droolicious : dress-up

Big Deal: Hanna Andersson Dress Sale Ends Sunday

elizabeth leach — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 17:00:00 GMT

I almost missed this fantastic sale and I am in the market for a holiday dress for my daughter. After scouring all the usual websites, I love the Hanna Andersson dresses the most so it's time to act!

The Milano Dress (above photo) is an elegant sweater dress that is pure Hanna Andersson. Soft, fine cotton with contrast cording details and hand crocheted, popcorn edges. This dress was $59.50 and is now $39.

The Snow Happy Sherpa Dress (above photo) feels like a teddy bear with a mix of cotton and polyester. This machine washable, swing dress hits above the knee. It was $39.50 and is now $19. (I think this might be our new dress!)

Shop Hanna Andersson and take advantage of the sale!

Haute Halloween by Wovenplay

Erin Behan — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:55:00 GMT

Suppose your kid already has a pony but still needs the cowgirl or cowboy outfit to match? Wovenplay has your costume (for Halloween or any time of year). The brand has cornered the market on high-end dress-up clothing. It uses only natural and organic fabrics, and the products betray a level of detail not usually seen in children's costumes. The skirt and bolero above, for example, are made of moleskin and include intricate detailing. It also comes with a rope lasso. The set can be yours for $156 from Tiny McSmall. And check out the boy's version, also $156.

Boys Can Play Dress-up, Too

Erin Behan — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:22:00 GMT

Nothing dresses up your little "Dennis the Menace" like a snazzy tie. This one, from new website Shop Ashley York ($12.95), features a black and white canvas top layer and a black corduroy bottom layer. What I find most amusing, however, is that the tie is meant to be too short, ensuring that if your kid can't pull off the discombobulated kid look naturally, it's still guaranteed to happen.

Big Deal: Seersucker For Your Thumbsucker

Meredith Broussard — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 20:15:00 GMT

Here's some bad news and some good news.

The bad first: the parent company of babystyle.com has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

The good news: they're not going out of business, just closing some stores.

Daddytypes reports that six of the company's 23 store locations will liquidate inventory within five weeks. Locations to be closed include:

The Shops at Mission Viejo, Mission Viejo, CA

Barton Creek, Austin, TX

Willow Bend, Plano, TX

Roosevelt Field, Garden City, Long Island, NY

West Farms, Farmington, CT

Cadeau on Melrose, in LA

Bargain shoppers, keep your eyes peeled during the next five weeks.

If you're jonesing for a babystyle fix in the meantime, lots of spring dress-up clothes are on sale for 30% off at the website. Try this sweet brown-and-white seersucker blazer for your favorite thumbsucker-- he'll be rocking the Tom Wolfe/Jay Gatsby look at every spring and summer function. $36.40 (marked down from $52.00) at babystyle.com.

Zid Zid Masks Bring The Zoo Into Your Playroom

Leigh-Ann Jackson — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Between this and my earlier post, you may be able to glean that we're on a dress-up kick in our house these days. To balance out all of the Disney-manufactured costumes that arrived in the mail this holiday season, I'm on the hunt for pieces that are more out of the ordinary (and that don't deplete too much from my own scarf and jewelry coffers).

Zid Zid's animal masks fit the bill.

The exotic kid's curios company offers these recycled cardboard masks that transform your kids into beautiful beasts (as opposed to whatever kind of "beasts" they may have previously been).

There's "Demure Blue Bird" (above)...

..."Intriguing Lion"...

...and "Lucky Elephant."

They'd also brighten up a room as wall decor. A craftier mom would pull out an art kit and try some DIY, why should I start off a new year kidding myself?

$14 each, Spunky Sprout.

A Kathe Kruse Topper Too Proper For Mere Pretend Play

Leigh-Ann Jackson — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 14:00:00 GMT

This felt dress-up hat comes from German toy company Kathe Kruse. I'd say it's a waste (of style and quite a bit of pocket change) to throw it in a chest with a heap of feather boas, oversized opera gloves and plastic tiaras. Forget make-believe; this little Art Deco chapeau is ready for the real world.

$32, Oompa.

Hand Made: Pixie Fairy Costume Will Make You Shout, "I Believe!"

chrisjordan — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 15:02:00 GMT

Want to give your child a hand made costume, but have no skills and/or desire to actually sew it yourself? How about the next best thing? A costume hand made by someone else!

Beautifully detailed fairy costume will delight any little girl who still loves princesses and fairies.

The tutu style skirt has a velvet ribbon waistband, four layers of tulle, and a satin ribbon hem with scattered silk flowers. Also included are hand beaded fairy wings accented with lavender flowers, and a hand beaded magic wand with ribbon tails.

Available at Miss Periwinkle for $45

The Babble Review: Vincent Kids' Dress-Up Shoes

Gwynne Watkins — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:15:00 GMT

Designed by a pair of severe-looking gay Swedes, Vincent shoes have fun names like "Lorenz," "Tor," "Face," or "Vidar," just like the furniture at Ikea. My son Bosco recently wore a pair of cool black leather mini-wingtips named "James" ($49.95) to a fancy birthday party. Afterward, we met his friend Matilda in the park with a pair of "Love" Mary Janes ($44.95) in black leather with a rubber cap toe and small, tastefully applied hearts. After an extended session of slides, sandbox, swings, climbing, and racing around, James and Love were still in great shape, and neither Bosco nor Matilda took a nosedive the way they usually do in slick-soled dress shoes. Anything that goes from the restaurant to the playground is fine by me — putting on Bosco's shoes is like wrestling a greased lizard, so changing his shoes is out of the question.

I'm also partial to the "Smith" striped sneaker in yellow and blue, which could certainly function as a dress shoe in a pinch, and the red "Toni" sandals that make Bosco look like he has racecars on his feet.— Meredith Broussard

Drool-worthy: Must Have Tutu

Karen — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 22:02:00 GMT

Tears welled up when I spotted this heavenly tutu made by Kiwi Industries. Already beautiful with layers of tulle, they went a step further and sewed silk rose petals into the design. Reason number 47 why I want a daughter.

Hurry. Two colors have already sold out, and at $30, they aren't bound to last long. Available at Izzy & Ash.

Update: I found the lavender and yellow at Wildflower Children on sale for $25.99.

It's Wings, it's a Cape, it's a Sarah's Silks Rainbow!

Mir — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 16:01:00 GMT

Sarah's Silks makes a wide array of gorgeous items for playtime, but my favorite has got to be these rainbow silk wings ($23.95 at Maukilo). Unlike typical flimsy frou-frou fairy wings, they span your child's entire arm length and she can actually flap and flutter to her heart's content. The fact that they're lovely is just an added bonus.