A few weeks ago, Reuben and I were invited to visit the boutique Pikku, which is a gorgeous clothing shop and hair salon for little ones. Based in Gosforth, it’s dead easy for us to get to and park near, so we jumped at the chance. Not least because Reuben could no longer see past his fringe and needed some serious help in the hairstyles department!

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A little while ago I got into a conversation with the Mums over on the Mums’ Days Facebook wall about Boys’ Fashion and one of the key things that stuck out for me was the over-riding feeling that girls clothes are lovely and fun but boys’ fashion in general is a bit boring! Mums’ (of boys and girls alike!) want colour!

But aside from colour, I’ve been having a think about what else we can do as mamas with little fellas, to add a bit of fun to their wardrobes!

Boys’ Fashion Can Be Fun Too

So it seems a common complaint made by new mothers is that it’s far easier to find cute clothes for girls… and, while there is an element of truth in that, it doesn’t mean baby boy clothes can’t be fun too. Here are 7 ideas to make your little man’s wardrobe stand out from the crowd.

1. Embrace pattern

Just because you have a baby boy, it doesn’t mean you have to stick to neutrals and solids. A bright colour, pattern or print can make all the difference. Don’t be afraid to mix either: a range of patterns ensures visual interest.

2. Have fun with t-shirts or jumpers

Like pattern, an interesting t-shirt or jumper can be an excellent way of adding a little variety to your baby boy’s wardrobe. Try something with a fun design: after all, it might be an excellent way to teach your child the names of the animals!

Kermit is an animal too you know?!

3. Dress up

Little boys like dressing up too! And I’m not just talking super heroes (although sending your kids out in fancy dress is definitely fun!!)… Make your little man the smartest in the room with a collared shirt or baby bow tie. There’s nothing more adorable than a dapper, little gentleman.

4. Don’t be afraid to accessorize

Not so much jewellery and hair bows here… but there’s a whole range of ways to make your baby’s outfit stand out. Hats, shoes, and mini-baseball caps can make a basic ensemble look super cute. I have quite a few shoes from those early days and I can’t bare to throw them out, they are soooo sweet!

5. Put a sock in it

I am obsessed with socks and I don’t care who knows it. Reuben has more socks than he could wear in a month but a pair of funky socks can make an amazing difference to an outfit. They might add a dash of colour or simply bring a smile to your face. Current favourites of mine include a selection of nautical socks but for a while Reuben would only wear his super mouse socks! When he was little I was also in love with these cow boy inspired socks, which I’d put him in even when it didn’t match…fun all the same!

Keep it simple

After everything said above, it might seem like a contradiction to say keep things simple. But there’s no getting away from the fact that the simplest outfits are sometimes also the sweetest. I tend to go for colour somewhere but if it’s a colourful top, I’ll go for simple cords for bottoms. And when he was really little, just a sweet little onesie would do the trick!

Reuben when he was 1 week old

And a final piece of advice…

Though this post is aimed at new mothers, some of the ideas above would make excellent baby shower gift ideas! So, if you know someone who’s about to have a baby boy, you could show off your new knowledge of fun boys’ fashion! You’re welcome 😉

How do you make your Boys’ Fashion fun?

I’d love to hear your tips and tricks in the comments below!

Disclosure: This is a collaborative post

A few weeks ago I had an extremely exciting trip to London for the Mothercare S/S 15 press show at which I was able to see all the new clothes and some of the accessories (most notably for the brand new TUSK and Little Royals range), and interview both Jools Oliver, designer of the Little Bird Mothercare range, and Charlie Mayhew MBE, CEO of the Tusk Trust.

Here’s a little video Mothercare made from the day…can you spot someone you know in there?! (*spoiler* I’m on it!)

So, my lovely reader, I would like to give you a little guided tour of the press launch, stopping at each range for a little look and wherever possible, an interview!

The Mothercare S/S15 Press Event

The event was hosted in a trendy art gallery, the Rook and Raven, just off Oxford Street, and together with my best mate Alex, official photographer for the trip, we headed on in. To give you a bit of background, and to explain why I’m wearing different clothes and drinking Champaign in some of the pictures, we went to say hello to the Mothercare PR team the evening before the big event as well as on the day!

1. Tusk

As you first entered the venue on the right hand side was the brand new Tusk range, which is a range of beautiful nursery furniture and accessories inspired by the Serengeti. The exciting thing about this range is the fact that Mothercare will give 4% of all sales to Tusk. You may have heard Prince William talking about conservation and the illegal trade in Ivory this week during his visit to states (read his full speech at the White House here) and he is, in fact, the Royal Patron for Tusk. In support of the charities work, he has said: “Future generations must have the chance to wonder at the Continent’s spell-binding natural heritage for themselves. We owe it to them. This legacy is not ours to squander. And in this cause, Tusk is a great Champion.”

Alex and I instantly fell in love with the collection…and then we met Charlie, the CEO of Tusk, and we were basically blown away by what he had to say and what they are trying to achieve right across Africa. They have raised nearly £25m, enabling them to identify and support an impressive range of conservation and sustainable community development initiatives. They invest in programmes that use conservation as a tool to alleviate poverty, improve education and reduce conflict. All while protecting areas rich in biodiversity. You can hear my interview with Charlie here:

Interview with Charlie Mayhew MBE, CEO of Tusk

Unfortunately we were so enamoured with Charlie we didn’t get that many shots of the actual range! #bloggerfail, so for more photos from the event and of the Tusk range, please go to Kid Style Junkie!

2. Little Bird Mothercare

Given the response I got when I announced on Facebook and twitter that I would be interviewing Jools Oliver, I kinda get the feeling you guys LOVE this woman and the Little Bird collection! Well, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with the new range. True to the 1970s fashion theme, the collection is full of whimsical prints, bright colours and rainbows a plenty.

I absolutely ADORE this polo shirt!

The pieces are great quality and with so many unisex pieces I can see me buying half the range next season and keeping them too – Mike is going to kill me! Buuuut, you never know when another might come along and it might be a girl…!

And, as for Jools, I’ve fallen in love with her a little bit too! I was lucky enough to have a quick chat with Jools and (thank you for all your lovely questions) ask her for a few insights into her world. There were a few nicities and a quick photo sesh (with obligatory shot of me nervously laughing!) but I’ll plunge straight into the questions!

1. Where do you get the inspiration for your Little Bird range?

Little Bird is based on my 11 years experience of having kids. I want it to be both beautiful and practical with plenty of 60s and 70s inspiration from my mum’s old photo albums.

2. I could actually see my husband wearing some of the boys clothes – do you ever find you’ve dressed Jamie and Buddy the same?

Sometimes it happens by accident! But secretly I think Jamie loves it.

3. Many of the Mums who are in the Mums’ Days community are working in some capacity, be it full time or whilst also being a stay at home mum – we really admire your approach to parenting and work so we would love to get a snap-shot of your day. How hands on with the kids are you able to be when your work schedule ramps up a gear?!

My day starts around 6am, usually with Buddy and Petal running into our room with some ‘really important news’!  I then do all the usual things mums have to do in the morning which is making sure everyone is up, dressed and fed in record time.  With 4 children it can be hectic but it’s something I love to do,  I then take them all to school and rush back home for a meeting with the Mothercare team and I try and squeeze in a work out before collecting everyone from school again. Then it’s homework time or after school activities, dinner, bath and bed….ready to do it all again the next day!

4. Do you have a top tip for staying healthy amidst the chaos of raising children and working?!

I don’t really drink so that definitely helps, good food of course and I do love to run.  I’m not perfect and I do eat cake!

5. What do you tend to cook for your kids?

We love a good pasta, which is always one of Jamie’s recipes.  I do most of the cooking during the week but Jamie takes over at the weekend and on holidays.

6. And, as a mum of a fussy eater despite all my very best efforts…were any of your children fussy eaters despite having a celebrity chef for a dad?!

I think all children go through phases so it’s important to be persistent and keep giving those vegetables, as it always seems to be the vegetables they are fussy about.  You’ll soon know if they really don’t like something!  I used to have to cut carrots into funny shapes for Petal but she’s over that now.

7. Lots of my readers are huge fans of your book, Diary of an Honest Mum – do you have plans to write another?

I’m really concentrating on my Little Bird collection as it’s so important to me and it does take up a lot of my time so I don’t have anything planned at the moment.

Thank you so much for the interview Jools and it was lovely to meet you!!

Wasn’t that a lovely set of answers? I want to be more Jools. In the meantime, onwards with our tour…

3. Little Royals 

Now this range is so new they are still unsure on pricing and how widely the stock will reach, but I can tell you it will be expensive! From 100% double-layered Cashmere blankets to the softest leather pram shoes, tied with pure silk ribbons, this range is literally for little princes and princesses! An absolutely beautiful range of products that I’m surprised I was brave enough to touch…but it was soooooo soft!

And I also sing this EVERY time I read or think about the range!

4. Baby K

I didn’t get chance to see Myleene (here’s my interview with her about life and the A/W Baby K range from November) this time and speak to her about her range, but once again it is a stylish little collection. I wasn’t as taken with the boys clothes as I was with her A/W14 range, I can’t quite put my finger on why though, because there were some lovely standout pieces, like the 70s inspired polo shirt. Maybe it comes down to a lack of colour? It was mostly navy with some pops of orange. That said, it was pretty much all things that I could see me putting Reuben in!

The girls range was gorgeous with little gingham shorts, big daisies and a beautiful shift dress with Peter Pan collar being my favourites!

5. Phew!

And then after all that fun, I did a wee bit of filming for the video I linked to at the start…

Played with the balloons…

And ate my way through this lot…

Not a bad gig, this blogging lark, really!

So what do you think of the Little Bird Mothercare range? Do you have a favourite of the S/S15 collection?!

As ever I’d love to hear your thoughts on any and everything so pleeeeeeease do leave me a comment xxx

A few weeks ago I interviewed Myleene Klass about her award-winning Baby K range (I don’t know if mentioned it…!) at the relaunch of Mothercare in Team Valley and whilst I was there I picked up a few goodies. I’ve been on high-alert to make sure no one accidentally puts Reuben in any of the clothes before I had chance to do my first Mothercare Haul Vlog! With the help of my beautiful assistant (yes I’m biased but seriously, someone give that kid a modelling contract!), yesterday we got to work.

Mothercare Haul Vlog

Mothercare Haul – Modelled by Reuben

If you ain’t a fan of Vlogs (here’s looking at you, Donna!), these photos are for you. Enjoy (but please be aware that Reuben is in desperate need of a haircut!!).

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