Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Wednesday Guest: Life with Boys

About a month ago I asked our dear friend Cate W. Zahl, to guest post on boy's fashion. I am obsessed with her instagram posts, and her boys are always handsomely put together. I know I appreciate a little inspiration when it comes to dressing H.  
Thank you, Cate!!! 

Mel asked me to share a little about what it's been like so far living with two baby boys. I've got a 2 and a half year old (Charlie) and a 5 month old boy (Cabell), both of whom certainly keep me on my toes! For the most part, it's a blast. And I think I'm starting to get the hang of it? Superheros, trucks, tractors, trains, dirt, baseball, cars. These are the pillars in my life at the moment. 


1. On Dressing Boys


So having only ever had a sister, when I had my first baby boy, I had no idea how to dress him. I'm an old fashioned gal, but I wasn't quite sure how that translated with boys, and I found that finding sweet, traditional baby boy clothes was not easy. You had to hunt! What I looked to was Europe and the way they dressed their boys. In my mind, my sons have plenty of time to wear an oxford shirt and tie when they're older. Why put them in miniature man clothes when their 6 months old?

My advice is to keep them in the cute stuff as long as you can, because before long they are going to only want to wear superman shirts and sweatpants. Which is completely a cute look as well! But you've got a short window within which knee socks are ok. I decided to take advantage! And to invest in a few staples that will last. The navy and white striped shirt from Peter Beaton's lasts forever. Charlie and Cabell both live in it. It's a bit pricey, but worth it because the quality is so great.





Here are a few secret resources I've learned along the way. 


Tea Collection - Baby Boy Chinese Jacket Both my boys have lived in this sweater, I've bought it in every color it comes in. It's the perfect cardigan to put over any outfit, including pajamas! Caramel Baby - Baby Trouser 

They will be the most you ever spend on pants for a baby, but they will be the only pants you need to buy! Cut adorably with a shorter inseam, we have the gray corduroy ones and each boy wore them for two months straight.  
Bonpoint, Jacadi, Papo D'Anjo, Caramel Baby, Petit Ami and Strasburg are all my favorite European brands.   My favorite American brands are: 
When it comes to dress toddler boys, I think it's fun to put them in pink oxfords paired with rugged jeans, or to put them in baseball hats. Bold primary colors are great - I usually stick with navy, blues and sometimes a pop of red.

For Toddlers, favorite brands include Boden, Lands End, Gap, Olive Juice, and Kellys Kids. I know that Zara and H&M are also great.


In general, I mostly use the vintage outfits and toys that I have collected for my boys to decorate their room. I think It's the easiest way to create a whimsical atmosphere. A collection of silver baby cups mingle with wooden toy cars and vintage picture books. As Charlie has gotten older I will gradually take away a few of the more "baby" items and replace them with tractors :)

Thank you, Cate!!


Mel & Liza

1 comment:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...