We all love a bit of comfy, soft clothing to wear at home. I often wear a pair of leggings with a striped t-shirt or a chunky sweater when I’m lounging around on a Sunday. When Anya comes home from school the first thing she does is uniform off and some leggings and a tee on. On top of this will go all kinds of crazy dressing up gear but underneath it’s stuff that doesn’t restrict and feels good against the skin. While I’m all for comfy, I also want us to be able to slip on a pair of boots and a coat and step out in whatever we’re wearing.
For everyday kids essentials like leggings and tees, one of my favourites is this organic cotton range of simple stripes and solids by Mabo Kids. Classic, comfy and stylish, these baby and kids essentials are more than smart enough to step out in yet so wearable and practical for any activity inside and out. I’m especially loving that grey all in one which looks so cool with a pair of wellies. And since I’m not a track pants kind’a gal, those striped loose organic leggings with a solid coloured tee are such a stylish alternative for boy or girl. If only all everyday clothing was this comfy and cool!
I can’t resist a good sale. Actually I don’t know too many women who can. At the moment with our huge house renovation project coming up I’m trying to look after the pennies and not shop except during sale time. Visiting sales can often mean trawling through messy shelves in shops and hanging around long queues so I much prefer checking out the sales from the comfort of my own sofa.
One of my favourite sales of the year (apart from my shop of course 🙂 ) is the Smallable kids clothing sale in January. There is so much gorgeous stuff on offer so choosing just a few pieces is the hard part. But at least when you’re sat on your sofa in the comfort of your own home, you can browse away and take your time deciding. With that in mind I thought I would share some of my favourite pieces from their current sale which has offers up to 60% off – talk about hard to resist! Here I’ve picked the pieces that are tempting me for Anya. I’m especially finding those red leopard print socks and that wolf sweater very hard to resist.
Many of my readers tell me that they wish I had more boys stuff on the blog. So today I decided it would be fun to do a boys edit too. I often wonder how I would have dressed a boy if I had one and now I have some idea. I was really drawn to the animal illustrations, a bit of superhero style and some colour mixed in with lots of greys, blacks and whites. I’ve also realised that blue is definitely not a favourite of mine for a boy. Oh and those leopard socks – I think they’re perfect for boy or girl.
How adorable is the knee high socks look? Not as warm as tights but it looks so cute with skirts, dresses and even shorts and bloomers. I love this look as it adds so much style without much effort. It’s not practical of course in the depths of Winter but as soon as Spring starts to come and even in the cooler Summer days, I know I want to find a load of knee-high socks for Anya. You can add a pop of colour to muted outfits with a bright pair of socks, go for a matching look or it’s a great way to add a pattern or print to a plain outfit. You can change the whole look of an outfit just with a pair of socks and it looks totally adorable! Do you know any fun and colourful ranges of knee high socks for kids? I’d love to know.
One of the biggest joys of our new home is that we have our very own garden. We’ve wanted one for ages but have never found the right home with the right garden and now we have. Yay! So even thought it’s cold and the garden is overgrown we still get out there for short bursts. Normally when Anya goes out there I make her wear a coat which she finds a bit restrictive for her outdoor adventures. But recently she was sent this gorgeously soft cashmere cardigan which is oh so warm. So this Sunday I let Anya wear that with a couple of tee’s under and play outside for a bit and she didn’t once complain of being cold.
I love the stylish touches on this grey cashmere cardi like the mother of pearl buttons that go down the side rather than the middle. This cardigan is great for dressing up or down too. Anya’s worn it before with a long dusty pink tutu to a birthday party but this Sunday we were having a relaxed day and a late brunch with some friends so we dressed it down with skinny jeans and some cool orange boots. The cardigan is made by the French Oscar et Valentine who also make some beautiful baby clothes as well as classic cashmere pieces for boys. Many of their styles are timeless and classic and come in an understated and very French colour palette. For something a little edgier, try one of their slogan cashmere jumpers with words like ‘milk’ or ‘rock’ on them – they’re pretty cool too.
Anya spent her time outdoors looking for caterpillars and when she couldn’t find any she pretended they were there anyway and started to collect little leaves to feed them. If you’ve already got a garden (or back yard as my readers across the pond call it) then you know what a magical place it is for a kid. And to be able to spend even a little time outside in Winter is a real treat. As long as the weather’s not crazy cold, I think Anya will be donning her very warm cashmere cardi and heading out there every weekend!
Everywhere you turn, it’s all about Christmas. So today I wanted to take a break from all the festive chatter and share these gorgeous dresses for girls. Clean, understated pieces that can be worn for any occasion. From one of my favourite high street stores, these dresses could not be simpler or more stunning. Anya has last years version of the orange and pink block dress (the skirt part was black last year) and whenever she wears it the compliments don’t stop coming. This year I’ve got my eye on the bright blue bubble dress although the black dress with the pink collar is so striking in it’s simplicity. Styles like this really speak to me because I’m not a fan of too much fuss and embellishment but more importantly I think dresses like this really allow the child wearing them to shine rather than detracting from the child. What do you think? Too simple or simply stunning?
Once in a while a new line of baby clothing comes along that literally takes my breath away. It makes me wish for another baby simply because the clothes are that beautiful. This is one of those times. Brand new from California is Rylee & Cru created and designed by Kelli Murray who is mum to Rylee and Cru and an artist/designer. I have come across Kelli’s work before and have admired her simple, understated style that really stood out for me. The same style is now on these clothes – that swan print onesie, or the bunny print one – how beautiful are they? Playful and cute for babies yet so sophisticated to appeal to parents too. All the prints are hand illustrated or painted by Kelli and the subtle colour palette makes a beautiful backdrop for these drawings. I love the off-white, grey and blush tones in the collection – in fact I love it all. If only I had a baby to put it on… sigh!
There is something so special about cashmere. I don’t know if it’s the softness or the feel against your skin, but it is truly gorgeous stuff. Recently I discovered Italian Cashmirino who create beautiful cashmere classics for babies and kids. Anya and I visited their flagship store at the stunning Burlington Arcade in London and the clothes were really quite special.
Maria, who is the owner and designer has a very distinct and classic style. All the clothes are timeless which makes them perfect to hand down from one sibling to another and even one generation to the next. And for a change, there is loads for the boys too – maybe even more for boys than girls. What I especially loved though was the baby collection. Soft doesn’t even begin to describe it. And the styles and colours seriously made me broody! If you want to indulge in a bit of cashmere for your baby or kids, Cashmirino is the place to check out.
During our visit, while I browsed the clothes, Anya was given something a lot more fun to do. She was offered the chance to design her very own cashmere jumper which she jumped at! Cashmirino are running a fun competition where your kids can design a jumper and the winning design will be made in to a real Cashmirino jumper as part of their next Winter collection. Anya was the first child to take part and she had great fun creating a design which you can see in the picture above (apologies for the quality of the pics – all iphone pics) . And as a thank you for taking part, the lovely designer Maria gifted her with a pair of the softest striped gloves – lucky Anya! All kids are welcome to take part so if you’d like to join in just visit the Burlington Arcade, London store where your kids will be given a jumper template and coloured pens to get busy with while you can have a browse. Maria will personally choose a winner and if you win, your jumper will be made for real. How great will that be? There’s also a little treat for each child that takes part.
Yesterday I shared my favourite Christmas clothes for girls from our shop so today it’s the turn of the boys. Do you gift your boys clothes? I don’t know if boys get as excited about clothes as girls but if they do, I’ve picked out some fabulous pieces that they will enjoy wearing. Our boys collection is a bit smaller than the girls one but each piece is hand-picked and slightly unusual. And we have some very cool pieces that are big on comfort and style like the strapped trousers as well as the geometric dot trousers. So here are my Christmas gift picks for the boys and don’t forget that there is 20% of everything in the shop till Monday 1st December. Just use code THANKS02:
With Christmas fast approaching (how did that happen so quickly?!) I’ve been thinking about gifts and outfits for Anya. And with her birthday a few weeks before Christmas, I always need to think about that celebration too. This year with the launch of my Korean kids clothing shop, I can’t help but gift her some clothes from there – it’s too tempting and easy when it’s all in front of me! Besides, I do love all the stuff otherwise I wouldn’t have chosen it. So as part of this years gift lists, here is a Christmas edit for the girls with a special discount for you – see details at end of post. These clothes will make beautiful Christmas gifts for any little girl or why not let her choose her favourite? When shopping for Anya, I often shortlist my favourtie pieces and then let her choose from those – it means there’s no risk of her picking something crazy and over the top but she also gets to be involved.
First is my dress edit. Whether you’re looking for something unusual, classic or quirky we have something for you. A small selection but one carefully picked. The Levine dress is probably the most Christmasy of them all being red. The peter pan collar and the defined waist make this a classic piece with vintage touches that really stand out. Next is the quirky Helena dress – a see through lace over-dress which is girly but very cool. It can be worn over leggings or jeans with a plain top or something more elaborate for an even quirkier look. It’s different and not your conventional Christmas dress but we love a little whimsy around here. Last is possibly my favourite – the Erba dress. It’s pictured with a top under but to be honest, I love it worn on it’s own. A very unusual dress with an unexpected herringbone trim that looks stunning on. This one will probably be my choice of dress for Anya this Christmas.
If you prefer mixing and matching, we have some gorgeous separates too. For the separates we had to pick the Magritte top. In soft cotton and modal, this top is as comfy as a t-shirt but still so elegant. With balloon sleeves and the tie detail at the back, this top is an adorable party piece. It can be paired with anything but we especially love it with our floral Benslily skirt. Like the Magritte top, the Benslily skirt is a timeless and elegant piece. Both are understated but still so pretty. Last but not least is our stunning Mellow tutu skirt. The longer length and the dusky pink colour really give this skirt the wow factor. Anya has one and the compliments she receives when she wears it are endless!
Those are my top picks for girls clothing gifts this festive season. All the clothes are stylish but have been designed with kids in mind so there is no compromise on comfort. So when the kids get up to lots of mischief this Christmas you can be sure that their clothes won’t restrict them (or maybe you want clothes that do!).
Enjoy 20% off all these gorgeous clothes and everything else in the shop with code: THANKS02. Valid from today till the end of Monday 1st December. Enjoy!
I recently came across a kids clothing brand that not only creates beautiful clothes but also has a genuine desire to give back especially to kids less fortunate. With the festive season coming up, it’s very much a time for giving and Velveteen has taken this thought and created a limited edition range of beautiful festive pieces where 100% of profits will go to support children’s education in India. Being Indian and having lived there for many years, I’ve known and met many, many kids who don’t get the education they deserve so to see a company trying to help this cause really resonated with me.
This limited edition range includes floaty dresses, pretty tops and shimmery skirts in soft pastel shades. All the pieces are beautiful and perfect for the party season. For the festive season I know Anya would always pick a girly dress especially one that allows you to twirl and swirl and Velveteen definitely know how to do understated and classy girly looks. In addition to this range, Velveteen kids also offers their Autumn/Winter 2014 range that comes in striking deep colours like plum, charcoal and teal. I’m loving their two-tone Nelly dress especially in the plum and camel combination. And they’ve also got some adorable pieces for babies.
Velveteen’s limited edition flash sale runs from 28th November to December 2nd. If the cause appeals to you and you want to help, just buy a gorgeous piece for your daughter knowing that 100% of profits will go towards educating a child in India.
Ebabee Likes is a style guide for babies, kids, teens and their mamas. It’s all about inspiration, ideas and indulging yourself and your brood. It’s written by me ~ Nomita ~ a style loving girl from Mumbai who now live’s in London. Read More...
