Is it just me or is it hard to find cool “comfy clothes” for kids?

If, like me, you are on the eternal search for a pair of groovy track pants, or complete “leisure suit” for junior that doesn’t scream “scratchy acrylic fabric from the 80s”, then Bornsage is for you.

The yoga pants are a favorite, matched with their kimono onesies and a reversible hoodie (both pictured), your child will be styling in no time!

Plus, all Bornsage clothing is made from 100% organic cotton and they adhere to the GOTS – Global Organic Textile Standard – to ensure that their products are 100% organic and that the products are made with environmentally and socially responsible manufacturing.

http://bornsage.com

Princess Ratbag Pettiskirts

Remember when you were a little girl and you just wished that you were allowed to wear your favorite princes skirt everywhere?  Well, one of us has grown up and created Princess Ratbag Pettiskirts!

These skirts have quickly become the hottest new must-have item for every girl, and when you see one you will understand why.

Styled with a plain t shirt and leggings they pull off modern chic as equally as they fit into the dress-up basket, and they are special enough to be treated with love for many generations.

1. Ribbon Featured - shown here in Rasberry with Baby Pink Ribbon Trim. This gorgeous number also comes in rainbow, two shades of pink, red and lavender.

2. Two-tone - shown here in aqua with pink trim, it also comes in a gorgeous black with red trim which would be idea for tweens to wear with black leggings as a party frock. The range of pretty colors includes chocolate, pink, aqua and purple.

3. Solid Colour – I selected the white skirt, as I thought it would be ideal for a christening or a flower girl dress. It also comes in yellow, black, raspberry, pink and red.

4. Print Designs - for those of you who are adventurous, there are 4 great print designs to chose from. The following is show in brown leopard print:

5. Custom pettiskirt – Have something else in mind? Princess Ratbag can custom make pettiskirts. There is a minimum of 5 each per size, per color request; so perhaps you can get a group of friends together and design your own!  (The following is from the two tone collection in baby pink with raspberry trim):

Sizes are from infant to teens, so there is something for everyone. From the Princess Ratbag site: “Our gorgeous floaty pettiskirts are made by up to 7 metres of luxurious nylon chiffon and feature an elastic waistband and ribbon waist feature to allow room for growth.”

Check out some great pics of girls in their pettiskirts here

White on White!

From sweaters and jackets to shorts, pants and shoes, white is a must have look for your mini hipster this season. Whether it be all white, or just one piece in an outfit, there is something very cool and almost sophisticated about a child dressed in white.

Gone are the days that white needs to be avoided for children. Most clothes can be soaked, sprayed, rubbed or dry cleaned to within an inch of their lives and they can still come out looking brand new.

If you are not game enough to try an all white outfit, pick a piece; it’s easy to team a white t-shirt or shirt with denim jeans or skirt, its clean and its fresh, and you can always add colored accessories to accent the outfit. There are some fabulous white jeans and pants for boys and ¾ length shorts for girls which can be teamed with a navy or red striped sweater any of the strong blues, greens or yellows that are so strong this season.

Here are some ideas:

For the Girls:

1. Pleated Polo Dress from Ralph Lauren – along with Gap, this brand is one of our favorites for clean, stylish designs, that are hip yet reasonably priced.  And the sizes range from 2-16 so there’s something for all the hipsters in the house:

2. Smocked Top from 77 Kids – this great summer top can be teamed with white short or pants (suggestions below) or would look equally as good with denim jeans.  And an all white outfit also looks great with a bright accessory like a colorful belt of scarf:

3. Cuffed white denim capris from Gap – these white denim capri’s would look equally as good with a white top as they would with a bold summer color:

4. Belted button-tab shorts from Gap – like the capri’s, these would look great with an all white outfit, or with a bright colored top:

5. Cotton Shrug from Ralph Lauren – perfect for a cool summer’s evening:

6. bright sunny scarf from 77 Kids – the perfect accessory for an all white outfit:

For the Boys:

1. Big Pony Polo in white from Ralph Lauren from Ralph Lauren – in sizes that suit every hipster in the house:

2. Custom-Fit Twill Pant from Ralph Lauren from Ralph Lauren – if you’re a slightly nervous about your little man being in white, these pants also come in darker colors. But we think you should take a chance…after all, that’s what oxyclean is for! And the colored belt breaks up an all white outfit nicely (and would also go well with the aforementioned polo):

3. 77 dapper straw fedora from 77 kids – what a great way to accentuate an all white outfit, while adding some function with keeping the sun out of your little guys eyes:

White on white? What a clean idea!

I recently read that the direction this season for women’s fashion is to “look happy, colourful, in possession of a sense of humour and to be a little bit mad.”   This must surely translate perfectly to children’s fashion this Spring / Summer!

Ok kids, let’s shed off those deep winter greens, blues and reds and bring out orange, cobalt, yellow, pink and dare I say it, chartreuse.

Let’s get those boys into some fun colors for spring – its not just for the girls.  I have picked out some of my favorites, but I must say, I loved so many, it was hard to choose.

If the trend this season is the most upbeat, carefree, thrilling fun fashion we’ve seen in years – can’t the kids join the party?

FOR THE GIRLS:

1. Yellow cardigan from Boden – perfect to wear over a dress, or with denim jeans and a bright colored t-shirt (the name of the game is to mix up colors and be playful!):

2. Green Floral Anelie Dress from Ralph Lauren - this is a gorgeous special occasion dress that would also look great with the yellow Boden cardigan for cooler evenings:

3. Supersoft embroidered ruffle dress from the Gap- this supersoft dress from Gap is superfun, and comes in three bold party colors of aqua, field green and this hot fuchsia:

4. Tiered colorblock dress from the Gap - the Gap description states it best…”This dress is all about girly fun with tons of bright color and stylish tiers”:

FOR THE BOYS… (don’t forget, they get to join in the fun too!):

1. Classic Mesh Polo from Ralph Lauren - this all time classic polo is reasonably priced at $29, and comes in the entire spectrum of cool summer colors from Laguna Purple and Active Pink, to Caribbean Blue and this Rugby Royal:

2. Straight-Leg Chino Jean from Ralph Lauren - in Lifeboat Green, these chino’s would look great paired with flip-flops and a blue or white t-shirt, or teamed with sandals and the aforementioned polo in Rugby Royal:

3. Plaid patchwork shorts from the Gap – these shorts can take your little man from the beach to the dining room, and would look just as good with a t-shirt, or with polo in pretty much any color:

4. 80’s Mix shorts from Chalk n Cheese – these board shorts are the epitome of summer fun and cool:

So make sure you join in the fun this Spring / Summer, and get those bold colors onto your minihipsters!

There’s been a revival in the wearing of all types of hats over the last few years, especially for males – a popularity that one imagines hasn’t been seen since the days of Bogart as a private detective, or Audrey Hepburn with oversized shades and extra-long cigarette holder…

But how do you go about choosing a kids hat this spring/summer?

Children’s hats are not just about being functional anymore, and with so many options to choose from you definitely want your child’s hat to work with the rest of his/her wardrobe! There are some very cool designs around, if you are prepared to look.

Just imagine putting your son in this plaid fedora from Goorin teamed with a plain t-shirt or shirt, and some denims. Instant attitude!

Or if the fedora is too much, what about this cool seersucker or stylish gatsby, both also by Goorin!

Every girl needs a pretty sun hat! and there couldn’t be a better option, at least for values sake, than a reversible hat, like this fabulous design from miniBoden. This style of hat is somewhat old fashioned and girly, but that’s the idea and I just love them!
Plus the extra wide brim keeps the sun off precious skin.

For high summer, I think every mum’s personal favorite is the bucket style, also known as the fisherman’s hat. The bucket style seems to suit everyone, boys and girls alike; ‘plonking’ one of these babies on your baby’s head is easy. These are bright and colourful – for him from miniBoden (left), and her from Debenhams (right).

If it’s a more standard type of cap that keeps your little lady happy, how about this military style from Roxy (left), or for him this cadet cap, again from Goorin.

Personally, I think the “cap with fabric down the back to protect the neck from the sun” is not too cool, however extremely functional… but I’m struggling to find one that doesn’t look like it belongs around the beach or in the pool (that is, made of spandex or ’swimmers’ material).

I had some great fun looking around, now I have to cross my fingers and hope I can get my children to wear them!

I think opinions are quite divided on Crocs.
Or should I be more specific, Crocs for kids. I cannot get over how many children I see walking the streets in these plastic ‘clog’ styles shoes. It’s a phenomenon!

I personally don’t like them for my children at all. I don’t let them wear them out shopping or at the playground or generally in public if I can help it. However I do like them for swimming lessons as my children can slip them straight onto their feet without the fuss of drying and shoes and socks. BUT, I must say my children love their Crocs. They would wear them all the time if they could; easy to take on and off, the colors are bright and they often come with their favorite Dora or Diego or other licensed shoe charms.
I can’t really blame them…

I recently asked several carers at a child care center what they thought about Crocs. The unanimous verdict was a negative. Apparently the children’s feet are not given any support and they have trouble climbing and running around in them and often trip over.
Interesting!

Well regardless of whether we love them or hate them, the company itself is extremely clever. They really have created the most amazing and popular shoes for adults and children of all time, out of a plastic clog!
They are profitable – revenue for the 2008 year was at $721.6 million! There’s a Crocs blog, an online community, a fan club, a facebook page, a flickr page, they even sponsor the AVP Pro Beach Volley Ball Tour.
I could keep going…

But most importantly, they have started the “Soles United” Program, whereby all your donated used Crocs are recycled, cleaned, ground down and made into a brand new pair of Crocs that are then donated to poor countries in Africa, South America and Asia. Another phenomenal idea that is making a difference throughout the world. Perhaps for this program alone I could keep buying them.

Tell us, do you love them or hate them?
I would love to know, where do your children wear their Crocs?