Clara de Paris is an exquisite online boutique for children’s clothing. Based in and inspired by Paris, Clara de Paris brings the unique and sophisticated flair of European designers to children’s fashion lovers around the world.
Clara de Paris is a beautiful website. We loved the layout of it; the design was pleasingly unobtrusive and so inviting. The coloring and tone reflected the clothing and accessories on display. Neutral, natural and simplicity at its best.
This boutique offers the finest French designers in children’s clothing and accessories. From trendy diaper bags to whimsical dress-up customs, there is something for everyone and every occasion. For the little boy who loves boats? How about the Boy’s Vintage Boat School Bag. For the girly-girl on her birthday? Marie Antoinette’s Princess dress. We loved the variety and the sophistication of the lines available. If you want your little one to look classy, and put together, any of these timeless looks will be sure to please.
With new designers and clothing lines added and updated regularly, Clara de Paris makes finding refined clothes for boys and girls not only easy, but enjoyable and informative. One feature on their website that particularly impressed us was their trends page. For example, they put together a lovely shopping day outfit for girls, and then had links to other recommended items. With outfit ideas for boys and girls, and adorable gift suggestions for babies, their picks were flawless.
We can’t wait to check back for more looks.
Remember
Little Warrior, that awesome clothing line based in Los Angeles we introduced you to a little while ago?
We were shamelessly giddy to tear open the package they sent us with one of their impossibly-soft t-shirts. Since we shamelessly indugle in shark movies, having been raised on Jaws and the like, we chose to review the Great White t-shirt, and our little Emma approves.
The shirt is described as being overdyed for softness and they don’t lie. The shirt was sooo soft, but didn’t feel flimsy or slight. It held its own through a day of jumping, crawling, stair-climbing, and kittens, and definitely feels like it can hold up to the wear and tear of the extreme ‘toddler lifestyle’. As you know we adore clothing that is simple, with clean lines and attractive designs, and that shows off that kids’ clothes can be fun, fashionable and functional at the same time. And as you can see it looks great whether your little warrior is in jeans, a tutu, or whatever bottoms they happen to have on for a particular adventure! Emma seemed to particularly enjoy putting her sometimes-destructive nature on display with a set of great white jaws ready to consume any nearby rice-puffs or crackers.
Meet Emily Ulmer Photography
This post is so long overdue it’s not even funny! We did this interview last year and life, as it tends to do, interfered and thus it sat un-posted for months. But now we are oh-so-pleased to introduce to you Emily Ulmer Photography. We first encountered her work on another blogger’s site, where her unique take on photographing children had spawned many different opinions. We for one found her work intriguing, as it captures a side of children not often seen: that side of them visible in between moments, in the silence during an intake of breath, when energy is in a state of stillness immediately prior to bursting forth once more. Or in those moments where they find themselves lost in thought…take some time to browse her work here at EmilyUlmer.com and take in her impeccable style and thought provoking view of childhood.
Once you’ve had a chance to absorb her work, come back and read our brief interview with the artist herself. Savor the experience, and take a peek inside her mind, incidentally 7 months in the making…
Tell us a little bit about yourself, how you got started in photography, any favorite shoots you have done, any particular photos from your latest collection?
I was born and raised in Southern Caliornia. When I was about 18, my grandfather gave me his old 35 millimeter and I began documenting my younger sister in her teenage years. And from there I began photographing my friends, trying to capture that delicate period between adolescence and adulthood. I’ve been shooting for years but it wasn’t until very recently that I found the area I love in photography. Sometimes it takes a long time, I guess! As far as favorite shoots, it’s hard to choose, as I feel so close to all of them. But some of my favorite recent work is the series of the two sisters, Josephine and Oona. There was an inherent maturity and soulfulness in both of them that was so inspiring to capture. And they loved having their picture taken which is not often always the case with children!
How did you get started with this current theme of photography? What was that initial inspiration that drove you to photograph children with your particular style and themes?
About a year ago I took some pictures of a friend’s four year-old son. There was something different in those photographs that felt much more pure than my portraits of adults.
It felt like an obvious gravitation as I’d always tried to capture the innocence in young adults. From there I began shooting more children in their own environments, attempting to show them in their most natural state, when they are most comfortable. I’m trying to show childhood from the perspective of the child, which is not often done.
The clothing in your photography definitely has a very vintage look to it, where do you find/how do you select it?
The clothing does play an important role in my pictures. I generally go through the children’s own wardrobes and choose pieces that are timeless and best suit the child’s personality. The simpler the outfit, the better. I’m beginning to collect vintage children’s clothing which is a lot of fun to search for.
I worked in fashion for a bit when I was younger and developed a specific aesthetic with the clothing that I use for my portraits– which does contribute a lot to the overall feel of my pictures.
Your photographs have a unique look and feel to them, is there any special equipment or techniques you employ to achieve your specific style?
Now that I’m shooting digitally mainly (as you have to take a lot of frames when you’re shooting children!), I’m very conscious of having my pictures look as though I’d shot with film.
Color has always been incredibly important to me as I printed all of my earlier work on my own. I’ve always leaned more toward ‘warmer’ colors, which is also why I only use natural light. So I spend a lot of time playing with the tone and colors as I edit my work, to achieve the look I’m going for.
Lastly there have definitely been a lot of contrasting opinions on your work. Many have felt that there weren’t enough smiling faces, or that some of the imagery had dark overtones. Do you have anything you would like to say in response?
I know, it was very surprising! I had no idea that there would be so many people that would have such strong reactions to my work— both positive and negative. There are definitely those out there that feel that children should only be photographed laughing and smiling, etc. There’s a lot of over romanticizing in children’s portraiture. People want to think that kids are always happy and bubbly. But they also have a serious side to them, however young, which I find very beautiful.
Of course some equate the seriousness with dark overtones. But I’ve never looked at my work as dark. It’s the quiet moments that I’m trying to capture and in those moments they are typically not smiling nor jumping up and down. And I always let the overall mood of the child dictate the feel of the shoot, as I’m trying to show them for who they are.
Get your hands on the hottest new line of kids’ activewear!
As promised, we’ve got your hookup for Zio Sport, the awesome new kids’ activewear line we featured last week. Their new swimwear line is debuting this summer, so get your entries in and take a shot at winning some fresh new duds for your little beach bum :)
The rules are simple, the pay off- a $50 gift certificate to their online shop! And for a limited time for all of our readers we have a code to get 20% off your order!
Use code PV0411 for 20% off at www.ziosport.com!
Giveaway Rules:
Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment on this post with your email and tell us what you would buy if you won!
Extra Entries:
“Like” our facebook page and leave an extra comment here with your first initial/last name. Existing fans you can do this too!
Follow us on twitter and leave an extra comment with your twitter name. Existing followers can do this too!
“Like” Zio Sport on Facebook for yet another extra entry, just leave a comment here with your initial/last name!
Entries must be received by Mother’s Day, May 8th, 2011 when the contest will close and the winner will be chosen via random.org and emailed. Winner has 48 hours to respond to email, if winner does not respond after 48 hours a new winner will be chosen.
Good luck!
*Update: The winner was commenter #20, Becky Horn! Congratulations Becky, we’ll be contacting you soon!
Knuckleheads’ Facebook page had a very exciting announcement up early this morning! They’re having an online sample sale through ebay this week. Click here to browse the items they’ve got up. According to the Facebook page, new items will be added all day and all week, so check back often if you don’t see anything that catches your eye right now. We love the Lincoln Shirt in Blue!
Kids who are comfortable keep playing longer.
That is the motto of Zio Sport, a family founded kids’ sportswear company that is out to change the way you think about the clothing your kids play in. Like so many new clothing lines we love, Zio got its start from a simple feeling of dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs in children’s activewear. In your typical chain store you’re going to find a plethora of options, all of them just shrunk down versions of the adult fit, without taking into account a kid’s unique physique and style.
To change that, Mindy Kratsas, Jane Kratsas and Ragan Melton, the founders of Zio Sport, went straight to the source: kids. From selecting fabric, to making sure each piece fit their growing frame, kids have a say in how it all comes together. Try finding that level of care in any other kid’s activewear line, we dare you!
Each piece is made from their exclusive cool-edge fabric technology, and each shirt features a small utility pocket for holding a cell phone, mp3 player, or other essentials. The cool-edge fabric wicks moisture away from the skin AND blocks UV rays, keeping your little tumbler comfy and dry all day long. Special mesh underarm patches add an additional level of air flow for maximum cooling. Not only will your kids LOVE looking cool, AND feeling great, but because their clothes aren’t absorbing all of that sweat they’re going to look better longer, which will make your wallet happy too :)
As always, we are not content to simply tell you about another awesome new line, we’ve got to give you the chance to score some for yourself! Stay tuned, coming up soon: your shot at a Zio Sport gift certificate, plus a 20% discount for each and every one of our exceptionally stylish readers :)
Introducing Little Warrior Kids!
Designed and made right in LA and featuring a whole bunch of over-dyed french terry, Little Warrior is a fresh new line we’re keeping an eye on. Their line has an interesting mix of styles, ranging from leggings, to poncho’s, with a few instantly classic t-shirts in between. The styles are fairly unisex, which can be a nice change of pace from many lines where the boys’ and girls’ clothing are polar opposites. The overall feel is distinctly indie, with a dash of hippy flair, perfect for a summer of picnics and outdoor adventures!
BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE! As an added bonus, get 50% off of your order from Little Warriors with discount code WARRIOR at checkout. Enjoy!
Thanks everyone for sticking with us during our hiatus, life is a crazy, volatile thing, and we’ve been riding the tidal wave hoping we wind up on a nice beach somewhere!
First and foremost, in June we will be welcoming a new member to our family, a baby girl! That means when we can keep our eyes open after all the late night feedings, you’ll be seeing as much fresh style as you can handle :)
In the mean time we have a fresh shipment of style headed our way, courtesy of Zulily, and that means more hands on reviews!
xoxo petit vogue
Top ten frequently challenged children’s books and reasons why
1. The Merriam Webster and the American Heritage Dictionaries-Defines oral sex ,unsuited to age group
2. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig-Portrays policemen as pigs
3. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? by Bill Martin Jr.-Author has same last name as an obscure Marxist theorist. Nobody bothered to see if they were the same person. Pssstt…their not.
4. James And The Giant Peach-Ronald Dahl-Obscenity and violence
5. Twilight (series) by Stephenie Meyer-Sexually Explicit, Religious Viewpoint, Unsuited to Age Group
6. Witches by Ronald Dahl-Sexism and devaluing the life of a child.
7. The Diary Of A Young Girl by Anne Frank-Sexually explicit and homosexual themes.
8. Little Woman by Louisa May Alcott-Offensive to feminism(character marries a much older very boring man)
9. A Light In The Attic by Shel Silverstein-Promotes disrespect, horror, and violence.
10. A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle-Promotes religion,magic overtones,disobedience
*I have read myself and read to my child every one of these books.*
** Reasons stated for challenges and banning are not mine and do not reflect my own thoughts and opinions.**
When petit vogue asked me if I’d like to guest blog I was very flattered. What to talk about? Fashion, kids, home, life, books? Yea…books. :)
When I wrote this it just so happened to be National Banned Book Week so I decided to talk about books. Banning books to be exact. I’m not trying to start a free for all nor offend anyone. I just want to talk about books. Children’s books and my thoughts on censorship.
Banned books are a sore subject with me. As an avid reader and book reviewer I do tend to get a little perturbed when I am informed that someone I usually do not know and would probably never want to know has deemed it necessary to take mine and my child’s freedom of choice away by banning a book. While I can understand the need to monitor your child’s reading material-at what point are you doing your child a disservice taking all literature out of their hands that have a word or subject that makes you uncomfortable? To often we coddle our children, wrapping them in metaphorical bubble wrap until they are 18 at which time we then rip off the protection and expect instant maturity. By narrowing your child’s experiences to match your own limited views, you restrict them. While we don’t have to subject our child to all the evil in life, it won’t go away by ignoring it either. If you cannot have faith in yourself, at least have faith in your child. As a parent myself, I do monitor what my child reads. But only my child. I would never presume to know what is best for your child and I resent the fact that you do not give me the same courtesy.
“Not every book is right for each reader, but we should have the right to think for ourselves and allow others to do the same,” said ALA President Roberta Stevens. “How can we live in a free society and develop our own opinions if our right to choose reading materials for ourselves and our families is taken away? We must remain diligent and protect our freedom to read.”
Unlike me, my child stays within her age level for reading. One way she does this is through her school library. The school has color coded dots on each book. Certain colors demote certain grades and age levels. My child is considered a blue dot. Should she want to check out something in a higher age level then I have to send approval by written note to the librarian. I like this option. It makes the choice MINE and HERS which is how it should be. She recently wanted to read Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone. Her library doesn’t carry it due to 1 *GASP* parent’s complaint. I bought her the whole set and sent the first one to school for her to read. Am I thumbing my nose at the parent? Certainly not. What I am doing is asserting my right and my child’s right to read what she wants. VERY IMPORTANT POINT here. Banning books doesn’t STOP people from reading them. It just makes them pursue other avenues in which to procure said item.
As I was saying, my child reads age appropriate (by choice) while I have always read beyond my age group. By the time I was her age, 9, I have already read Huckleberry Finn & Tom Sawyer. By 10 I had read Flowers in the Attic by VC Andrews & Forever by Judy Blume. By 12, it was Alice’s Diary by Anonymous. The best gift I ever received from my mother was she told me to read what I wanted but to always remember she was there if I needed to talk about it. She also reminded me that unless the book was non fiction, the story I was reading was NOT real and to treat it as such. By reading these books I gained an appreciation for the classics and also gained an appreciation for those different from me. By reading Tom Sawyer I never once had the urge to become racist. A Wrinkle In Time didn’t have me questioning my religion. Nor did James And The Giant Peach suddenly pepper my speech with curse words.
Oscar Wilde said it best when in he said, “The books that the world calls immoral are the books that show the world its own shame.” So ask yourself why, and be honest, the next time you find a book offensive. The answer my surprise you.
Thank you Tori for a for today’s guest post! Read more of Tori’s book reviews and musings on her book and fashion blog
I recently had the pleasure of meeting with Johanna founder of Vyssan Lull online shop, who happens to be a fellow Jersey City resident. She made me feel very welcome in her showroom and I felt how enthusiastic she is about eco-friendly clothes and lifestyle. Vyssan Lull, which is a pronunciation of Swedish Lullaby, is a metaphor for the look and feel of the Scandinavian children’s clothes wear. Vyssan Lull was the result of Johanna’s daughter Emma because Johanna did not see any really options in the U.S. for organic cotton the colors were either Brown, Green or Yellow very neutral colors.
Johanna being of Swedish and visiting her family started to buy Emma’s clothes in Sweden. Scandinavian clothes are eco-friendly plus the colors and prints are fun and comfortable. Vyssan Lull currently offers 12 different brands and each of the items work so well together. The brands are either made of organic cotton or chemical free fabrics. Johanna chooses to support the brands that are both ethical and hold true to the eco-friendly philosophy. In the future, Vyssan Lull will offer more toys and various other items plus, Johanna will start a blog with tips on organic living, which would include washing tips.
Special thanks to Deanna Hernandez-Arza for this feature! Check out her blog for more goodness!
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