Looking for playful, retro clothes for your little one? The search has just got a whole lot easier with Swedish label Li and Lo arriving on our shores.

Based on the fictional characters from the 60s, Li and Lo aims to please with vivid colours, playful designs and cute patterns.

Li and Lo,  established in 2008, designs for newborns to children up to seven years of age and aims to produce items that are loved by both children and parents alike.

Each design is a limited addition as well as being made from ecologically grown cotton – they’re soft and comfortable and as much fun to wear as they are to look at.

We’re doting on the doe tee, while the cheeky cat design will have you grinning from ear to ear.

Available locally from Baby Goes Retro.

Ah, shopping for a maternity bra. Without a doubt, one of the least exciting or inspiring parts of any pregnancy. The worst part is that by the time you hit the third trimester,  you’ll be back in the fitting room because you’ve already gone up a size. We may have found the answer.

This is the Cantaloop pregnancy bra. It’s a bra specifically designed to see you the whole way through your pregnancy. It comes in a wide range of colours, it’s seamless and it looks so comfortable. It has no tight straps or bits that cut in and most importantly, the cup size will expand as you do, so there’s no need to get a new one in three months’ time. The website has a sizing chart so you can make sure you get one that will fit properly. It’s not a bra for the truly well-endowed but for most women it should do quite nicely!

The downside is we don’t seem to be able to get it here in Australia, but if you have a friend in the US or the UK, they could send it along to you. It sells in the UK from around £18 and there are links to some online stores on the Cantaloop website.

(via Babygadget)

Get ready for tween fashion to surprise and delight with age-appropriate sophistication! Geometric shapes, irresistible retro patterns and unexpected forms make this collection an absolute must-have for the eight to fourteen set.

Revered children’s fashion label Polka is launching its first tween line – Geogami – for the winter 2010 season, and I expect it will ruffle some fashion feathers. Setting a new standard for this often difficult-to-dress group of youngsters, Geogami will see them through active afternoons and dinner parties with friends - rites of passage they like to be dressed both comfortably and fashionably for.

A close friend of mine has three girls – the eldest is eleven years old. She often bemoans the lack of great clothing choices for this age. Many options are simply not appropriate or are too babyish. I have a strong feeling Geogami will be a hit in her house!

Look out for Geogami’s bias-cut tees, angular panelling and assymetrical lines for boys or lycra leggings, mod knit dresses and concave-cut diamond dresses for girls. Channelling the very best of Scandinavia and Japan, the Geogami aesthetic makes me even more excited about my sons’ fast-approaching tween years.

Geogami will be in stores soon and Minifashionista now has the a wide selection of the autumn/winter Polka ranges up to size 7.

I met Bec from Little Rivet Jeans at the Kids Instyle tradeshow last week and she sure knows what we want from our kids’ jeans. With so many styles and colours, there will be the perfect pair for every child.

Little Rivet Jeans just launched in September 2009 so they are very new in the kids arena although Melbourne-based Bec Moloughney has had more than eighteen years in the Australian fashion industry (six of those with Levi’s).

The big focus is on fit, construction and quality for each pair of jeans. The range changes each season and currently includes boys and girls from one to six years of age with future plans to add seven to fifteen year olds for Spring-Summer 2010.

As seen below in the images from the show, Autumn/Winter 2010 uses berry colours and denim washes while Summer/Spring 2010 are bright lollipop hues and grey crinkle washes. The span of denim colours in the range are Mulberry, Ivy, Gunmetal, Red Fuschia, Ocean Turquoise, Summer Sun, Vibrant Green, Lilac and White.

Buy direct from Little Rivet Jeans using their online store or keep checking the website for a list of stockists to be added soon.

I absolutely adore capes on little girls and am pleased to report that capes are making a big comeback this winter, as seen at the recent Kids Instyle tradeshow in Sydney.

Keeping any child still while doing up buttons over layers of clothing in winter can be a feat even for the highly-skilled so we like how ponchos and capes let you focus instead on that other tricky dressing task – getting those shoes and socks on before leaving the house.

From top left we have the BubbaGrubb cape with hood, perfect to throw over a winter dress. Next is the Tea Princess cape with little collar and flower, perfect for that special occasion.  Top right is the gorgeous green poncho from Luna Ninos, perfect with jeans in winter.  Bottom left and center is the reversible – yes, you read right, reversible – cape from Knuffle Kid made from vintage wool in red or grey.  Bottom left is the new cable knit cotton-cashmere poncho from Infancy, also available in a shade of purple.

All that’s left to ponder is which of these do I buy this winter? With two daughters, I can at least choose two options.

Winter ranges are hot, hot, hot right now and the eagerly-anticipated new e3M collection for kids aged two to twelve debuts with a bang this season!

Last September we gave you a taste of what was to come from Eeeni Meeni Miini Moh with its brand new e3M range and the wait is over. The new range includes delectably-hued and supremely comfortable garments for girls, evoking all things rich and rare. For boys, endangered species such as gorillas and rhinos feature on long-sleeved tees and co-ordinate with striped hoodies and raw cord pants.

I really have to applaud the attention to balance in the e3M collection. Kids get harder to dress as they get older, wanting something cool yet still needing to be incredibly active. The new e3M collection ticks all my boxes for a well-rounded junior lifestyle.

Buy from Eeni Meeni’s online store or look out for it where you usually buy your Eeni. Also enjoy some images from the newborn to five collection – see below.

I still cringe when I look at photographs of myself taken in the ’70s. My ensembles always seemed to involve brown corduroy pants paired with some hideous maroon or bottle green skivvy. Ditto for swimwear. A navy Speedo one-piece was about as cute as I got as a child.

OK, I exaggerate, but I really find it hard to find one photo where I have a gorgeously girly outfit on. So it’s with giddy excitement that I’ll place my first order for one of these divine vintage-inspired cossies for my baby daughter. I image her looking back at photos of herself one day chuffed at how irresistibly cute she looked!

Paddle’s pieces are designed for children aged one to six. Take your pick from gingham, frills, shirred tops, side-tied bottoms and tutu-style skirts in either pale pink or sky blue.

And don’t think the boys are forgotten – European-style swimming trunks in red or sky blue will ensure your little man stands out from the crowd while he gets on with his important jobs of collecting shells and building sandcastles.

The only thing to make you feel even more warm and fuzzy is that these beautiful pieces are 100 per cent Australian owned and made. What’s not to love? My only question is – when will adult sizes be available?

With winter approaching – although I’m still waiting for autumn to kick in – we’re all probably starting to think about our children’s winter wardrobes. I’ve just been through my daughter’s winter threads and thankfully she can still wear about half from last year but will need all the basics and some standout pieces.That’s where I head to Eternal Creation, which is still one of my favourite children’s brands ever. The trademark prints, the ‘perfectly suited to any skin tone’ colours and the amazing attention to detail and tailoring are second to none. I fall for their designs over and over again and the new Winter 2010 collection is no different.

Set to be released tomorrow, the girl’s winter range features shades of mauves and purples, dark pinks and bright reds, the most gorgeous olive-like greens and hints of smoky blues. There’s some beyond adorable beanies, sophisticated trench coats (I’m first in line!) and smashing leggings to keep little legs warm. The boy’s collection is just as great with uber-cool vests, classic peacoats, newsboy caps and, of course, the cutest overalls for the little guys.

Here at Babyology, we’re big fans of the label (evident from our features in April and September last year). To buy your first piece or add to your collection of Eternal Creation, head to their website. Prices vary depending on garment.

I can guarantee a visit to Aunty Ollie’s will uncover some gems.

Combining stunning fabrics with practical but stylish designs, the Aunty Ollie story is as intriguing as the clothes. Designer Jodie Hampshire is Australian. Her husband is British. Their three adopted children are Sierra Leonean. They live in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I first spotted one of her superb girl’s trench coats in a British magazine, so it’s quite the international affair.

The Whodunit Trench in crisp white with a heavy bird pattern is simply exquisite. Lined in the same fabric, this is the kind of wardrobe centrepiece I want for myself! The Trench also comes in an equally stunning green print and black and red strawberry print. With cooler weather looming, it will sit very well in many little wardrobes.

I’m also drawn to the Museum Moocher tops and the Winter Tea Party Dress – both are styles that can be thrown on quickly, are comfortable to wear and look fantastic – it’s all about the fabric and those red apples and candy cane stripes are delicious.

Boys don’t miss out with smart tailored shirts in fabrics that give them a playful feel. The fabrics reflect all the kinds of things little boys are into and I think the ‘Emergency Vehicles’ print would be a big hit with preschoolers.

Buy directly from Aunty Ollie or check out their list of stockists – a number of Australian online retailers feature a selection of Aunty Ollie pieces.  We met the lovely Jodie at Kids Instyle in Sydney and we have more coverage of her stunning clothing range for you this week on Babyology.

We’re still sweltering with the Australian summer but nothing gets us in the mood for the approaching cool weather quite like a viewing of the winter goodies to come. We are huge fans of Oeuf at Babyology and can’t wait to share this stunning new range with you.

Oeuf have blessed us with a lookbook to swoon over, chock-full of Alpaca wool knits in deliciously subdued hues, with the odd zinger colour thrown in here and there. Brown, black, cream, soft plum and grey form the base line of colours and you’ll see turquoise, vibrant pink, red and mustard thrown in just to mix it up.

I can’t resist the crown and bat boy and girl beanies for warming up little heads and the jumper with angel wings is just so sweet! Striped pants are a staple in my house and the Oeuf super-soft woollen ones will be perfect for the much cooler climes in Australia.

Old-fashioned bonnets, booties and cardis give parents of babies from three months to two years the opportunity to get those magnificent photos of them dressed up like little cherubs. There are dresses for girls and fab hoodies – which I consider to be unisex – with ears. There is also going to be a huge range of accessories, with pillows in the forms of a snake, a pirate, a guitar and my favourite, the tooth.

If that isn’t enough to please, there are gorgeous garlands and charming mask and tail sets for dressing up as wild animals. You just have to see the massive collection for yourself, at Oeuf. We’re sure Kido Store will be picking up some of the ranges so be sure to check with them closer to winter! Oeuf do sizes to fit from three months to eight years.

We must give a special shout out to Oeuf for its commitment to ethical production practices. Through its knitted Alpaca products, it supports indigenous women of Bolivia by paying them a living wage that’s also enough for their children to be schooled (and not in child labour situations) while ensuring that cultural traditions are honoured in the process. I spent a year in Bolivia on exchange as a teenager so the country is very close to my heart.