From Zoe the rock star and Katherine the girlie girl to Jasper the athlete and Willow the photographer, you’ll find a personality that is near and dear to you.  Each member of The RL Gang 2012 has their very own short video that highlights who they are along with the option to shop their closet of four looks.

It’s a clever, creative and interactive way to shop that is fun for kids and enjoyable for parents too.  We look forward to the new stories coming out in the fall to see the RL Gang in action again!

Meet each of the Ralph Lauren personalities and shop their virtual closet. 

Liz Gumbinner, editor in chief of CoolMomPicks.com, along with Martha debut the smallest of models in must-have baby clothing, onesies, bibs and booties along with a studio audience full of moms to be.  You’ll find baby Matthew in PO.P’s classic strips and twins Max and Will in adorable outfits from Tea Collection. The brands also surprised audience members with gift cards and a baby gift set.

Take a few minutes to enjoy these cute babies and their fashions and see the big news one expectant mom receives as she finds out if she will be seeing pink or blue in her future.

Click to Watch

Click here to watch.

What do you think about the episode?  Any baby clothes catch your eye?

“To empower a little girl is to empower the woman she will become.”  Words from the designer herself and the idea behind her new collection for GapKids. “This collection is all about celebrating life and celebrating color” and colorful it is!  We love the mixed patterns and primary color palette which is so fun for kids. 

Take a peek at the new collection for Spring by clicking the photo above and read more about Diane von Furstenberg Designing for GapKids when we first heard the news this summer.

We’re looking forward to seeing the line in person.  What garment has caught your eye?

I haven’t been a fan of the typical, brightly-colored Ikat we’ve seen for children in the past.  I have always steered away from them, seeing them as too unusual,  too quirky, and frankly, not ideal for resale value.

This year, however, I have to say, I’m in love with the new subtle, primary and muted color Ikat fabrics, especially when done in high quality, natural fabrics.   I think these are timeless classics that will be loved year after year for a long time to come.

Here are a few favorites I found:

1. Lucky Brand Mena Scroll Ikat Top
2. Tea Collection Alligator Ikat Tee
3. Tea Collection Bali Ikat Ripstop Shorts
4. Milly Mini’s Party Dress
5. crewcuts mini ruffle dress in Ikat
6. Tea Collection Artisan Lotus Dress
7. Billionaire Boys Club Space Beach Ikat D.B Suit
8. Tea Collection Jasmine Ikat Romper

Do you have children’s clothing to sell?  Like to shop resale?  Check out our new LoobaLee.com marketplace — it’s FREE!
…. and it’s all quality, we guarantee!

Lilly Pulitzer is an excellent children’s clothing investment.  Resale is typically high on Lilly items, especially girl’s dresses and especially on spring/summer prints.  It wears very well.  And, it just never goes out of style. While the clothing styles change slightly, the consistent print designs keeps each piece going year after year.

Learn more about Lilly P. on their “colorful blog”. See what’s new for kids at “Little Lilly’s“

If you happen to be out and about at Target, take a peek at the kids clothing section for your take on the latest and greatest from singer and mother of two, Gwen Stefani.

It’s not very often we promote shopping sprees at Target as part of a Conscious Kids’ Closet, but based on how quickly Missoni for Target sold out, and the prices its now going for online, specific celebrity lines like Harajuku might just sustain their value.

As for the designs?  Too cute for words.  The fluffy hoodies and rocker inspired duds for the little dudes is clever, colorful and great for parents who like to dress their kids in unexpected fashions.

For the little ladies, you’ll find school girls looks with a twist.  The collection includes plaids, polka dots and character prints that are sure to delight any young lady.    If you’re a fan of the school girl look, this one has it along with a few unique dresses appropriate for the holidays.

The little guys won’t be left out of the stylish fashion parade.  He can sport plaid britches with a matching pageboy cap, rocker inspired faux layered tees, animal graphics and black jeans.  You can even pick up a cute tuxedo one piece for the new baby boy so he’ll be good to go for the holidays.

We’re not sure how the garments will wash and wear, or exactly well this line will do on resale, but it sure is cute at first glance.  Watch for how fast it sells out to see if it might actually be worth selecting an item or two.

Want a closer look?  Click the video below and enjoy!

If you’re starting your holiday shopping and looking for something special and a little fun, look no further than Little Miss Matched and give the gift of Juicy Couture mismatched style!  Choose from a set of ten miss matched sparkle ankle socks from the upscale label.  The women’s pack fits shoe sizes 3-10 and sells for $58.  The girls pack fits youth shoe size 6-10 and sells for $48.

The socks come ready to give.  All you have to do is decide if you want the black set or  the white set.

These styles a little too pricey for your gift list?  Little Miss Matched also has a nice selection of ready to give gifts to choose from.  The sock ornament is a great option and comes in a choice of ankle or knee high socks.   How fun would it be to have these on your tree to give during the holiday?  Sign up for their email list and you’ll be the first to know about special offers like free shipping to save you even more over the holiday shopping season.

TIP:   Watch for short-term, 1 Day specials this holiday season from Little MIssMatched.

KidStyleSource.com

One of my favorite things on the site is the seasonal “Trends Cheat Sheet”.  I printed out the 2011 Fall/Winter Trends Cheat Sheet and was inspired to  look around at what’s available on resale to see what I could find.  This is the second in a series of articles inspired by the Trends Sheet.   Check the first on finding Kids Motify Trends  this Fall.

Based on what’s been in circulation the last couple years, you should be able to find a lot of gently used pieces to create “upstyled” looks that are totally on trend without breaking the bank.

Key Kids’ Fabrics for Fall

Fabrics, like motifs and prints, go in and out of style each year too.   The fabrics in the table below are on-trend for this Fall.   Check how easy or difficult it was for me to find them on resale:

Both Cashmere and Faux Fur have been more popular in recent years.  However, they can be difficult to find on resale because they tend to be treasured items that moms want to keep or pass on within the family.

And, expect to see more and more eco-friendly fabrics on resale as they become more mainstream.  One thing I noticed is that the new brands at the recent kids’ shows for Spring, were largely eco-conscious.   Eco-friendly can also be more difficult to search for on resale, because you have to actually look at the tags.  LoobaLee makes it easy for Sellers to list details of eco-friendly items and fabrics, and easy for browsers to search this level of detail.

Sampling of Key Fabrics from Popular Retailers

Hanna Andersson – tulle	Hanna Andersson – fleece
mini boden = cashmere	Tea Collection – faux fur

Tea Collection – corduroy

Key Fabrics Available on Resale

These selections are available as of today on LoobaLee.  They are all one-of-a-kind, so grab them while you can.   But, don’t worry – there’s always more. 

Gymboree, Size 8	Puma, Size 12 mo.
Polo Ralph Lauren, Size 3	The North Face, Size 8

Gymboree & Gap, Size 4T

Your Turn:

Have you found any great deals on retail or resale that fit right in with this season’s trendiest fabrics?   Share your story or tips below. You can even link to some pics if you’d like!