and button back closure with flounced bottom, available in Aloe with Storm contrasting Peter Pan collar and trim or Pearl Pink with Coral collar and contrasting trim.

WILLOW – jump skirt with ruffle trim and crossed back, available in Citrus (corduroy) or Titanium (100% cotton).

MACKENNA – three-quarter sleeve dress with Peter Pan collar, button back, and back tie, available in 100% cotton Periwinkle or Sand.

PIPER – classic, tailored chambray blazer with notched collar, tan elbow patches, and star print lining.

Made to be worn continuously throughout the year, the size run is 2 – 6 and are available exclusively online at www.dappercrownclothing.com. The Homans are also passionate about supporting local manufacturing. With the entire collection made locally, the family can be intimately involved in the entire creative process.

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Lelli Kelly Kids Shoes


North American Shoe Company to Relaunch the Footwear Brand in Spring 2018

Rhode Island-based North American Shoe Company is the exclusive licensee for Lelli Kelly Kids in the U.S. and Canada, planning a relaunch of the shoe brand with a new collection in Spring 2018.

Lelli Kelly is renowned for putting the fun and funky back onto little girls’ feet. Launched in Italy in 1992 by the Attilieni family, every little girl wants a pair of Lelli Kelly’s because the gorgeous sparkly collections feature detailed hand-sewn beads and sequined flowers.  A fast favorite with girls, parents are thrilled because each shoe is machine washable, ensuring these high-quality styles stand up to being their little girl’s favorite.

“We are thrilled to be relaunching this much beloved brand in North America,” says Jon Shapiro, director of sales for North American Shoe Company. “This is the first time in several years there has been a specific U.S. distributor targeting consumers in the States. This gives the Lelli Kelly brand the opportunity to be showcased to moms and daughters in a way they are accustomed to.”

Sparkle & Shine Guaranteed Year-Round

The new spring assortment will include 12 to 16 styles of canvas sneakers, Mary Jane’s, high tops, sandals and joggers available in girls sizes from toddler to youth. A new website will launch in 2018 (www.LelliKellyUS.com) and the line will be available to consumers in late January. The launch will be supported by a social media campaign across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter with U.S.-specific platforms.

Jon tells us that the relaunch will not only appeal to established fans with easily recognizable looks, these designs will stand out from the crowd, creating new fans as well. “Children’s retailers across the country are so excited about the news and looking forward to having Lelli Kelly back on their shelves,” he says. “We’ve experienced such great response to the relaunch.”

Established in 1918, North American Shoe Company (NASC) is the exclusive distributor in the U.S. for Beeko, Foamtread slippers, Lelli Kelly Kids and Tundra Boots and also distributes Tingley rubber boots. NASC is the leading wholesaler catering to footwear retailers, catalogs, specialty boutiques and online retailers. The company is showing the Lelli Kelly line at the Atlanta Shoe Show, August 19-21, booth #127-133.

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Boyér Clothing


…For the Very Young.

Luxury children’s boutique Boyér Clothing designs beautifully tailored dresses for little girls. The company recently débuted an ecommerce luxury children’s line “for the very young.”

“Little girls should have the opportunity to look like little girls,” says co-founder Kami Boyér. “The current children’s wear category is overloaded with disposable fashion, adorned in bold colors and ornamentation. We felt there was a gap in the market for gorgeous fabrics with subtle color palettes, fine craftsmanship and classic silhouettes.”

Boyér Clothing is created by a sister duo who is inspired by the love of luxury clothing and finding simple, gorgeous dresses for their own little girls. Using their backgrounds in retail, the Boyér sisters have taken the last two years to design and develop their début line. They have also spent half a lifetime living, traveling and working across four continents. Their travels inspire them to create elegant dresses reminiscent of French and Italian chic, using the finest hand-made and hand-woven fabrics, sourced worldwide, married with elegant style.

“Our mission is to create products that delight. Products that you fall in love with when you touch and feel them and are comfortable enough that your child will want to wear them,” says Kami. “Not only is the fabric stunning but we have made the product easy to wear. From incorporating pockets, increasing the ease in the arm and neck holes to having fully lined garments, no detail has been spared. These are just a sampling of the innovative features we have incorporated to delight both parents and children alike.”

According to the Global Industry Almanac, the children’s wear category is forecast to reach $291.5 billion by the end of 2018. The growth in spend in this category is largely attributed to parents having children when they are older and more financially stable.

The Boyér sisters are dedicated to the ideal that children should have the option to own and wear clothes that have timeless beauty, yet give the child the freedom to run and smile. Boyér Clothing’s début collection includes dresses appropriate for girls aged two to six years that are designed to wear during playtime, styled to transition to any special occasion. BoyérClothing.com offers customers a user-friendly, easy to navigate showroom, where they can view and interact with the gorgeous dresses online.