You need not be royalty to look like a little prince or princess!  When my children were young, Ginger regularly bought them classic European styles, even once a Burberry raincoat for little Hayley.  That’s what grandmas are for, right? Annnnd, while most think that little girls are the most fun to dress, my recent experiences show no shortage of adorable clothes for little boys….like Ginger, I prefer children’s clothes that look like children’s clothes rather than mini versions of adult styles, and comfort is a must…..since I have been a grandma now for just over a year, I have come to appreciate three particular places that never disappoint!

Janie and Jack, a small gem of a shop in the Burlington Mall which has a nice selection of play clothes and dress up clothes, and frequent markdowns….the styles are very classic, very ‘Prince George’…..the blue checked shirt seen above came from there – so sweet!

Another favorite children’s shop I actually discovered accidentally when shopping one day at ‘The Street’ in Chestnut Hill……Polarn O. Pyret!  It is a Swedish brand that has wonderful separates in 100% organic cotton…..the yellow denim shorts on Henry came from there…..what I like is that they are styled to cover the knee which protects the skin as they crawl all over the place…….And how about these fabulous shoes!!  They actually remind me of the days when my mother and I would take my children to the North End to buy shoes at Varese on Hanover Street…..they were Italian, unique, and out of my budget! (Thank you mom!)  We would always go to Umberto’s for pizza and arancini, then to Café Vittoria (still my favorite) for dessert and cappuccino…..

The third place to mention is a business that was founded in 1865 in Needham, Ma – good ol’ Carter’s! I have not even been in the shop which is now in Watertown’s Arsenal Mall, but often when I comment to my daughter that I like a particular item on Henry, she says it’s from Carter’s……soft cotton, classic styles, very reasonable prices.

Any other grandmas reading? Where do you like to shop for the little ones?