Kids’ clothes: Dress them up or dress them ‘green’

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It’s not always easy to dress the little darlings who keep you up at night and drool on your jacket before you walk out the door to run errands or go to work.

If you are a ‘green’ parent, for example, the landscape of ‘environmentally friendly’ clothing was, until recently, grim -- think hemp fabrics and muddy colors. Today, however, there’s quite an array of kids’ clothing whose manufacturers boast of eco street cred. Which is fine, but what does the word ‘organic’ guarantee, anyway? What about labor practices? And water use? Where were the goods manufactured?

Heather John surveys eco offerings for kids and details the lengths manufacturers will go to in order to maintain their green status.

If chic is your thing, you’re in luck. Many parents are buying designer wear for their kids, much to the delight, no doubt, of luxury houses that have expanded to include tiny sizes.

In fact, many houses (think Fendi, Missoni, Prada, Armani, Gucci, Dior, Burberry, Marc Jacobs and Phillip Lim) now have a children’s division. Some of the designers churn out mini versions of their men’s and women’s ready-wear lines or logo-heavy accessories; others merely riff on the aesthetic of their already established brand. Melissa Magsaysay reports on kiddie couture. Maybe bringing up baby isn’t so tough, after all.

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--Alice Short