More
for Fall 2005
When
I interviewed designers for this shopping column - my
second on sourcing great children's fall and winter wear
on the Internet - all they wanted to talk about was
color, color, color! Malley Gaulding of
Malley
& Co. is enthralled
with celery green and pale pink; Sachin Batra, the
designer of Le
Fromage et L'orange, is
big on heathered gray, and orange, of course, a hue that
he sneaks into most of his collections; Keith
Kauffman of K.Kauff-men
is into "anything with chocolate brown or gray";
Alicen Damico, the founder of Kid
Simone, a new website
for modern children's clothing, can't get enough of
magenta, and chocolate, and pumpkin...and then I had to
stop her.
Every item below reflects this
season's rich color palette, are deliciously snugly and
manufactured with the finest craftsmanship.
INFANT GIRLS. Every
Bebe Natural (bebenatural.com)
product is hand knitted in Peru from fine Alpaca,
Peruvian Pima cotton and Peruvian wool. You can see the
quality of the yarn by the garment's sheen and feel it in
the silky hand of each piece. The pale pink cardigan
sweater is charming edged with a soft ruffle around the
sleeves and hem ($32.50, 2 to 6 years).
Buyers love Malley & Co.
(malleyandco.com)
for its delightful sportswear and dress groups colored in
soft, fashion forward tones. Their velour "Hoodie Dress,"
from the Malley Sport division, is casual, but not too
informal for a dinner out with the folks. ($48, 12 months
to 6X).
Malley Gaulding, who designs the
line with and her partner, Theresa Helms, says,
"We knew the dress was a winner when my six-year-old
granddaughter Olivia said, 'It looks good.' When a kid
gives something the thumbs up, you know it'll sell, and
boy, did it ever!"
INFANT BOYS. Talk
about practical! Widgeon's faux suede, faux fur-
lined bunting with matching mittens available at
Blueberry Babies (blueberrybabies.com),
keeps infants warm from head to toe, and stylish, too.
($65.60, 3 months-up to 14 lbs; 6 months-up to 18
lbs)
I'm partial to the earthy tones of
autumn, but Malina's black "Polo Jumpsuit"
(malinas.com),
with its flashes of deep red, bright blue and olive, are
too exuberant to resist. The one-piece is knit from a
blend of 85 percent silk and 15 percent cashmere for a
soft hand and easy washing. At $35 (reduced from $84),
it's a great buy. (Small, 3-6 months; Medium, 6-12
months).
Be prepared for Junior to receive
positive comments when he's dressed in Zutano's
two-piece "Moose on Skis" set, available at Trendy
Togs (trendytogs.com).
The cotton sweater sports the playful animal in mid-jump;
the leggings coordinate in tones of chocolate, pumpkin,
sky, red and cream. ($47, 6 to 24 months).
TODDLER GIRLS. Buyers
turn to the Kids Fashion Brokers (kidsfashionbrokers.com)
for colorful, well-made cotton socks and tights. Now
they've added sportswear from manufacturers who share
their playful sensibility. Room Seven's two-tiered
skirt looks fairytale sweet autumn through winter. Once
the weather warms up, its embroidered felt top layer can
be removed, and the floral cotton petticoat becomes a
child's favorite spring-into-summer item. ($119.99, 2T,
4T and 8).
Girls will be cozy - and fabulously
dressed - in Cozy Toes' 2-piece suit ($120, 2T-4T;
$130, 4 and 6) available at Little Fashions
Boutique (littlefashionsboutique.com).
Little details like the green velvet ribbon edging the
tweed jacket and the flower appliqué on the flared
skirt, lend the set an insouciant appeal.
Some clothes are fine for a season
or two, others, like the magnificent sweater by Sugar
Pi, found on Mistyjean & Company
(mistyjean.com),
are meant to be worn, then carefully packed away as an
heirloom. The designers, Catherine Andreozzi
and Brenda Swift, lace a wide French ribbon
through the neckline of the cardigan's pale blue wool,
then tie it into a floppy bow. Flip the garment over and
gorgeous floral embroidery blooms along the garment's
back. ($124, 2T-6).
If you can splurge on only one item
this season, make it a novelty coat. The faux suede,
Asian-inspired beauty from Carioca, with its
exotic floral print and pink faux fur trim ($138, 2-4),
glimmers like the patterned oils of Gustav Klimt.
Available at Trendy Togs (trendytogs.com).
TODDLER BOYS. There's
nothing wrong with orange when it's paired with olive, or
chocolate, or even black, but when the vibrant hue is
coupled with a rich heathered charcoal, the combination
screams European couture.
Sachin Batra, the owner and
designer of Le
Fromage et L'orange,
a collection of lushly colored boys' and girls' wear,
says, "Heathered gray can replace black and brown and it
works with everything - especially orange." When the
tones are used together in his "Awesome Striped Tee,"
($56, 2T-6) the look, says Batra, "is rugged but still
suitable for a birthday party." He pairs the top with
heathered gray cargo pants made from wool felt with a
velvety hand. ($52, 2T-6). Available on Little
Fashions Boutique, (littlefashionsboutique.com).
Keith and Holly Kauffman,
who own and design K.Kauff-men,
a collection of better sportswear, were one of the first
manufacturers to display large, mix-and-match groups for
boys that utilize luxurious textiles. Naturally, they're
a hit with buyers who pack the Kauffman's booth at every
industry trade show.
Keith says, "We always use a darker
palette for fall, but we try to keep the colors lively."
In addition to chocolate and blue, we "brought a lot of
gray into the collections this season," he says.
Child Magazine featured the
Kauffman's deep blue and gray argyle zip-front sweater
($58, 2T-3T) in its August 2005 issue. To order the wool
and cotton blend topper online, log on to Mistyjean
& Company (mistyjean.com).
BIG GIRLS. A black
T-shirt with a tattoo design might be too hard-edged for
some mothers, but Lyla Blu's top, available on
So Whimsy (sowhimsy.com),
has a touch of sweetness thanks to the visible seams and
the "inks" cascade of blooming roses. ($34, Medium, 4T;
Large, 6T).
If you haven't already found Kid
Simone (kidsimone.com),
the new website for modern, clean-lined kids' clothing,
it's time to log on. The site's owners are Alicen Dimeco,
a former model and gift buyer for A-list celebrities, and
her husband, Steven Dimeco, who designs simple
children's furniture available exclusively on their
website. Says Alicen, "Magenta, smoke gray, pumpkin and
chocolate are my favorite colors this season. They give a
warm and robust welcome to fall and winter, and remind us
to prepare for those hot chocolate nights by the fire."
Alicen is a big fan of Tea,
a collection of fine knitwear and sportswear with an
Asian aesthetic. The company's "Pointelle Knit Tunic
Dress" in Alicen's pet color magenta, looks just as
stylish over tights as it does atop Tea's wide leg
chocolate corduroys printed with mauve and wine feathers
(tunic and pants $58 each, 4-6).
BIG BOYS. Green is
the "It" color of the season; stripes are a classic; and
boys love dogs, so you can't go wrong with Spudz'
T-shirt with its sage stripes and vintage dog
appliqué. Little Dragonflies
(littledragonflies.com).
($23, 4-6).
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