Top-Sellers:
I Like Your Style for Spring/Summer
2008
Shoppers
love the ease of finding an online boutique that stocks
collections they admire. Another joy for buyers is
stumbling upon a website that offers one or two appealing
labels crafted by a site's owner. That's the case with
two of our retailers: HIP
KID CLOTHING and
FOOEY.
At both of these shops, the owners create and manufacture
items with a laid-back, slightly edgy aesthetic and,
another plus for shoppers, their prices are affordable.
Our third store, LADYBUGS
AND LILYPADS, answers
the growing need for classic yet playful pieces that can
be personalized.
EASY TO BE
HIP
Mary Killelea launched
HIP
KID CLOTHING in 2007 to
offer her Pimpfants collection of Hip Hop
influenced, comfortable clothing to children's gift
buyers.
This season, Killelea's customers
are buying up infant one-pieces and capped sleeved
T-shirts for toddlers. For the youngest hipsters
Pimpfants offers the "40 oz." one-piece ($17.95, fits NB
to 18 months). The simple milk bottle adds a jolt of
graphic interest to jeans or even a diaper cover.
Pimpfants capped sleeved tees in
offbeat color combinations are ideal for a little "Diva"
or a stylin' "Lil G." The rich black and plum tone and
elegant gray and teal combinations are popular for summer
into fall. (Girls and boys $18.95, fits 12 months to 5T.)
The always trendy velour track suit
in the ever-popular brown-and-blue combination is a
HIP
KID customer favorite.
The infant and children's Velour Crown Hoody Set ($34.95,
fits 6 months to 5T) is "extremely soft to the touch
adding great comfort," says Killelea.
A WORLD OF LADYBUGS AND
LOLIPOPS
On the flip side of the kids'
market is Sara Tyndall's LADYBUGS
AND LILYPADS,
where "mostly mothers and grandmothers" look for "classic
and timeless" pieces, often monogrammed.
"Our customers are looking for
personalized unique items this year. Monogrammed outfits
and handpainted shoes are hot items. Moms want their
child to stand out! We've seen an increase in birthday
outfits this year too," adds Tyndall. At the recent
Stationery and Gift trade shows in New York City, items
that could be monogrammed were seen in every style
collection.
Customers are enamored with the
Monogrammed Birthday Cupcake Swing Top and Ruffled Pant
Set by Lollipops and Gumdrops ($84.98, fits NB to
16). "This set is sure to make any little girl a perfect
princess on her special day," says Tyndall. The gingham,
ruffled swing top and pants come with the customer's
choice of name or initial monogram.
Boys can join in the fun with
Lollipops and Gumdrops' Monogrammed Birthday
Cupcake Short Sleeve Shirt ($37, fits 3 months to 10).
The cute cupcake shirt can be personalized at no
additional charge.
Classic and timeless as the
LADYBUGS
AND LILYPADS'
store may be, when it comes to footwear, Tyndall's
clients look for a fun product. Monkey Toes'
handpainted Little Ladies Mary Janes with the playful
"laces" and the adorable Froggie Sneakers (both $29, fits
sizes 1 to 10) add a distinctive note to any
outfit.
OH, FOOEY!
"FOOEY
is dedicated to creating clothes for infants and toddlers
with a design sensibility that fuses a parent's style
with a child's sense of fun and wonderment. It is a
children's line that kids love and adults wish they could
wear," say the owners Julia Finlayson and Kent
Rayhill. Finlayson, a former executive producer for
one of Chicago's top advertising post-production
companies and a mother of three, and her partner Rayhill
who owns a graphic design company, launched
FOOEY
in 2003.
"We have a wide variety of
customers from all over the world," says Finlayson. "We
get orders from New York, L.A. and Chicago but we also
have a lot of customers in really small towns all over
the country. We feel most successful when our designs
appeal to a wide variety of people while still keeping an
edge."
Finlayson's customers look for
modern, quirky design and they're price-conscience as
well. "Our customers appreciate our boutique style
designs and quality at a more affordable price," she
says. "More affordable" is an understatement. Most of the
items in the kids' collection are priced under
$20.
With purple being the "It" color
for summer, the rich plum Storm Clouds sundress is a
must-have purchase. The hand-illustrated, all cotton
frock is cut with ample room to move and looks cute with
the shoulder ribbons tied into bows atop a contrasting
T-shirt, as shown. ($14.99, fits 12 months to 6 years.)
Customers are responding also to
the soft blue tone and tongue-in-cheek "how-to" knot-tie
illustrations on the Know Your Knots pocket tee. ($13.99,
fits sizes 12 months to 6.)
The casual 100 percent cotton
canvas Spackler shorts ($19.99, fits sizes 2 to 6 years)
look sharp with frayed front and back pockets and orange
contrast stitching. The item is offered in dark gray and
army green, two neutrals that help freshen a wardrobe of
denim blue separates. Visit www.fooeyusa.com.
Originally published June 18,
2008
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