If you buy your kids’ clothes from Target’s clearance rack or live for the Baby Gap’s final markdowns, then stop right here. But if you would spend as much for a child’s holiday ensemble as some of us do on our monthly car payments, then read on.
From trendy to traditional, several places in the Chicago area sell high-end children’s holiday clothing and accessories.
If designer labels are your thing, consider Milani Boutique, 65 E. Oak St., 312-587-0570, which specializes in “haute couture children’s clothes” for infants to preteens. This surprisingly unshowy showroom caters to sports figures, celebrities, wealthy tourists and other well-heeled types. (Look for photos of actress Vanessa Williams and rocker Steven Tyler at the cash register.)
“If you make $10 million a year, you don’t care about price,” says owner Joseph Batko, describing Milani’s clientele. For those who actually fall into that category or simply have champagne taste, Batko and his wife, Lana, feature children’s wear from Versace, Moschino and Missoni, as well as a line of custom-designed kids’ clothing. The store also specializes in designer and custom children’s footwear.
For the perfect girls’ holiday ensemble, the Batkos suggest a Moschino ribbed cotton dress ($158-160) in Christmas or Hanukkah colors (red with shimmering gold stripes, navy with shimmering silver stripes) with square-toed Moschino patent leather short boots ($150).
For a “conservative” holiday look, Milani is showing a girls’ Moschino navy wool suit with red velvet striped jacket ($500). The suit looks sharp coupled with Moschino’s red patent leather Mary Janes ($115) and a rhinestone headband ($75) made with real Swarovski Austrian crystal.
To ring in the millennium, Milani can outfit boys in a dapper wool Perry Ellis tuxedo ($195) with a white Perry Ellis tuxedo shirt ($35) and satin bow tie ($10).
Milani also features dressy outerwear for the holiday season. For boys, there’s a black wool blend Versace double-breasted overcoat ($540). Girls can pair up a black wool and cashmere Versace overcoat with gray faux fur collar ($395) and a black on gray paisley print nylon handbag ($100).
Those looking for more traditional holiday attire–think lots of velvet and satin–should consider Neiman Marcus (three area locations, www.neimanmarcus.com). The upscale department store offers an extensive array of elegant children’s fashions for infants to size 6X. These outfits are suitable for “very special occasions” and are “probably not for the average family gathering,” says Tina Koegel, a spokeswoman at the downtown store (737 N. Michigan Ave., 312-642-5900).
Neiman Marcus features many designs from the luxury girls’ line, Helena. For baby, offerings include Helena’s hunter green velvet and grosgrain empire-waist dress ($180) with matching velvet swing coat ($200) and bonnet ($50). You might want to keep the chocolate Santas away if your toddler’s wearing Helena’s white wool tie back dress ($160) with white faux fur trim. Neiman Marcus shows the dress with a matching white faux fur shrug ($165) and faux fur trimmed white wool hat ($52). For older girls, there’s Helena’s ultra purple empire-waist dress ($215) with velvet bodice and satin-like skirt. The dress is accented with purple velvet and satin-like rosettes. Pair that with a matching purple swing coat ($265) and hat ($76).
