Fashion : Babies’ New Basics : What’s Black and White and Red-Hot All Over? Chic Tots’ Togs
What started as an elite designer statement in children’s wear several seasons ago now has a far broader appeal. Black, as a fashion color for kids, is no longer considered depressingly Dickensian, too grown-up or too serious for any but a few, special occasions. Black is even a baby basic, a chic color as sought after for children as it is for their style-conscious parents.
“The time is right for black; people want to be unconventional,” says Terry Jajati, owner of Bloomers in Hollywood, a store for infants through preteens. “They’re having babies later, raising them differently, and these parents buy for their kids what they like, not what tradition dictates.”
Took Off Last Fall
It’s not unusual anymore to find the most sophisticated black clothes, with such grown-up labels as Gianni Versace and Franco Moschino, in children’s sizes, right next to more typical kiddie collections by such companies as Mrs. Taki’s Kids and Feeline.
There’s plenty of black at Bloomers, and with it no mistaking that this is a trend-setting store. Jajati says: “The black craze took off last fall. I ordered a lot of it for spring and I’m almost out of it. There will be more for summer. I know my customers. They wear black and so do their children.”
If black is now acceptable for children after so many years when designers struggled unsuccessfully to make it so, there is also enough variety in the styling to give the clothes interest beyond their color. Looks for little children range from just-like-mommy sportswear separates and just-like-Madonna cotton/Lycra risque numbers, to more traditionally elegant and freshly innocent messages.
Look of Innocence
Los Angeles designer Malina Gerber and Italian master Gianni Versace represent the latter. Gerber says: “I like to mix black with other colors so there is an innocence about the look and children still look like children.”
Versace takes on a more formal tone. “His approach is high quality and not overloaded with frills,” says Ute Pancer, owner of Belli Bambini, a West Hollywood shop that recently held a Versace fall showing for children’s wear. Black velvet dresses with crisp white collars and delicate lace trims were favorites as were black-and-white tweed coats trimmed in black velvet. Prices range from $150 to $450 for school-age children up to Size 10.
Other designers blend grown-up trends, the color black and the innocence of children’s fashion. Los Angeles designer Enid Harris and Michael Sui of Mrs. Taki’s Kids are pacesetters in this field.
Harris’ spring styles for girls sizes 2 through 8 include clean-lined, silk, tiered dresses accessorized with silk roses. For dress-up, she shows a basic-black chiffon, Empire silhouette “cocktail” dress. Sleek cotton/Lycra separates are meant to be softened with little-girl-fantasy ballerina tutus, flounce skirts and fluid jumpers worn on top.
Originally a television and movie costume designer, Harris started her business a year ago as a panic reaction to the Screenwriters’ strike. Now her flights of fantasy, priced from $15 to $160, are carried in progressive children’s-wear stores such as American Rag Cie Youth and Bloomers. Even Maxfield, that stalwart center of style that saturated adult fashion devotees with black a few years ago, carries Harris’ children’s line.
Twirlable Things
“I just can’t see pink and blue anymore,” she says. That’s been done enough. Black is beautiful on kids. Last week we did a photo shoot and all the little girls went straight for the black. You can twirl in my things, they have little petticoats or jewels or flowers--that’s what little girls like.”
Before he became designer for the Mrs. Taki’s Kids collections, designer Sui learned the importance of black while working with New York ready to wear designers Louis Dell’Olio for Anne Klein, and with Donna Karan.
Karan, Klein and Mrs. Taki’s Kids are owned by Tomio Taki now. His wife, Beverly, heads the childrens’ line, now about a year old, and Adam, the youngest of their four sons, provided the inspiration for it. Ironically, the collection is now aimed largely at girls aged 7 to 14.
“I always use black as a ground color and contrast it with white or brights,” Sui explains. “It’s a Seventh Avenue influence filtered down to kids. Now there’s no time lag in fashion from adults to children. What makes black fun for kids to wear are optical-effect details. Stripes, bright prints and separates. That’s where the individuality comes in so kids can create their own looks.”
European Influence
For spring, black and white was Mrs. Taki’s Kids’ predominant color story, in easy pants, swing skirts, print shirts and T-shirts. For fall, add a salt-and-pepper tweed toggle coat, a black gabardine dress with pleated skirt and white, Puritan collar, or a Chanel-type suit complete with quilted leather handbag. Prices range from $20 to around $100 at stores, including Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and I. Magnin.
“The influence stems from Europe but the feeling is much broader than that,” Sui notes. “There’s an instinct now to get back to basics, back to traditional values and to break the rules a bit. People also want quality and longevity. Black is the color that represents all of that.”
But black is not just for school-age kids. Even infants are being dressed in the classic color, and baby experts support the trend, just as they approve of black-and-white toys, bedding, furniture and learning tools for infants. Among new parents who favor the trend are Spago owner-chef Wolfgang Puck, and his wife Barbara Lazaroff. And the visible proof came in the form of no fewer than 11 black-and-white baby showers for Barbara, held this spring. She specified her preference for the two basic colors when asked about gifts.
Like other savvy parents, Lazaroff says, she understands the benefits of black and white for infants. Always known as a fashion plate, she also admits that she simply liked the look of black and white Holstein cow patterns, and decorated her new baby boy’s nursery entirely in that bovine motif.
How Far Will It Go?
Where is all of this infatuation with black fashion for children leading? Designers, retailers, parents and baby experts agree that early exposure to various stimuli determines later behavior. Retailers translate the notion to matters of style, of course.
“If a child learns taste, quality and individuality early, they will relate to it more as adults,” says Pancer of Belli Bambini. “I think modern parents learned it and are continuing to teach it to the next generation.”
Guide for Children’s Basic Black
Agnes B., 100 N. Robertson Blvd., (213) 271-9643. Just a few things for early school-age children, but they’re very comfy and very chic.
American Rag Cie Youth, 136 S. La Brea, (213) 965-1404. The most creative put-together blend of a slightly European, mostly American, partly vintage, mostly modern children’s look in Los Angeles.
Belli Bambini, 8618 Melrose Ave., (213) 854-1996. All European labels, elegant, tasteful and fun. Great things for infants through age 8.
Bloomers, 8646 Sunset Blvd., Sunset Plaza, (213) 854-6901. Very hip, but still childish, trend-setting store with all the latest labels infant through preteen.
Fred Segal Kids, 8618 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, (213) 651-1935; 500 Broadway, Santa Monica, (213) 451-5200. A sprinkling of sporty black clothes just like mom’s and dad’s. Toddler through preteen. Infant wear at Fred Segal Baby in Santa Monica.
Indigo Seas, 123 N. Robertson Blvd., (213) 550-8758. A small, special selection of romantic children’s wear in the same feeling as this cozy shop for the home that could be placed anywhere from the West Indies in the ‘30s continuing up through the decades to England and Mexico. Toddler through about age 5.
Malina, 11163 Santa Monica Blvd., (213) 312-5347; 2913 Main Street, Santa Monica, (213) 392-2611. The sweetest yet most sophisticated clothes for babies through age 6.
Maxfield, 8825 Melrose Ave., (213) 274-8800. Big on black for adults and a selective but leading proponent of the color black for children. Enid Harris only up to about age 6.
