Little Angels : The Holidays Herald Fancy Fashions in Sophisticated Colors and Fabrics

Whether they’ve been naughty or nice, whether they’ve tormented their teachers or harassed the family dog, children somehow look like cherubs around the holidays.

‘Tis the season when parents want to dress up their children and show them off at formal dinners, holiday teas and religious services. It’s the time when children’s fashion designers create their most glamorous special-occasion clothes.

So what will the little angels be wearing this season?

The same kinds of clothes that adults like to wear when they dress up. Little boys will look like miniature versions of their fathers, in traditional styles such as pint-sized plaid vests, ties in holiday hues and blazers.

Girls will be in dresses of rich brocades, silks, lace and other fine fabrics. Some styles are fantasy creations that can transform a girl into a turn-of-the-century lady, a ballerina or a princess.

“Girls are wearing the same thing women are wearing,” says P.J. Lindberg, a Costa Mesa designer of children’s clothes. Lindberg uses sophisticated fabrics and designs usually associated with women’s wear and turns them into girls’ dresses that are quaint without being cutesy.

“We’re doing a lot of the stretch lace and penne velvet,” she says. “It’s a take-off on the adults.”

Even toddlers are sporting adult looks like Lindberg’s stretch lace leggings. Her ’94 holiday collection is heavy on ivory-colored silk and lace.

“Moms like it. It’s a vintage look,” she says.

Some of Lindberg’s vintage styles were inspired by dresses her mother, also a children’s fashion designer, created for her when she was a child. Her collection includes ‘40s-inspired dresses of crushed stretch velvet in deep cranberry or pine green hues with ivory crocheted collars ($96), striped ivory silk dresses with puffy sleeves and fabric roses ($144) and a turn-of-the-century ivory brocade dress with an empire waist and burgundy ribbon trim ($64, infants), available at the Duck Pond in Tustin.

The line is also carried at Little People & Me in Newport Beach and Chelsea Castle in Mission Viejo.

Traditional adult colors, including deep burgundies, dark greens and even black, are now dominant in children’s special occasion clothes, says Patty Vinas, owner of Chelsea Castle.

“We see a lot more black velvet on the little ones,” Vinas says.

Fine fabrics, the kind ordinarily seen on women’s evening wear, are also making their way into the girls’ department. Crushed velvets, crinkled rayons, embroidered brocades, lace and lame are being used to create dresses that are the stuff of little girls’ fantasies.

Girls can be ballerinas, in Chelsea Castle’s ivory ballet-style dress with a full tulle skirt and a top of raw silk with lace details on the sleeves by Childhood Enchantment ($138), or they can be the young heroine in “My Secret Garden” in a turn-of-the-century black velvet coat dress with a white eyelet lace under slip by Pretty ‘N’ Pink ($112).

Would-be princesses can don a regal dress of sheer ivory silk over gold lame with a peach, beige and gold tapestry bodice, also by Childhood Enchantment ($158).

Boys are wearing more contemporary fare, such as pants in holiday plaids with white shirts and coordinating ties. One typical ensemble for toddlers is a red and green plaid shorts set with suspenders, a matching tie and a white shirt, available at Chelsea Castle ($62).

“Children’s designers are coming from the adult market,” says Lisa Klein, owner of Small Things Bright & Beautiful in Dana Point and Small Things Too in San Juan Capistrano. These designers are bringing with them simpler styles for children that emphasize fabric over frills.

One line called Mousefeathers makes a simple dress with a button front and a high waist using elegant cut black velvet with a swirl pattern ($104), and a dress with capped sleeves and a tie back out of dark green crushed velvet ($124), both available at Small Things Bright & Beautiful.

Until a few years ago, such dressy outfits were seldom seen on Orange County children, says Helen Kitakis, owner of the Duck Pond. Now more local children are following the example of children on the East Coast and wearing fancy clothes.

“They dress up to go out to the Orange County Performing Arts Center, out to dinner or out to tea--tea’s become quite the thing,” Kitakis says. “Children are now included in more social events.”

Boys still tend to rebel at the idea of dressing up, Kitakis says.

“After age 4 they want to wear jeans. The holidays might be the only time of year when a parent gets a boy into formal clothes.”

A typical ensemble for a boy headed for a formal affair: a black floral vest, matching bow tie, black cuffed pants and a white shirt, all by Sarah Louise and available at the Duck Pond ($110).

Says Kitakis: “Somebody out there is teaching children the finer things in life.”