For the mom-to-be: Baby planners and maternity wear

There's a lot of uncertainty about having a baby. Which crib? Toys? Stroller? What about the rest of the gear? What about eco-friendly products?

Women used to rely on their mothers, their sisters, their aunts or their friends for answers to these questions. But sometimes it's best to let the professionals take over.

Baby planners -- a.k.a. baby concierges, a.k.a. maternity consultants -- are increasing in number, and, naturally, they seem to be thriving in Los Angeles. Read Heather John's report to get the scoop on the folks who "take the labor out of your delivery."

Then check out the latest in maternity wear. Being pregnant doesn't mean you have to look like you're wearing a sack. In fact, the sartorial landscape for pregnant women is only getting better.

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-- Alice Short

Photo: Ellie Miller, left, and Melissa Gould started a baby planning business in Studio City almost six years ago. Credit: Anne Cusack / Los Angeles Times

 

Custom capes: A super idea for the hero on your holiday list

If you're stumped on what to get for the kid -- or kid at heart -- on your holiday shopping list, we have just one question: Have you considered a superhero-style cape?

We recently discovered the somewhat silly but totally custom cape-making operation PowerCapes.com that not only makes its wares in the U.S. (Detroit to be exact) but, according to its website, employs moms to hand-make each one. (We have no doubt that this is the source of the capes' superpowers.)

Capes can be personalized by choosing from among 11 different cape colors, eight emblem designs (a crown, shield, heart and lightning bolt among them) and 29 emblem colors, with the option of putting a letter smack in the middle of the emblem (go ahead, you know you want a big, red "S") starting at $24.99. If you're super-sized (i.e. an adult) it'll cost an extra $10.

But you'll need to be faster than a speeding bullet if you want to give a custom cape for Christmas since the order needs to be placed today (Dec. 9) at the latest (unless, of course, you can get Superman to fly around Earth and turn back time like he's been known to do).

But if you decide to order one of its 3,000 pre-made capes, you can wait as late as Dec. 21 and it'll still arrive under the Christmas tree in time to make you look totally heroic.

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Photos: Detroit-based PowerCapes.com employs moms to make custom superhero capes for children and adults. Credit: PowerCapes.com

Stella McCartney shows surfing dinosaurs, frilly dresses for kids

Over the weekend there was at least one gathering in L.A. where no one seemed to have Emmys on the brain -- they were too busy petting animals, designing bird cages and eating sweet potato fries. 

It was a party organized by Stella McCartney, who invited some of her best friends and their children to her West Hollywood store on Saturday to show off her kids' collection for spring-summer 2012.

From the frilly embroidered cotton dresses to the character-emblazoned T-shirts and onesies displaying the likes of a surfing dinosaur, smiling citrus fruit or a banana dressed as a sheriff, there seemed to be something in the collection for boys and girls of all types.

Selma Blair, Jessica Capshaw, Monet Mazur and Shiva Rose were among those who turned out with juniors in tow, dressed in Stella McCartney.  “Stella loves kids so much and gets their sense of fun and adventure,” said Blair, whose 2-month-old son Arthur was dressed in a citrus-emblazoned onesie. “She is always so whimsical. This jumpsuit randomly has citrus fruit on it, and my favorite that he wore at the Venice Film Festival has a whole sheriff motif on it.”

 
Even kids old enough to have a say in what they wear liked the range.  “My son loves the fact that there are pictures on the front of the T-shirts,” said Jessica Capshaw of her 3-year-old-son Luke. “But more than that, I am a fan of McCartney’s worldview and mindfulness.  Whether it’s having delicious vegetarian food or the crafts the kids are making that are of recycled materials or the California Baby sunscreen station. I trust her in every aspect when it comes to kids. That’s why I’m here.”

The Children’s Action Network was at the center of the launch,  with McCartney donating 10% of all sales from the event to the charity as well as 100% of the proceeds from a silent auction.

McCartney's spring-summer 2012 kids collection is expected to be in stores and online in January. Prices range from  $40 to $150. 

-- Raha Lewis

Photos: Top, Some of the garments from Stella McCartney's kids collection for spring-summer 2012. Credit: Stella McCartney. Middle, Jessica Capshaw and son Luke in the petting zoo; Bottom, Monet Mazur, left,  Selma Blair with son Arthur and Krista Smith, Vanity Fair's West Coast editor. Credit for both party pictures: Donato  / Wire Image

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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 

Photo: Ashley wears a Kate Quinn yellow dress; John, a Kate Quinn button-down top and jeans. Photo: Kirk McKoy/Los Angeles Times

Back to School: Shoes to speed up the morning rush

 

School is almost ready to start again -- for some, it already has -- and for harried parents dreading the morning rush, any little thing that can help smooth the routine might be welcome.

For one mom I know, getting her 7-year-old to tie his shoes -- and to keep them tied all day -- has her pulling her hair out, Monday through Friday.

Not that she doesn't want him to learn to tie a good, strong bow knot. She does. But in the daily race to get him and his little sister off to school and herself to work, it seemed worth a shot to try U-Laces, a new way to fasten shoes. Unlike traditional lacing, where you feed one continuous lace through all the shoe's eyelets, the U-Lace system is "modular" -- made up of short elastic bands that stretch only from one eyelet to the next and hook inside.  Once outfitted with the bands, the shoe can be slipped on and off, no tying or untying required. 

"These are the best invention since Velcro," our harried Mom says. The colorful bands -- more than 20 hues are available on the company website, starting at $7.99 a pack -- also freshened up a pair of shoes that had been been scheduled for replacement, making them a favorite again.

But they aren't just for kids who have trouble with bows. Before she knew it, Dad (age 28) had redone his shoes with colorful mods ... and was the center of attention at a weekend party.

Do you have tips for making dressing faster in the mornings? (Um, I'm looking for serious tips here, not things like "Sleep with your clothes on," though I've thought about that one myself!) Suggestions welcome!

-- Susan Denley

 Photo: Shoes done up with U-Lace modular fasteners. Credit: Marilyn Ruiz / Los Angeles Times 

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Parisian kidswear collection Pearls & Popcorn to debut in U.S.

If Parisian charm is what's missing from your toddler's wardrobe, good news: Paris-based children's wear brand Pearls & Popcorn will be making its U.S. debut in early September at all Bloomingdale's stores.

And the rollout of the brand is one of the largest children's wear launches in the department store's history.

The casual collection, made for girls and boys from 3 to 36 months, features low-key, stylish looks that could pass for "mini me" versions of styles made by cool-girl French retailer A.P.C.

For boys, there are shawl-necked grandpa cardigans, plaid flannel Oxford shirts, dark gray skinny jeans and light-weight hooded pullovers, among other items. And little ladies can suit up in petal-pink skinny twill pants, ditzy-printed smock tops and slouchy cotton henleys, for starters.

The cute collection ranges from $20 to $50 -- not too shabby for a kiddo brand with Parisian pedigree.

-- Emili Vesilind

Photos: Fall looks from Pearls & Popcorn. Credit: Pearls & Popcorn

H&M’s cute new children's line will benefit UNICEF

H&M is really amping up the cute factor on their children's clothing for a new line of boys and girls sweaters, dresses, jackets and shoes that benefits the UNICEF All for Children charity.

25% of sales from the collection (which hits H&M stores at the end of September) will go to All for Children, to support education and protection for children in Bangladesh.

The line is filled with adorable and whimsical pieces like floral-print dresses, pink sweaters with velvet bow closures, and cat-face ballerina flats for the girls, and flight jackets, Breton-style striped shirts and suspenders for the boys. There are also faux fur vests for the boho baby and a shimmery silver button-down sweater for the glamour girl. And a pair of unisex tan suede ankle boots would surely fly off shelves if they came in adult sizes.

The collection is done in an array of autumnal tones and ranges from comfy cropped sweatpants to color-blocked sweaters that seem right for a stylish back-to-school wardrobe.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

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Photo: Looks from H&M's new children's line. Credit H&M

Rahrrr! Little Warriors makes primal, pricey clothes for kids

If "mini-me" Juicy Couture tees and Levi's skinny jeans aren't your idea of stylish kids clothes, try this concept on for size: edgy, Southwest-inspired baby and toddler clothes.

Designed by Maggie Fox, co-owner of L.A. vintage shop Filth Mart, Little Warrior -- a line of costume-y toddler clothes that boast Chimayo-inspired graphics -- launched Wednesday morning with its own website.

And it's so hip, it hurts. There are six styles in total, including a hand-embroidered hooded poncho of the ilk that might have cloaked Robert Plant in his Led Zeppelin days; T-shirts with bold graphics including a fang-filled mouth; and an ultra-baggy pants romper with a Chimayo-inspired print on the back that would fit right in at cool-kid cafe Casbah in Silver Lake.

Of course all this ironic coolness will cost you. Prices range from $22 for tiny little athletic shorts to $72 for the cape-like poncho and $74 for the romper -- which you just know your child will outgrow within three months.

But the designs, which are manufactured in L.A. using overdyed cotton blends, make for killer baby-shower gifts -- and range in size from newborn to 4T.

The line is available online now but will hit stores, including Clover in (where else?) Silver Lake, on May 15.

-- Emili Vesilind

Photo: Little Warrior's $74 romper. Credit: Little Warrior

Los Feliz boutique La La Ling launches a cool kids hair salon

Is your 4-year-old begging for a Rod Stewart-style shag or punky asymmetrical bangs? Then Ling Chan is hoping you'll bring your style-savvy progeny to her Los Feliz-based children's lifestyle boutique, La La Ling.

Chan recently launched a beauty salon specifically for kids in the back of the boutique that specializes in trendy designer haircuts, hair styling (think spray-on hair color and hair tinsel) and kiddo-friendly beauty services, including funky nail design and glitter tattoos.

As a mother of three children (all under the age of 9), Chan said she launched the salon because, "I have yet to find the one place in L.A. that could give all three kids great haircuts in a fun, cool salon that was kid-friendly. My oldest son likes a rock 'n' roll shag, my younger son likes a punk faux-hawk and my daughter wants the long, princess-pretty haircut."

The new salon features a nail/tattoo station, two styling chairs covered in custom leather designs -- one depicting Hello Kitty, the other SpongeBob SquarePants -- a flat-screen TV for movie watching, a kids table and chairs and a bin of children's books.

All ages are welcome, from young babies to teens ("Even young adults and parents wouldn't be turned away if they asked for a quick trim or fun crystals," Chan said.)

Every kid leaves with a photo of themselves in their snazzy new cut, and gets to mine for a prize in the “magic treasure bowl.” And if it's your babe's first haircut, he or she will leave with a "first haircut" certificate featuring their photo and a lock of hair. It doesn't get much more adorable than that.

1810 N. Vermont Ave., Los Angeles. Walk-ins are welcome, but to book an appointment, call (323) 664-4400 or e-mail info@lalaling.com. 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday; Closed Monday and Tuesday.

-- Emili Vesilind

Photo: The interior of La La Ling. Credit: La La Ling.

Hot baby wear: Zutano Cozie Booties

After the holidays, they seemed to be on nearly every tiny foot dangling out of a Baby Bjorn  — scrunchy little fleece baby boots with a stay-put buttoned ankle strap.

The brand: Zutano. The style: Cozie Booties. The big deal? They're not only pragmatic (they keep socks firmly in place on all manner of chubby feet) and pediatrician-approved (because they're all-fabric, letting growing feet do their thing).

They're also super, duper stylish — a far cry from the faux tennis shoes, flowered flats and odd little leather hockey puck-esque slippers comprising the bulk of baby shoe offerings.

The super-soft boot, which comes in sizes suitable for newborns up to 12-month-olds, resembles a classic Eskimo moccasin boot, only in washable fleece instead of leather hides. The booties look cutest when worn on top of leggings or legging-tight pants.

"They started getting popular when the rain started here," said Carla Escobar, a staffer at The Pump Station baby store in Hollywood, which sells the shoes in various colors for $17.95 -- but has already sold out of several sizes online. "People like them because they clip on, so it's not like the baby can kick them off, like socks."

The fuzzy footies are also available at Amazon.com for between $15.95 and $17.95, depending on the color availability.

-- Emili Vesilind

Photo: Zutano Cozie Booties in tangerine and black. Credit: The Pump Station