Ever since we found out we were having a baby girl I’ve been obsessed with brown and pink styles. Case in point, Emma now has three pairs of shoes that are brown with pink flowers. And my love for the color pairing extends beyond shoes. When I saw Baby Eggi’s Apron Jumper in brown and rose petal for sale on Zulily, I couldn’t help myself. I bought two, in sizes 2T and 3T.
At the time, Emma was in size 6 months. After placing my order, I felt a little sheepish. I hadn’t heard of Baby Eggi before, much less owned any of their clothes. I wondered if I had bought more baby clothes that would languish unworn in Emma’s Closet. I needn’t have been worried.
When I received my purchases in the mail, I eagerly pulled out the jumpers. They were the softest material I have ever felt ( a cotton/modal blend), and the colors were rich and complimented each other perfectly. I wish they came in my size! Emma hasn’t been able to wear the jumper yet; it’ll be the perfect outfit for her next summer and into the fall. I definitely plan to use it as a layering piece with tights or leggings, and a sweater and cute pair of boots.
Baby Eggi didn’t disappoint when it came to my love affair with pink and brown, and my delight in my impulse purchase led me to check out their website – which is gorgeously simple. Something I appreciate in all things.
Baby Eggi is a clothing line created with love by two sisters on a mission-to make beautiful, high quality children’s clothing, and to create a better world for children everywhere. They succeed on both counts- their clothing is incredible and they give 20% of net proceeds to children’s charities.
I can’t wait for Emma to wear her jumpers, and I certainly plan on keeping my eye on Baby Eggi.
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.
As promised, our exclusive interview with Jen of Eden’s Bouquet! Love the insights into her inspirations and process, every designer has a different story to tell- hers is one of wedding gowns, European style, and a healthy dose of country living.
Your work is all highly detailed and imaginative, talking specifically about your fabric choices- where does that inspiration come from?
I am inspired by fine fabric. I could spend days in the fabric store or trade shows, especially bridal textiles and notions. It is so easy to dream up collections when you have piles of fabric in front of you. The trick is keeping all my dreams in order. I am also inspired by European designers. They take children’s fashion seriously and the attention to detail is amazing.
What was your background prior to starting Eden’s Bouquet?
I have no formal training in fashion design. I have some funny stories to tell involving country girl(me), major tradeshows and big time magazine editors.
Like a lot of mothers, I started out sewing for our children and never got tired of it. I then started selling one of a kind creations made from vintage wedding gowns on eBay. In 2003 I started designing exclusively for PoshTots.com before launching my first collection in 2004.
What got you started working in children’s clothing design?
Imagination and my sewing machine. Designing is a wonderful creative outlet for my overflowing mind.
What sources of inspiration do you continually find yourself going back to, what are some new ones that have influenced your most recent collection?
Bridal magazines. I love thumbing through these for inspiration, the details and textiles are unexpected in children’s clothing and that is what I love. More recently I have been inspired by our trips to the ocean and the quaint old beach towns. There’s something about history that sparks my imagination.
Tell us a bit about your drive and purpose, your vision for your designs.
I think it would be fun to eventually open up a little brick & mortar boutique. Then, open boutiques all over the world and on the moon with women’s clothing, a maternity line and a complete home collection. Haha. Seriously, this venture has taken me farther than I had ever imagined so if this is it, I’m happy.
What makes you tick as a designer, what direction to you find yourself returning to time and time again?
I love designing Formalwear and find myself adding a touch of fancy to styles whether I plan to or not.
What current trends are you keeping track of? Any that you just can’t stand?
I love the use of lavish fabrics and romantic style that I am seeing in the fall 2010 women’s collections. I try to incorporate trendy silhouettes into my designs and many of my styles and color pallete are inspired by women’s clothing. I love when moms say they want to wear eden’s bouquet.
How do you feel that current trend affects your design?
The fabric & style trends are right up my alley and I will definitely draw inspiration from them for upcoming collections.
What do you feel makes your work unique?
I think the colors, detail and fabric in my collections make them unique. I don’t know of many children’s clothing designers that use silk the crazy way that I do.
What’s your favorite piece from your current line? Any all time favorite(s)?
The bloomers. Comfortable, simple and adorable with everything. My all time favorite collection is the Cobblestone Collection.
Sometimes you have to toss a cheap pair of socks or pants in your cart because you’re in a rush and your kid needs them. Usually, within a month the color has faded and sometimes the item even has a hole or two, which leaves you wondering why you even bothered. If this is frequently a problem for you, then you NEED to visit Eden’s Bouquet.
Welcome to your new obsession!
The clothing from Eden’s Bouquet shows such attention to detail that every single piece is unique and stunning. These items are so precious that you’ll want to make sure they last through each child, because you won’t tire of seeing them over and over.
To our delight, we were sent the Harbor Tweed Newsboy cap, Organic cotton shirt, and the Harbor Jeans to review. Henry just turned one, but the boy outfits mostly come in 2T and up. Did that stop us from putting him in the jaw-droppingly beautiful clothes? Of course not!
As you can see, the clothes may have been a little large yet, but we could put the hat on his big head now. We swooned at the color and feel of the warm and wooly cap, and the lovely contrast it made with the delicate white shirt.
The jeans were obviously ready for whatever adventures Henry could dream up for them, providing him with plenty of deep pockets for all his treasures. I have a feeling I’ll be finding all sorts of surprises in the dryer after the pants get a wash.
Simply put, we were very impressed with the clothes. Not only are they lovely, they look like they can take all the things little boys throw at their clothes: leaf-jumping, crawling, wrestling, and more.
Stay tuned for our interview with Jen, the mastermind behind the clothing, as well as a giveaway!
Knuckleheads is the place to go for fierce boy-gear with a punk twist. The Snow Board Beanie is soft and comfy, while preserving an edgy look for boys that express disdain for “baby” hats. This hat has the signature Knuckleheads label on the front, the little dude with spiky hair, and a subtly boyish color.
We can’t promise he’ll keep it on in the midst of snowball wars and snow fort sieges, but at least while it’s on his head, he’ll be cozy and warm.
Thick, luxurious, and oh-so-comfy with a stylish walnut color, this Tea collection Kimono Robe is the perfect addition to the fall wardrobe. Take it a step further than the usual hoody this fall- pair it up with the favored pair of jeans, a layered henley, and a bit pair of boots :)
Boys and plaid, they go together like peanut butter and jelly. We’ve seen plaid cropping up everywhere this season, and the Did Too’s Plaid Shirt is a fine entry. Their Tailor Navy color is ever so handsome, and a perfect match with the changing hues of fall and a nice warm hoodie.
If you’ve been following us on twitter lately then you probably saw our link last week to an awesome new line we were tipped off to- Mudslinger. They successfully opened my mind to slim-fitting boys’ clothing, not an easy task. Something about their styles made it feel right… I suppose they managed to create the skinny leg style without making them feel as slight. My favorite piece from their current collection are these amazing slim denim trousers with a tab front and contrast stitching. The tab front style isn’t something you see on jeans too often; it adds a certain amount of dress to the pair, while the classic indigo coloring and gold stitching are all play. All in all, another great boys line to come out of the NYC garment district, it’s a good time to be a boy with style!
Win a $75 gift certificate to their online shop!
This is almost painful to give away, but we must! That’s the best part about this whole arrangement, we find the awesome fashion, and then we hook you up. Yeah, I think this works pretty well :)
Entry Rules!
MANDATORY- Comment on this post and tell us your favorite piece from the shop, leaving your email address so we can contact you if you win.
Stack the odds in your favor Post a comment for each extra entry (ie if you post this giveaway on your blog you would comment 3x)
(1) Extra Entry – Follow us on twitter (or if you already do just let us know, it still counts!)
(1) Extra Entry – Tweet about this giveaway and link us to the tweet in your comment
(1) Extra Entry – “Like” us on facebook (or if you already do just let us know!)
(3) Extra Entries – Post about this giveaway on your blog, if you want to use a badge in your sidebar or link roll you can grab that here
(3) Extra Entries – Sign up for our fashion sharing community and post an outfit
You have 2 weeks to enter this one, so make sure to get your entries in before 6pm EST on Tuesday, September 28th! Good luck!
Like that fedora? We have three to give away!
Tom and Drew Boys, who we featured recently for their smashing take on boys fashion, was kind enough to provide us with three of their awesome fedoras to giveaway this month. As we mention in the original post, we are in love with their vintage americana styling, and this fedora takes the classic look and pulls it off with a twist. Woven in funky contrasting blue with a striped band featuring the Tom and Drew bulldog logo, this is a some seriously stylish headgear with attitude to match.
Fits 2t-4t!
Here’s your chance to get your hands on one
MANDATORY- Comment on this post, leaving your email address so we can contact you if you win.
Stack the odds in your favor Post a comment for each extra entry (ie if you post this giveaway on your blog you would comment 3x)
(1) Extra Entry – Follow us on twitter (or if you already do just let us know, it still counts!)
(1) Extra Entry – Tweet about this giveaway and link us to the tweet in your comment
(1) Extra Entry – “Like” us on facebook (or if you already do just let us know!)
(3) Extra Entries – Post about this giveaway on your blog, if you want to use a badge in your sidebar or link roll you can grab that here
(3) Extra Entries – Sign up for our fashion sharing community and post an outfit
This one runs until the end of all of our Boys Fashion Month giveaways, whenever that may be! (Looking like the end of October ;) )- We will select THREE winners using Random.org and notify them via email! US Residents only please :)
This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to the winners (commenter #6, #24, #17). You will be contacted shortly and have 48 hours to email back to verify .
Why yes, these jackets are rather fetching aren’t they! Bring a little simple, understated style to your boy or girl’s outerwear with the Classic Outwear collection from Petit Bateau. Durable nylon shells and timeless style ensure that they’ll be looking good for the next kid in line!
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