I am a complete lover of vintage and retro inspired clothing for my daughter. If it resembles clothing design and an aesthetic from the 50s or 60s, I’m the first in line to buy it – or covet it.

That’s why I’m over the moon with the brand new Australian clothier Dear Charlotte, Love Banjo (such a wonderful moniker). Perth-based design duo Sally Roberts and Emerald Leach are the masterminds behind the exclusive, limited-run 50s inspired clothing for babies.

From newborn to size one, the small range includes divine floral and pastel blue dresses for the girls and stunning blue overalls and onesies for the boys. Their ‘Everyday Heirlooms’ range says it all: it’s heirloom quality clothing with a modern touch but doesn’t have to be reserved for special occasions. They can be worn every day!

Now if only they made clothing for bigger kids. I’m wishing and crossing fingers. The online shop for Dear Charlotte, Love Banjo will be up and running in early September so prepare your keyboard to do some purchasing.

This is one for your wishlist so you can come back and purchase when the store has launched.

Give me one heaped teaspoon of bright, bold colours and ample dashes of whimsy, merry and fanciful delights. Now combine that with fairytales and some fantastic forthcoming adventures. I do believe that’s the recipe for some not-to-be-missed girl’s clothing.

It’s a recipe that’s fulfilled and perfected by Servane Barrau Designs. All handmade in Canada to exacting standards, their collection for Fall & Winter 2010, titled ‘In Wonderland‘ is overflowing with ‘Alice’ goodness. The clothing doesn’t stop at the head-turning colours and patterns (imagine every colour of the rainbow magnified with delicious results), the designs are just as show-stopping and theatrical.

The collection features frilly bloomers, miniature top hats with dangling chartreuse and turquoise ribbons, ‘destroyed’ leggings, the cutest apron dresses, ‘Unbirthday’ skirts and my personal fave: black and white striped leg warmers. I adore that it’s not too girly and everything is incredibly versatile (a must!).

Head straight to Servane Barrau Designs to purchase. The clothing is available in sizes twelve months to twelve years with prices in US dollars and varying depending on garment. The stunning pictures you see have come to us courtesy of Servane Barrau Designs.

I’m loving the layered look for children and see no reason why little girls can’t wear their gorgeous sun frocks all year round. As the weather changes from bright, sunny days to cooler, darker days it’s fun to still wear bright colours!

Handmade right here in Australia, the funky and fabulous Frankie Rose dresses have me feeling bright and cheery at the idea of bursts of colour on a dreary day. I love the look of the lime green Dotty Dress (pictured above right) teamed with black jeans and a long sleeve top. The Smock Dress (above left) is undeniably cute with its tie waist detail, it screams to be teamed with leggings.

The dresses at Frankie Rose are made from beautiful quality, designer cotton. Sizes are from zero through to five, with custom sizes available on request. The dotty dresses also feature a gorgeous large flower appliqué, which is sure to bring a squeal of delight from its wearer!

Prices start at $34 for the Dotty Dress. To get yours, head over to Frankie Rose.  Delivery is available all over Australia.

I must admit I never really cared for the Narnia Chronicles as a kid – you know, the classic children’s series of books that begin with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. But suddenly I can’t wait to introduce my own brood to the over-the-top fantasy realm of Narnia where lions talk, white queens plot, centaurs rally and children rule the world. Welcome to winter Heavenly Creatures’ style!

Last week we brought you the upcoming spring/ summer collection from this beautiful children’s label, with its Peter Pan-inspired theme. Now just take a look at what supreme design duo Heidi Weber and Kelly Duckworth have in store for next winter!

I had a close-up look at the range yesterday at the Kids Instyle trade show in Melbourne and I can’t begin to tell you how much I adore it! Beautiful knits in the finest Merino wool, fancy skirts with layer upon layer of frothy tulle or ruffles and stunning dresses are just the start.

All the pieces – including those you see in these exclusive-to-Babyology pictures – are named after characters from the original Narnia tales or the ensuing movies. So there’s the Trumpkin grandpa tees, in a new green-pink striped combination for girls or with super sophisticated black and grey striped sleeves for boys (above). There’s the Saskia Ruffle Skirt (below left), with its divine frou-frou layers and vintage pink overskirt, and the fantastical pretty in pink Priscilla Tutu (above right) with contrasting ric rac trim.

The Aslan vest, a fine Merino knit in multi-coloured stripes (below right), is my favourite boys’ piece, closely followed by the achingly soft Aslan Cardy  (pictured at top). The Oreius tees, in their divine stripes, are also made from Merino for warmth without weight. And I can’t wait to get my hands on the cuter-than-cute unisex Edmund Cord Shorts. Magical!

Of course, this wouldn’t be Heavenly Creatures without smocking or Lu-lu leggins. They’ll both be back next winter, with pink spotted and cream jacquard frill-bottomed leggings to sit alongside the usual stripes. There’s two stunning smocked dresses – the denim Lucy (below right) and the Jadis (above left) with its exquisite vintage fabric detailing.

Like what you see? You’re in for a wait – this is an autumn/ winter 2011 collection after all and won’t be in stores until next year. But don’t worry – we’ll certainly let you know when it’s available. Keep your eye on Heavenly Creatures’ site too for more details of the new range.

Just saw the new Daisy Lane range in the flesh, so lovely! The entire range is girly, gorgeous and one of those ranges you feel you need to have. I tried a few of the lollies, they are pretty good too.

Peter Pan and his ragtag bunch of lost boys from Neverland are the quintessential kids that never grew up. After seeing the Peter Pan-inspired collection from designer kids’ label Heavenly Creatures for this coming spring and summer, I’m wishing I could join them! But since my own childhood is well and truly over, I’m just going to have to live vicariously through my kids.

Thank goodness then that I’ve got three of them because I love everything about designers’ Heidi Weber and Kelly Duckworth’s new range – from the sassy pirate stripe peasant tops for girls and pirate grandpa tees for boys to the little retro shirred numbers with their dots, spots and florals. Oh, and everything else in between.

Heidi and Kelly incorporate vintage fabrics in each season’s collection and I’m guessing they appear this time round in the rather stunning Kelly bib front dress (below left) – a fantastical mish-mash of ginghams, spots, florals and checks that come together in the most delightful way to make a frock that I’m confidentially predicting will be the sundress of the season.

Then there’s the Tinker cream ruffle skirt (above right). Heavenly Creatures have a well-deserved reputation for creating a completely divine girly-girl tutu skirt each season and this one is a knock-out. I can’t wait to add it to my daughter’s spring wardrobe.

The Wendy smock dress, in pale pink with ruffles (above right) or lavender with ric rac trim, is prettiness personified amongst all those other bright colours and bold stripes. Mr and Mrs Darling would certainly approve!

I’m glad to reveal the label’s signature grandpa tees for boys are also back in a new pirate-like reincarnation, along with their delightful ruffle-hemmed leggings for girls. Stripe tank tops, checked and plain shorts and a sublime hooded shirt complete the picture for boys, along with a delectable octopus-print raglan tee with three-quarter length sleeves.

The thing I love most about Heavenly Creatures – apart from the fact that the clothes are made right here in Australia – is that for all the dreaminess of their designs, these are clothes made for play. Pretty, yes. But pretty hard-wearing too. So your little pirates, your fairies and your Indians can run completely amok this summer while maintaining perfect style!

Heavenly Creatures spring/summer 2010 range will be arriving in stores later this month. Check here for a list of stockists and here to see us rave about their previous collections.

It’s funny how all the little girls I know tend to fall into one of two camps – they either love fairies or they adore horses. While beautiful fairy dresses pretty much grow on trees these days, the same can’t be said for equine-inspired clothing. So here’s a pretty frock that will have little horse fans whinnying in delight.

The Prancing Pony pinafore from Melbourne label Wolf and Willow is all sorts of cute. Made to a genuine 1950s design, the red pin dot fabric is emblazoned with sweet little bumblebees. Then there’s that stunning little pony, with its exquisite hand-embroidered detail.

The dress can be worn as a pinafore or the straps, which criss-cross at the back, can be unbuttoned and detached to make a swing skirt for your little rocker. Giddyup!

I also adore Wolf and Willow’s delectable Toffee Apple pinafore in all its modish pink and red glory. This one’s based on a vintage pattern from 1971, which just goes to show that good design never dates!

The Prancing Pony pinafore is available in a size 4 and costs US$75 plus shipping from Wolf and Willow’s Etsy store. The Toffee Apple pinafore comes in a size 2 and costs US$44.

Turn a zebra into an zeb-phant, dunk your cookies in a glass of milk or load up a delivery truck. Whatever your child’s style, they’ll have fun with t-shirts from Creative Director Clothing.

Creative Director Clothing is the work of Canadian designer Drew Khan, who combined his passion for collage and printmaking into t-shirts that kids can have some fun with.

There are ten designs with changeable attachments that stick to the t-shirts. For example, the zebra t-shirt comes with an elephant and a crocodile attachment and the striking girl on a gold tee comes with three hats so that you can dress her appropriately for any occasion. My favourites are the roller-skating cool cat and the Milk and Cookies design – so sweet, but can you stop at one?!

Creative Director t-shirts are US$30 each and come in sizes two to six. Creative Director ships to Australia.

(via Cool Mom Picks)

I adore Japanese street fashion in so many ways but even so, I’m not quite ready to dress my two-year-old daughter Gothic Lolita style! Kawaii cuteness, like you see above, is more her thing. More like what you’d want for your kids’ too, I’m guessing. So here’s some Harajuku inspired garb in tiny sizes that’s got kid-friendly kawaii stamped all over it.

Dobutsu baby leggings are just the thing for keeping chubby little limbs warm this winter and come in the most adorable of colour combinations. This blue and brown striped pair, with their wise old owl on the bottom, are a hoot! (pardon the bad pun!)

They’ve made it into my six-month-old son’s wardrobe, alongside the very boyish grey and black striped panda pair, and are nice and thick for warding off winter’s chill. There’s plenty of Japanese legging candy for baby girls too. In fact, I dare you to look at the Little Lamb leggings (pictured above middle) and not go aaaawwwww!

My own little miss has these cute Bear and Bunny Capri leggings  – she calls them her fancy pants – and I’ve had to literally prise them off her to wash them. They’re quite possibly the cutest pants I’ve ever seen for toddlers, right down to the lace trimmed hems, so I understand her fixation. Believe me when I tell you they look cheek-pinchingly adorable when on.

There’s plenty more to love with Japanese baby and kid fashion – from mismatched “pairs” of socks and sweet canvas runners to even sweeter frocks and tops emblazoned with cartoonish-style images that scream “I’m a kid! Let’s have some fun!”.

Put aside the cuteness factor for a second, if you can, because there’s another reason to adore mini Harajuku. It’s really, really cheap! So you won’t care if it gets covered in pureed pumpkin, poster paint or any other number of messes babies or kids can conjure.

I found all my great kawaii pieces at the devilishly cool Oliebollen, with leggings at US$16, socks for US$3.25, shoes from US$19.50 and tops from US$18. Oliebollen have very reasonable delivery charges to Australia.

For something closer to home, or if you prefer to shop in Australian dollars, try the awesome Kawaii Kids. And don’t forget to check our recent Shinzi Katoh post to find some cool matching Japanese accessories.

If hot pink and fussy clothing for your little girl isn’t your shopping style, then listen in. You’ll find no frills or fuss here. Just the perfect style that’s all bold and sassy – with just the tiniest hint of pink or a bow here and there – whilst remaining distinctly feminine.

Alice and Olivia are the epitome of modern dressing, with designs that capture the eye and demand your undivided attention before even taking into account the personality of the little Miss wearing it! The black and white is striking, there’s little point denying it.

The Tennis Dress is my personal favourite and stunning in its simplicity, allowing for dressing up or down with shoes and accessories to suit whatever the occasion, be it a wedding or lunch.

If it’s casual you’re looking for, then Alice and Olivia have you covered too. Soft easy-to-wear pieces with gentle drape in charcoal grey and pale pink colours are serene while maintaining the uber-cool look. Truth be known, I’d love my own pair of the Elastic Panel Drawstring Pants!

See the whole collection at Alice and Olivia. Prices start at US$88 but unfortunately international delivery direct from the designer is not yet available. Stockists that do ship to Australia include Saks Fifth Avenue.

(via Minor Details)

Do you remember that old chenille bedspread on your grandparents’ bed?  The fluffy one with a fringed hem that had a certain mothball scent to it? Well these old family favourites are now being used in an delightful new way.

Discovering Leah Littlehales’ gorgeous handmade creations took me on a trip down memory lane. A clever designer from country Victoria, Leah has collected all sorts of wonderful vintage fabrics and old bedspreads which have inspired her designs. Her particular love of chenille has helped create a divine collection of baby rattles and soft toys.

All Leah’s creations have a delightful story attached to them and come to life with their own identity. Daniel the elephant (pictured top) has been created from several old chenille bedspreads, with emboidered facial features and co-ordinating cotton print ears.

This adorable Scottie dog is called Kelsy and she is made from white shaggy chenille with a bright cotton print reverse.  Cute, cuddly and lovely to hold, this sweet handmade fluffy toy is sure to be a favourite.  I love it!

Leah’s irrestistable baby rattles have their own little story too and no designs are ever exactly the same. Enid, Nora and Freda are chubby little baby safe birdie rattles created using Leah’s signature vintage chenille and some vintage printed cotton fabric.

You can find Leah’s designs on the Etsy website where she has a great following. Her range starts at around US$15, with shipping available to Australia. To all my friends out there who are having babies, guess what baby rattle you’ll be getting?

Bonjour! It’s time to play in Paris at an international trade show crammed full of the very best in European and international style for les enfants.

My Parisian fashion fantasies used to be about shopping the Champs-Élysées but now, with four children in my life, shopping nirvana looks more like Playtime Paris. Showcasing two hundred and fifty brands dedicated to all things baby, children, maternity, nursery and toys, take a peek at things that are sure to be on Babyologists’ wish lists this spring and summer.

It was love at first sight when I spotted the quirky label Bobo Choses. Featuring fresh silhouettes – swing tops, roomy pants, loose rompers for hot summer days and fun motifs to tie the collection together, Bobo Choses is a little bit odd in a lovable way (above and at top).

Baby Version Rock takes urban cool for kids to a whole new level. Each small, limited edition collection is based around unique prints and the colour black.

There is no shortage of classic styling for the coming season. VDJ is all about pinstripes and pleats (above) and the superb pieces at Bazaar d’Etoiles are tailored to perfection (below).

There is huge range of international labels featured at Playtime Paris and I like Swedish label Moonkids. It’s kooky, contemporary and includes a range of styles from preppy to looks made for aerobics in the eighties (above).

Clearly backpacks are so last year because this season it is all about satchels. Both Miniséri (above) and Coq en Pâte (below) have designed satchels so fabulous you’ll be pinching them from the kids.

Decorate the nursery with something new from Ah, Quel Plasisir! Featuring a range of crisp cottons combined with bright citrus prints, I think the cloth ‘buckets’ and the shaped cushions are superb (above).

If you think you’ve seen it all when it comes to wall decals, think again. Illustrators Blanca Gomez (above) and Annalore Parot are just two of the designers behind the incredible collection of decals at Poisson Bulle.

Maternity goes rock-chick this season with oodles of edgy, urban styles for expecting mums. Find fresh new looks at 2 Coeurs (above) and Sugartown (below).

Babies can sleep in style with divine patchwork sleeping bags from La Boutique ClémenceG – so pretty that you’ll almost want your sleeping baby to be on show!

Babyology will feature more goodies from the tradeshows over the coming months but for now, it’s “au revoir” from Playtime Paris!

The full effect of having a girl after three boys was noticed in our house when three dolls’ prams were permanently parked by the back door. There’s a basic dolls umbrella stroller for quick trips to the shops; there’s a white cane pram that the dolls apparently prefer to sleep in; and there’s a beautiful 1940s wicker pram that is favoured for turns around the garden. My daughter likes dolls prams but she obviously didn’t buy them herself… I guess I have to take some of the responsibility for the pram-jam at the back door.

So it was a serious case of dolls pram envy when I saw the superb range by Lusan. Featuring hand-woven wicker baskets, wooden handles and a plush, fully lined interior with a mattress set, the Classic German Heirloom prams are simply amazing.

Each of the pieces in the Lusan range is beautifully detailed. From the velvet panels of the Bridgette Dolls Carriage to the delicate broderie anglaise hood on the Rattan Rocker, these are ‘toys’ to be treasured.

For little girls who want more pink in their doll’s nursery décor, Lusan’s new range of dolls cots and prams have sweet understated touches of pale pink. The Julia Dolls Basket includes neat little wicker tidy baskets for all of your dolly bits and pieces and coordinates perfectly with the Erica Dolls Carriage. However, if you are thinking pink, the wicker Rebecca Moses basket is surely a doll nursery must-have.

The German Heirloom prams range from $190 to $330. The Julia Dolls Basket is $150 and the Moses basket is $60. Lusan prams are available at a number of retailers around Australia including Toys & Tales (NSW), Dolls in the Attic and Bears Too (VIC), Ruby’s Room (Tas), The Play Room (WA), The Fairy Shop (Qld) and Barbara’s Home and Gifts (SA).

I was shopping one day when I spotted bargain-priced school tracksuit pants. Like my sons, my nephew wears out school pants quickly so I called my sister-in-law to see if she wanted some for him as well. “Do they have cuffs on the bottom?” she asked. The pants did have cuffs. “Well unfortunately they won’t ‘feel’ right so I’ll have to pass.” My nephew has Asperger’s and so clothes have to fit and feel a very particular way to be comfortable for him, making clothes shopping very difficult.

Jessica Ralli is the creator of Soft. Soft is a clothing range for children with sensory sensitivity, a common symptom of Autism, Aspergers and Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD). Before designing clothing, Ralli worked as a special education teacher. Working with children with Autism and SPD, Ralli noticed the discomfort and the distraction that clothes were causing her students and she set about finding stylish clothes for children that weren’t stiff, tight, scratchy or itchy – basically anything with a tag or an overlocked, exposed seam was out. Her search proved fruitless and Soft was born.

The Soft range is made from densely knitted cotton jersey or fleece that is bio-washed, making it incredibly smooth and less likely to pill. There are no zips, no labels and no bulky seams. Washing instructions are printed on the clothes and seams are all sewn flat. Necklines are bigger so that the garments are easy to put on and don’t ‘grip’ and details like buttons, zippers, ties, pockets and belts are photo-realistic prints, clever stitching and special poppers to maximise comfort and still allow kids to feel ‘dressed-up’.

For example, the range includes fleecy trousers that look like classic chinos or jeans yet have stitching where the pockets and zip would normally be. A party dress for girls features a ‘sash’ around the middle which is actually a ribbon of contrasting jersey fabric sewn into the dress.

The Soft range is expanding this year to include seamless socks (wow, all kids will want those), sensory toys, accessories and more fashion pieces for spring and summer, including terrific sailor pants with printed buttons.

Pieces from the Soft collection begin at $15 for basic t-shirts and range up to $35 for jeans. Soft is available in Australia through Seams Away.

Dolls are well-loved in our house. That’s not just because of my daughter – who is mad about dolls – but also because of me. I adore them through and through and six of my childhood favourites sit proudly on my daughter’s bookshelf. Granted, two are considered ‘a little scary’ by most visitors (both are well-loved and passed down from my mother with fantastic characteristics like a wig that falls off every time you touch her and eyes my husband says “watch you as you’re walking by”). My daughter and I see past that and love them dearly.

As you may imagine, I was beyond delighted with the delectable doll offerings from Etsy shop Warm Sugar. These are no ordinary dolls. They are handmade by one woman in her home studio using re-purposed vintage and designer materials. Suede, wool, fleece, felt, cotton and buttons are all incorporated to create true works-of-doll-art.

Meant to be keepsakes and treasured for generations, the dolls – for girls and boys – are also custom made for each customer. You tell Warm Sugar your choices for hair colour, skin tone, eye colour and clothing colours and patterns and the doll gets whipped up in less than two weeks! In the end, your little one has a completely one-off and unique doll designed just for them. How special is that? Most of the clothing is removable (including the real lace-up shoes) making them perfect play and learning companions.

Prices range from US$21 to US$62 plus postage to Australia.

(via Babyccino Kids)

Top of the mornin’ to all our style seekers. Those lucky enough to hit London’s Bubble tradeshow over the past two days were in for plenty of treats. Showcasing the very best of Britain and Europe, Bubble was the place to be for the  most exciting children’s fashion and products. Babyology  scouted the newest labels and took a peek at what some of our old favourites are up to so that you can sit back and enjoy a virtual Bubble tour.

There is a certain style – think Liberty prints, linens, smocking, pinafores and vests – that lends itself to high tea, luncheon on the lawn and all things British. A handful of talented British designers on show at Bubble capture this design aesthetic to perfection, as well as giving it their own individual and modern twist.

Poppy & Ned is everything that I love in British designers – luxurious knits (who says kids can’t wear cashmere?), a delicate colour palette and party dresses so pretty (above and at top) that I expect little girls will never want to take them off. The layette collection for babies is exquisite and the cashmere pram coat with matching leggings and hat deserves to be seen taking a turn in the Silvercross.

It’s no fluke that new kid on the block Fluke is getting rave reviews.  Their designs marry superb details with practical and fun styles. A ruffle here, a little trim there – it all adds up to pieces that break with tradition yet are still classic (see above and below).

Their Nibs combines quirky prints with authentic vintage shapes – expect to see superb girls sundresses in bold, modern florals and boys basics, such as hoodies, with a retro twist (above). Their Nibs also has a range of Gruffalo pyjamas that will be a winner with little Gruffalo fans.

Cotton crepe, silk and chiffon are the stuff of I Love Gorgeous. Prepare to fall in love with every one of their divine dresses (pictured above). It may be the choice of delicate fabrics or the subtle colours – dusty blues, sage green and shell pink – but I Love Gorgeous is thoroughly gorgeous (Brides-to-be please note, you are unlikely to find a more beautiful flower girl dress than the cream taffeta Marie Antoinette Dress).

Collections from Eggcup (including a practical unisex vest and show-stopping big bow party dress); Helen Gordon (unique retro-folk prints for clothing and homewares give classic shapes a modern edge – think Hansel and Gretel – see image above right); and the cutest traditional pyjamas from Pixie Dixie (try to resist the London Buses design for little boys) are also worth a visit (pictured below).

It’s not all about British talent though. Australia’s own Minti are showing off clever graphics and distressed denim, down-under style. Three Little Trees, Munster Kids, Mae and other Aussies are also there.

And it wouldn’t be a trade show without something new from style-central, Scandinavia. As a mother who is over helping a toddler get tights on and off, I am always on the look out for long socks, of which there are surprisingly few on the market. So MP Socks from Denmark jumped out at me – with loads of Danish cool (stripes and colours) these socks are both practical and fashionable (above).

There is also the sweet clothing collection, Iwanit, from Korea which features an appealing balance of preppy cool and details to please – what girl doesn’t like a little frill and flounce?

Don’t miss the sensational Bergstein Boots from The Netherlands – with so many fabulous colours, I’m not sure I could stop at just one pair.

It would also be difficult to stop at just one pair of colourful pyjamas from Hong Kong’s Nest Lifestyle. Gingham has timeless appeal and the little details make these pjs irresistible.

While these fabulous finds might not be quite on Australian shores yet, if you spot something you can’t live without, let us know and we’ll do a little research for you.

Little girls love to mimic their mums. So just imagine how excited she’ll be to match her shoes to yours – and really why wouldn’t you do it when they’re this squeal-worthy cute. With Vivienne Westwood for both ladies and little lasses, how more in-vogue can a girl be?

Melissa Australia and the one and only Vivienne Westwood have combined their talent-filled forces to launch two superbly cute sandal styles just perfect for little girls.

The Mini Melissa shoes are pint-sized versions of the Lady Dragon Love Heart shoe and Lady Dragon Bow shoe. Melissa and Westwood really turn up the volume with this revamp on the humble iconic girls jelly sandal, creating mini versions that are just as beautiful and as much fun as the adult originals pictured below!

The plastic used for the sandal, along with the heart and bow detail, is incredibly soft to avoid any discomfort to growing feet. The sole and foot bed of the shoe contains extra carefully placed padding so every small step your little fashionista takes is apparently like walking on cloud nine.

Both the Bow style and Heart style Mini Melissa shoes cost $105 per pair from Melissa Australia. Delivery is available all over Australia.

I’m a Gap Kids addict. I know “they’re only clothes, what’s the big deal” (quote from my husband) but they are supremely preppy, well made, stand up to a million washes and still look great…And did I mention style? So when Stella McCartney teamed up with Gap, I was pretty much ready to hop on a plane bound for the US. No need, they’re here (and Babyology readers are first with the news).

The Stella McCartney for Gap collection is edgy, fashion-forward and on my highly desirable list. Timeless navy blue combined with vibrant orange sets boys apart and whilst I’m always a fan of wide, rugby stripes it is the gingham jacket with the side zip that has won me. It features a simple, stand-up collar reminiscent of the silhouettes we saw in Prince and Adam Ant film clips in the eighties – that won’t mean much to your ten-year-old but they will know they are wearing something super-cool.

Team jackets with jeans that scream ‘now’ – skinny style with a neat ankle zip and available in salmon or navy. I suspect that there will be quite a few mums wishing they were the ones in Stella McCartney salmon pink skinny jeans. Also available are sweet embroidered espadrilles and a pretty crochet butterfly tunic dress featuring suitably fluttery cap sleeves.

Red Nest is the exclusive Australian stockist for Stella McCartney for Gap pieces. The collection is sized from four to size fourteen and prices range from $109 – $135. Have your credit card ready – this range sold out in the US very quickly.

Pitter-patter goes my heart in response to the beyond delicious concoctions of the new Spring/Summer 2010 collection from Misha Lulu.

I’ve been a steadfast and dedicated fan of Misha Lulu since 2007 when I first discovered the US label. The quality is top notch and the designs are second to none. They created my daughter’s favourite dress of all time and as she grew, it transformed from a dress into a treasured blouse.

Misha Lulu has a true retro-modern aesthetic that seems to get better and better with each passing season. The newest collection is no exception with its four distinct design themes: ‘Swimmer‘ for all things aquatic with a whimsical and retro flair; ‘Fresh Baked‘ centres around sweet, almost edible colours with scrumptious cupcakes; ‘Homegrown‘ is all about gorgeous vegies and fruit with a message of being eco-conscious; and ‘Blue Bird‘ features soft, pastel shades mixed with splashes of bright with blue the predominant colour.

To add one of Misha Lulu’s stunning made-in-the-USA pieces to your little girl’s wardrobe, head to US shop Arte Bebé. Prices range from US$28 to US$66 plus postage to Australia.

Art Bebé are offering all international customers free shipping when you spend $125 or more on clothing.  The code is GLOBAL125 when you check out and is valid until the end of June.

Known most widely for their art prints, Belle & Boo combine vintage charm with a modern aesthetic. Their style is instantly recognisable – elfin children playing in the forest, Belle cuddling her bunny Boo, little boys and paper planes and beautiful drawings depicting the seasons. As well as prints, the designs appear on badges, cards and homewares and the newly launched clothing range.

The Belle & Boo clothing collection is small but exquisite. A dusty pink pinafore dress featuring Boo the rabbit embroidered in chocolate brown; a sublime green cotton sateen blouse and shorts set featuring a hand-embroidered tree and adorable signature Boo print lining; and a superb white cotton organdie dress with Boo lining that shows faintly through the fabric.  The designs are playful and sweet.

Pieces are priced from $79 – $89 and are available in sizes six months to four years.  For a huge selection in the Belle & Boo range, as well as the dresses which have just arrived in Australia, go to the Lark website.