Bold Clothes for Little Boys

For those who follow this blog know, I love finding beautiful pieces for my little boys to wear- cool, timeless, bright and most importantly, bold pieces that truly champion boys’ style.

Xander in Zara kids checked shirt and Primark jeans. Oliver wears Ralph Lauren shirt and H&M chinos.

From breton stripes to sharp chinos in every colour (red and mustard are current favourites), plaid, prints, statement tees and more, my sons, aged 5 and 2 enjoy choosing their own clothes (they’ve been autonomous shoppers since 18 months old) and like their Mama, seem to love expressing themselves through clothes.

Xander wears outfit gifted by Yellow Mellon, trainers, Clarks. Oliver in Nutmeg, trainers Converse.

I wanted to share some of my all time favourite pieces from high street to designer fare right here (we have a lot of fun shooting these pictures) and it’s always a joy to write about the boys’ style.

 Outfit gifted by Mamas & Papas, wellies, Hunter.

Striped Ralph Lauren, Kids. Jeans, Zara.

Pretty plaid Ralph Lauren shirt below-

Ralph Lauren kids striped shirt, obviously Moschino jumper (gifted) and Zara jeans.

Gorgeous gifted Catimini jumper with snowflake print.

Both Xander and Oliver have these cute John Lewis coats. Jumper is Next, shoes chosen by the boy himself at Fireman Sam.

Breton stripes by Primark

Long sleeve tee-John Lewis

Here on New Year’s Eve with Grandad and I-both in Ralph Lauren (plaid and stripes).

Cute striped jumper, Nutmeg.

Chic print shirt with mustard detailing by Nutmeg (whom Oliver has officially modelled for).

Bright and bold spiderman pj onesie!

Cute striped t-shirt in red and white from TU at Sainsburies (coincidentally matching the lego car)!

Monsoon Kids sweatshirt, Zara Kids jeans, Spiderman shoes.

H&M striped jumper, Gap Kids jeans, Geox trainers.

Diamond print jumper and chinos gifted by Mamas & Papas, trainers Nike.

Liberty Kids’ Charity t-shirt.

Tommy Hilfiger shirt and blue chinos from H&M.

I also wanted to share tips on shopping for kids’ clothes as I’m often asked for advice on where to find cool clothes for both boys and girls-

Here’s my top 5-

• It goes without saying, head for the sales-high street and designer stores have sales drops and reduced prices online depending on the store/ sites so sign up for newsletters and of course check out ebay for reputable sellers to pick up great deals.

• We love visiting designer outlets who stock clothes at a fraction of the price. The York Designer Outlet near us offers up to 60% off labels they stock. They even have a play area and a Hamleys store to keep kids happy.

• We like to buy a size bigger generally when it comes to pricier items to get the most wear out of them (not with shoes) and having 2 boys means Xander often receives Oliver’s good quality hand me downs (perfect for long-lasting pieces like Burberry baby grows, Ralph Lauren shirts and high street stores that wash well such as Gap, John Lewis, Mamas and Papas, H&M and Zara Kids). We’re also big fans of Swedish label Me&i that are vibrant, long lasting pieces.

• If you shop with kids in stores or online, ask their opinion, get them involved early. Choosing clothes can be educational as well as fun-discussing colours, patterns, prints, what they like, helps support their creativity and empowers them too. It allows them to be part of the decision process (and they’re more like to wear what you buy that way). This can and does inevitably lead to some crazy choices but that’s OK,  I say break all the style rules, there’s plenty of time to ‘conform’ if you want to when you get older. Enjoy fashion!

• Get inspiration from kids’ style blogs and on social media-Pinterest is my happy place online and my Kids’ Style board is pretty popular. Check it out!

• Support indie retailers and e-shops. I love discovering labels I’d otherwise not have heard of thanks to twitter, tumblr and blogs. My friend Nomita’s e shop Ebabee stocks original kids’ wear you’ll struggle to find elsewhere in the UK.

Where do you find style inspiration for your kids, I’d love you to share your tips in the comments.