Destination MIlan

Milan is a very fashionable city, and has become my home over the last 3 months. Upon arriving here, I was immediately shocked by the traffic and loud noises of a big city life. I am from California, but still am used to seeing a park at least every block. Milan is a little different. I had to do allot of research to find things for children to do, but when I did, I was extremely surprised at what I found. First off, traveling in Milan is a lot easier on a bicycle. You can avoid the traffic and truly see the entire city. It is extremely common to see children on the backs of bikes here, and I think is a great way for them to see the city too. There are many bicycle shops to rent, but there are large flea markets that you can also purchase bikes from of a fairly cheap price (30-50 euros). The main attractions for the young ones, are Arena civica (located at Via Gardio 2) and in the summer, Idropark Fila. Both are large parks, each with their own theme, but hours of entertainment for the whole family. Idropark Fila, even has a large lake that hosts canoeing and swimming, and Arena Civica has interactive park-like statues and a marine center with millions of aquatic creatures that children love to look at for hours. Gardaland is aimed for the older children, and is an amusement park with almost 40 different rides. On Olivetani, 3, Milan, Italy is the Teatro delle Marionette that has a marionette show for a very small fee, and arts and crafts for you to take home. Milan can be scary if you are not used to the big city, and looses some of the “old charm” of the smaller villages in the south, but is definitely a place to consider and explore.

Eye on Fashion: Miss Blumarine

Really standing out against the rest of the competition for next year is Italy’s premier children’s fashion line called Miss Blumarine. With their classic and fresh new take on Spring 2008, we will be sure to see many bold new prints tied in with rich simple solids in stores this coming season. Fabrics that are meant for play and not for look, yet remain trendy and updated are used to create fun active wear for the beach and park. Reinventing shorter bubble skirts and giving layers a new look by adding sheer fabrics over bold prints, give Miss Blumarine the cutting edge advantage to be a sure-fire spring hit. We look forward to the unveiling of the fall collections. Miss Blumarine was created by Italian designer Anna Molinari and her husband Gianpolo Tarabini in 1987, but has seen tremendous success over the last few years and expected to keep rising up the fashion charts. With help from designer Franco Moschino the company was almost guaranteed a spot in the front runnings. This fashion forward clothing is breaking through many barriers and even carrying their line into the tough selling market of Russia. Currently found mainly in small boutiques (thoughts of a new collaboration with Saks 5th Ave are in the works), Miss Blumarine is one to check out and keep your eye on for the future.

Fashion Star

This is our Fashion Star of The Month! This is 2-year-old Alex from London sporting some fun fashion.
Proud Parent: Vicki Harris

Eco-Friendly Kids

Everyday, we are bombarded with the scientific facts that we are slowly killing our planet and the sad fact is that our children will be the one’s who are left to clean up the damage. It is hard for us to imagine exactly what we can do to help, but there are small ways and habits we can change to do our part. This blog is about fashion, and children’s fashion in particular, so I wanted to bring to light some of the new and fun ways to incorporate saving our only planet with children’s clothing today.
The best way for us as parents today is to purchase eco-friendly fabrics. Many of us ask what exactly are eco-friendly fabrics, and what are the benefits. Eco fibers and organic fabrics are grown without the use of any pesticides or chemicals. To be certified as “organic”, a fabric must be regulated and monitored so no such products are used in the manufacturing process. Since we know that chemicals can be absorbed into our skin, why would we want these harmful products next to the sensitive skin of our little ones? Many of the chemicals used for dying clothing create enormous amounts of toxic waste that pollute the earth every day and can use extreme amounts of energy to create and dispose of. Using natural color dyes like clay can rid of this whole process. Besides being biodegradable and good for the environment, most of these fabrics just feel better next to our skin. Try bamboo for example, it is not only breathable and hypoallergenic, but it also feels soft and silky. What child wouldn’t love to sleep in that?
Sales in the last year for organic fabrics were over 1 billion dollars and growing still. People are starting to see not only the advantages for our planet, but also in comfort and health.

Kiddie Couture

With the children’s fashion industry booming and taking off as fast as it has over the last few years, it is no surprise to me that many designer labels are trying to get a piece of the action too. Remembering back a few years before this rise in a more high-end sense of children’s style, companies like Target and JC Penny’s had the edge in this huge market. Now, any brand that is found in most adult stores can also be linked with a collection of children’s clothing now too. The part that is truly surprising is the couture lines of children’s clothing with almost the same price tag. Companies like Armani Junior, Baby Dior, D & G Junior and Tommy Hilfiger for Kids are springing up everywhere and faster than we can even make these tiny consumers. With fashion forward advertising and runway shows costing into the millions, we know this industry has taken a turn. John Galliano who has always been linked to Dior, has even signed on to create a children’s clothing line to be revealed in the winter of ’08 for Diesel Clothing. It has brought so much buzz to the fashion world and I am sure we are to see many more big names jumping on the bandwagon soon. I browsed through numerous sites on the Internet and was taken back even by the amount of time and money used to make these elaborate web pages. The fun in this is to be able watch and be inspired by other fashion designers who have a love for art that is wearable and especially designing clothing for the little fashion conscious ones who have no voice of their own. With so many designers deciding to take on this industry, the only way we can move is forward now. We can watch the progression from the stereotypical ideas of what kids should wear to what couldn’t they wear. It has been such a mundane industry until now and the new question to ask is what’s next, and when can I buy it?

Winter Wear

Winter has come fast this year, and is always a difficult time for us as parents to get our children to stay warm while still remaining comfortable. I always picture the poor little brother from the movie A Christmas Story, and how he is so cramped in a snowsuit that he can hardly move. Sometimes we overdo it, assuming that our children will come home with frostbite if we don't bundle them up in every piece of warm clothing we can find in our house. Sometimes we forget that children need room to play and do what they do best, be a child.
While searching for winter coats for Sierra this year I was taken away by the great coats that are now being produced. With lighter weight materials like wool blends and staying away from the usual feather down puff jumpsuits, I was able to find something we could both agree on. I also found so many great new cuts that actually keep a child’s figure instead of the ever so popular snowman silhouette we are so used to seeing. The great new additions to winter wear for this year seems to be the simple and classic colors. This year, we seem to be staying away from the bold and sometimes obnoxious prints and loud colors that were so popular in the 80's, and should have stayed there. I have noticed allot of neutral earth tones and softer pastels mixed with some bold rich colors like reds and purples. Argyle prints have remained over the centuries and have come out with some new and more fun spins on this classic style. They are fun to play with and easy to layer by pulling out any one of the colors in the mix. Keep in mind, that layering is the best option and can be much more comfortable than a heavy sweater and bunchy coat. Find some lightweight long-sleeved shirts in any color and throw a simple heavier sweater with a fun print over it. STAY AWAY FROM AWFULL CHRISTMAS SCENE SWEATERS! Remember, would you wear it? If the answer is no, then neither should your little one.

While at a park in Paris, I couldn’t help but notice the amazing accessories that some of these children had on too. Hats, gloves and especially scarves seemed to be the popular garb for this years winter season. I am a huge fan of accessorizing, but know that these items tend to get lost by our little angels during play, so I came up with an easy do-it-yourself solution. By attaching a small line of heavy thread with a button to the inside of your child’s jacket and then attaching the other end to some gloves (remember to put the proper glove to the appropriate jacket sleeve) they now will never be able to come home with only one glove again! Then sewing the middle of the scarf to the back inside of the coat, and no missing scarves either. I haven’t come up with a way to keep their hats on yet, I'm just glad to see Sierra come back from the park with her head!