I’d like to share a personal story.

Lilly Pulitzer wasn’t a household name for me until I met my husband and had my first daughter in the late 90′s.   As soon as I began to follow in love with Lilly’s iconic bright prints and seeking them out for my daughter, I learned my husband had a family and friend connection to Lilly.   Most of his family resides in the West Palm Beach area.

My husband’s uncle, a retired Palm Beach / West Palm Beach decorator owned a shop with his long-time, dear friend Jack Davidson in Palm Beach.

Jack, a contemporary of Lilly Pulitzer,  started out as a custom shirt-maker with a storefront in Palm Beach, catering to its elite community.  The story goes that each day on his way to work, Jack would stop and by juice from Lilly Pulitzer’s road-side stand.  When Lilly began to appear in her bright shift dresses she had made (specially designed out of necessity to disguise her daily juice stains), Jack began to encourage Lilly to produce and sell the dresses.   As a shirt-maker, he knew the industry and had connections to help her get started.

I never met Jack.  He passed away before I met my husband and his family, but I sure would have loved to have known him.

I never met Lilly.  But, stories of connections made my heart grow fonder.

I’d like to thank Jack, Lilly Pulitzer, and all of Lilly’s supporters who started and built Lilly Pulitzer into what it is today.  Her prints and designs will forever make me smile, remind me of family, remind me of many pleasant vacations to the Palm Beaches, and remind me of my little girls.   The lasting style of Lilly is one of my many inspirations for building LoobaLee.

Lilly Pulitzer is a top-selling resale brand on LoobaLee.  There may be a few available now, take a peek! 

Do you have a favorite Lilly Pulitzer memory?  I’d love to hear.  Please share in the comments below.

This year’s spring collection from Tea is sure not to disappoint!  From the graphic prints inspired by the wild lilies found on the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa to the dance print shirt inspired by the xibugu dance of the Tsonga tribe, Tea will delight parents and kids alike.  Their fashions are always well made, comfortable for kids to wear and offer practical designs with a global twist.

Enjoy the video below highlighting this spring’s collection and share what you love about Tea in the comments section below.

Coming Spring 2013

Colorful and always playful Oilily, will be introducing their latest adventure to the European market this spring with its full color combi- buggy – a buggy and a stroller rolled into one. Never before has so much patience, love and attention to detail been lavished on the color and design of a combi-buggy.

K
Oilily, who will be celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, will introduce three different versions stamped with the Oilily logo and awash with bright color: OILILYred, OILILYblue and OILILYyellow.  As well as glittering design, Oilily has achieved a technical tour-de-force.  The combi-buggy effortlessly folds into a lightweight and easy-to-carry package (see photo below) and will include classic coordinating patterns to please all Oilily fans yet subtle enough to take you through several children.

The OILILY combi-buggy will hit stores in the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland this spring with other European countries to follow.  The company is also looking into launching the buggies in the USA and Asia at a later time.

Stay tuned to our blog for more baby buggy buzz and children’s fashion news, including Oilily.  In the mean time, Shop Oilily USA or find Oilily kidswear on Loobalee.

What do you think about Oilily’s latest combi-buggy adventure? Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

This time of year can be a bit of a downer due to cold temps but warmer days are just on the horizon.  A little pick me up is to start pulling out your children’s spring clothing and start incorporating pieces into their wardrobe.  Spring clothes are usually full of bright colors and happy patterns which will perk up anyone’s day.  It’s also a good time to start listing those outgrown spring and summer items on resale if you haven’t started already.

Looking for something new?  We love the Mini Cassie Tee from Lilly Pulitzer (pictured below).  This is a perfect transitional tee that can be worn now with long pants and a sweater as well as later with shorts or a skirt.  The bonus, the shirt has a bit of sparkle and ruffle sleeves to keep her looking girlie and is versatile enough to pull off both looks!

If you’re looking for something new to you, we have a nice selection of Lilly kids (and hundreds of other brands) on Loobalee.   Click here to start shopping for Lilly Pulitzer on Loobalee.

Share your thoughts in the comments sections below.  We always love to hear from you!

We are so excited to learn that Vera Bradley will be expanding their baby and mom range of products to include more than just diaper bags!

The announcement comes with a sneak peek of the new arrivals which will focus mostly on patterns appropriate for little girls.  The collection will include layette outfits, blankets, burp clothes, bibs, socks, booties, bottle covers and more.

Expect the goods debut on March 14, 2013 in stores and online.  We love the quality of Vera Bradley and hope to see the same attention to detail when it comes to their new line of baby products.

This is good news for all and we can’t wait to see  more!

Share your thoughts:  Leave us a comment below and let us know what you think.    Are you excited for the new baby products from Vera Bradley?

We look to our friends at The Children’s Place for affordable clothing for kids and their take on Spring 2013.  For boys, you can expect to see plaid shorts in bright hues, polo shirts, graphic tees, trendy ties and argyle vests.  For girls we’ll see tulle skirts, bright colors and floral details along with sparkle shoes and accessories.  Always a hit for little girls!

We appreciate the flexibility of the current offerings from The Children’s Place.  It is important to incorporate pieces into your child’s wardrobe that can be worn in cooler temperatures and transition seamlessly into the warmer days ahead.  This is important to add more value per wear and saves parents money in the long run.

Take an insider peek into The Children’s Place spring fashions in the video below with Nicole Feliciano, founder of MomTrends and Michael Giannelli, The Children’s Place head designer.

Share your thoughts on The Children’s Place spring fashions by leaving a comment below.  Any must haves?

Boden posted on their Facebook page, “We know that it’s very rare that an item will sell well from 4 to 14 years old, so we made the decision to make the age ranges of Baby and Mini more concise, while refreshing and expanding Johnnie b to offer a lot more to older children. We’d love to be able to offer everything to suit all tastes and sizes, but if we did, the unfortunate truth of it is that we’d soon go out of business and end up offering nothing at all.”

The company is aware that the mini collection appeals to some kids who need larger sizes and working through accommodating this issue.  They also are aware that johnnie b appeals to tweens as well as teens.  We hope the price point on this range will adjust to be affordable while continuing to offer quality clothes and fantastic styles.

Share your thoughts:  What do you think about Boden’s move to change their children’s clothing offerings?  Leave us a reply in the section below.

American Eagle announced in May that they planned to eliminate their children’s clothing line, which debuted online 4 years ago.  The company was purchased this past August by Ezra Dabah, former chairman and CEO of The Children’s Place.  American Eagle will record an after-tax loss of about $35 million as a result of the sale.  Mr. Dabah, through his Ezrani 2 Corp., paid 65 percent of the cost of the acquired inventory and all of the 77kids assets, including the related online business as well as a temporary license to use the 77kids name through Jan. 15, 2013.

If you are a fan of the label, as we are, now is the time to grab up liquidation savings until the new RUUM merchandise hits stores.  We’re not sure what the new change in ownership will bring but we certainly hope that we can continue to see quality and stylish kids wear.

The dutch fashion brand that began creating designs in 1963 has delivered high quality, unique styles season after season.  The Fall/Winter 2012 collection for boys and girls is no different with their beautiful hand painted prints, clever graphic tees and top notch fabrics.

The new ‘Heart for Art’ fashions are Oilily’s ode to the visual arts.  Their amazing designs and attention to detail makes this a wonderful brand to wear and resell or as a keepsake to pass on to future generations.

Enjoy the fashion show and Oilily’s ‘Heart for Art’ theme song in the video below.

The Fall/Winter 2012 ‘Heart of Art’ collection is available to the US market at the Oilily webstore.

Click here to shop for Oilily on LoobaLee.

Share your thoughts:  What do you love about Oilily’s newest collection?

While your kids may not be partaking in the Olympics, they can channel their inner champion by dressing in red, white and blue to support the U.S.A. in the Olympic games.

We went right the official Summer 2012 Olympic Outfitter, Ralph Lauren for Team USA apparel and accessories.  The Olympic collection offers choices for the entire family — including the family dog! 

Ralph Lauren has it all; dresses, tees, tanks, polo shirts, shorts, sweatshirts, flip-flops, headbands and our personal favorite, the beret worn at the opening ceremonies.  The kids can even carry a personalized Team USA backpack to show their pride during the school year and beyond.

Not only do Ralph Lauren’s kids clothing offer timeless styles, they wear like iron and offer a good return on investment in the children’s clothing resale market.  We can see why such a stellar brand was chosen to represent the amazing athletes of the Summer Games.

Go Team USA!

Share your comments below:  Tell us what Team USA article of clothing is your favorite.