GUEST POST! CLB ♥ The Pippa and Ike Show

Leopard sweater, £50, Mini Rodini

CLB’s Bristol-based readers will already be familiar with The Pippa & Ike Show’s fashion-forward approach to children’s clothes. It was tears before bedtime all round when the much-adored Gloucester Road boutique shut up shop to focus on e-commerce at the end of 2012. But Bristol’s loss is the rest of the planet’s gain. 

For owner and childrenswear designer Lianne Part, less time behind the till means more spent hunting down the quirky designs that make her shop an easy hit with style-savvy kids (and their parents). You’ll find an emphasis on illustration-driven design (Bobo Choses, Soft Gallery, Atsuyo et Akiko), cool, muted colour palettes, cut-above party favours (the Omm Design robot puzzles are a winner) and why-didn’t-I-think-of-that products like Little Titans’ tights for boys. 

I love the Plastic Fantastic section, which cheerfully proves the kids were right all along with a rainbow of shiny elephant money boxes, bright flower garlands and display-worthy animal nesting dolls. Browse on for bold melamine kitchenware, imaginative toys, quirky stationery and edgy jewellery and accessories. 

www.the-pippa-and-ike-show.com

By Emma Howarth

Emma and lovely little Cleo

Bristol-based Emma has turned an obsession with hunting down amazing places to eat, drink, relax and shop (for kids and grown-ups) into a career. She’s fast becoming an expert on children’s style thanks to four-year-old Lola (loves a tiara; despises buttons) and two-year-old Cleo (never fully dressed with a monkey mask and a medal). Having edited numerous travel and lifestyle guides for Time Out, she writes freelance for various publications and is finishing her first novel. 

Fox sweater, £40, Mini Rodini

Umbrella sweater, £42, Bobo Choses

Guitar sweater, £27, Bobo Choses

Knee-patch tights, £15, Little Titans

Norsu elephant money-box, £8.99

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CLB ♥ WHAT MOTHER MADE

Any child of the ‘70s, with a mother who was nifty with the sewing machine, will instantly feel a pang of nostalgia looking at the delightful offerings from What Mother Made. This East London-based kids' label, aimed at 0-8 year olds, is full of whimsical, offbeat pieces such as ankle-brushing smock dresses with Peter Pan collars, floral dungarees, high-waisted cords and gingham pantaloons (coo). Headed by designer Charlotte Denn, the team also offer a made-to-order service - you can commission your very own piece of on-off loveliness. These clothes are exactly the opposite to Gap Kids; individual, full of character and playfully eccentric. We adore them.

From £20 for a bonnet at www.whatmothermade.com. Also at In With the Old, 57 Amwell St, London EC1R 1UR; Broadway market, London E8 on Saturdays 11am-5pm, Abney Hall, Stoke Newington, London N16 on Sundays 11am-5pm.

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CLB ♥ Tootsa MacGinty unisex kidswear

Why is it so many fashion brands still adhere to the khaki is for boys, pink is for girls rule? Tootsa MacGinty is a bold and bright unisex label for kids with a new non-gender specific approach. Recently launched by ex-Tommy Hilfiger designer, Kate Pietrasik, the range includes cool animal motif sweaters, rainbow stripey tops and dungarees (OK, there are just a few frocks for the girls but they are NOT pink or frilly). The colour palette of grass green, tomato red and indigo with the odd splash of lemon yellow should genuinely appeal to both sexes. Excellent news for parents to boys and girls then. And truly not a hint of pastel pink princess in sight, we promise. Prices range from £21 for sweat pants at Tootsa MacGinty

Indigo sweat pants, £21

froggy sweater, £27

Peace sweat shirt, £25

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CLB ♥ Waddler

Every now again a label comes along that breaks the boundaries of babywear. When CLB spotted Waddler when it launch at the end of last year, we knew we had set eyes on something truly special. The story began when Philip Thompson, his wife Marina and their one year old son, Finn, moved to South America in 2008. 'After Finn was born we felt the time was ripe for adventure and spent almost three years living between Argentina, Peru and Bolivia,' explains Thompson. Much of their time was spent in the beautiful Andean region. 'We loved the slow pace of life there, the incredible light and the rolling high altitude plateaus. And we quickly discovered that the best way to keep Finn warm in the chilly winter was by wrapping him up in the locally produced Alpaca.' With the help of some local artisans, Marina turned her designs into beautifully knitted alpaca jumpers and trousers and thus Waddler was born. All the clothes are made by women in La Paz Bolivia (in fair trade conditions) using baby Alpaca wool which adapts to all temperatures so perfect for British climes. We were delighted to hear they'll be available from Sistersguild come September but in the meantime you can buy the designs for the wonderful Waddler website. From £20 for knitted booties.

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Label of month: Hucklebones

Yippee-dee-do-dah! Only eight months until Evie is two and I can put her in Hucklebones. The London-based label for 2-8 year old girls is beyond adorable. Think naive shapes, peter-pan collars and exquisite prints in luxurious wools and super-soft jerseys. The new collection, a 'celebration of winter' features autumn leaf shades along with berry reds and a delightful paper chain rabbit print (see yellow and white top below). Emphasis is on quality fabrics and timeless style to create 'heirloom clothes'. These are children's clothes you'll want to keep for generations. 

Available at Harvey Nichols, selected boutiques throughout the UK and online.

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Belle & Boo we love you

Mandy Sutcliffe started selling her charming framed children's illustrations three years ago. Since then she has translated them onto home wares, stationery and clothing for her label Belle & Boo. While studying illustration at Leeds Metropolitan University, Sutcliffe found inspiration in Paris where she spent time sketching French children in parks. Her characters include the delightful bobbed little girl, Belle and her bunny Boo, whom the brand is named after. Evie and I adore her pretty aesthetic with a retro fee. Each garment is lovingly made with patterned linings - the vintagey dresses and tops are reversible and arrive with a paper Belle & Boo doll. Cute, playful and innocent: these are clothes that make little girls look like little girls. Utterly adorable.

DON'T MISS YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A BEAUTIFUL BELLE & BOO DRESS AND FRAMED PRINT NEXT WEEK!

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