Boys Need Style Too!

We’ve invited Julia Angel of Boys Be Cool to share her expertise on dressing boys in high style on a budget.  Below is her take on the world of boys fashion:

As you read passionate introductions of domestic cool, stylish boys clothing lines their tone might differ:  from a mellow acknowledgement of the lack of stylish choices for the little men to the stern statements referring to the boys clothing market as “notoriously limited”.  The European manufacturers chime in, noting conservatism of the American consumers when it comes to the boys’ clothes, where “gender appropriate” colors, a dozen of tried and tired appliqués and the boxy fit are the cornerstones of the boys fashion or the lack of thereof.  The general perception of boys fashion and style is that boys don’t need any style.

These misconceptions are so deeply engraved in the American mentality, that some mothers actually get offended when asked if they care about style when shopping for their boys’ clothes.  They fire back indignantly that they don’t need any style to raise confident and successful boys and many of them could care less about style and fashion whatsoever (though there is also a major confusion between style and trends.  Style is timeless, trends are either current, or last season, or the latest but we are not going to talk about this now)!  At the same time all these mothers vigorously complain about the gross disparity when it comes to the boys and girls clothes selection and a very little choice of the boys’ clothes available at their local stores.

So, Ladies, the explanation is simple, capitalism is not a perfect system but it works in a simple and effective way.  If there is NO demand there would be NO offer.  If you don’t care about style, if you are perfectly fine with poopy brown, swampy green and forever navy standard sweaters and khakis, the manufacturers and retailers won’t go out of their way designing hip clothes and offering you a wide selection.

Though, some giant brands do try to open up and introduce more daring designs and colors, like purple and green combos we’ve seen in the Children’s Place Spring collection, and Gymboree’s gutsy pink dress-up shirt; consumers are not rushing out screaming with delight  from their safe blue and brown caves.  So, we’ve got a long way ahead of us.

This problem is not so obvious with baby boys’ clothes.  Their fluffy sweet duds are so adorable you can tear up just looking at them.  It’s when they grow out of their 24 M size that the world of boys clothes becomes a tricky place.

Finding stylish, hip boys’ clothes is not a problem anymore.  A lot of cool and hip brands sprang to life since the U.S. market started opening up to more daring colors and styles.  Finding AFFORDABLE stylish, hip and funky boys’ clothes poses quite a challenge.  Maybe the loyal celebrity clientele, the wealthy and the star obsessed consumer has no problem shelling out $45 and up for a t-shirt or $120 for a pair of tiny jeans.  However, the rest of us squirming in the tight clutches of personal and worldwide recession, would flinch at the mere thought.

I felt this pain myself when my son had officially graduated from the baby world and was pronounced a toddler.  I had my share of mistakes (I still make mistakes), clearing the sales rack at Gymboree and then wondering what I was thinking.  I searched desperately for cool, hip clothes, trying every venue and every retailer (within my means, naturally) that offered boys clothes.  You know what they say… If you seek, you shall find.  Thanks to the Technology Gods for the gift of Internet, I found my shopping bonanza.  95% of my boy’s clothes come from the online sources.  Unfortunately, H&M is adamant in their refusal to sell online in the US.  I still can’t get over this cruelty!

And so resourceful I’ve become.  My son turns heads everywhere he goes.  Mothers inquire where I get all these cool clothes and are genuinely shocked when I tell them how much I paid for them (in a good way of course).  So, I couldn’t keep all my skills and sources to myself.  Sharing is caring and I care a lot about my fellow stylistas raising amazing boys on a tight budget.  This is how the idea of Boys Be Cool was born.  Boys have style too!  Style is not reserved for girls and women only.

LoobaLee and Boys Be Cool are joining forces to promote a different approach to the boys’ fashion.  In Italy even the policemen are stylish knockouts and any man on the train looks like he is on his personal runway.  The French have no idea that there are “boy appropriate” colors.  The UK produces quirky, imaginative, embroidered and insanely creative boys’ clothes.  Sweden, Denmark, and Belgium are all having fun too!  Why not us? 

Stylish boys’ parents unite!  If we all band together we can make a huge impact on the children’s clothing industry.

Boys Be Cool is blog about how to dress little boys in impossibly cool style on a tight budget.  Their motto:  You don’t have to be a celebrity to dress your kid like one.  Boys Be Cool helps you navigate the tricky world of boys’ fashion with a minimal damage to your bank account.  In brief words, they take good care of you and your little boys, making life of son raising budget stylistas a lot easier.

Loobalee.com:  Your premier site to buy and sell quality kids’ clothes!