BY ELISABETH ANDREWS
O’Child Boutique is growing up. The children’s clothing and accessory store, which opened in its new street-front Fountain Square Mall location in 2008, has expanded to include girls’ and boys’ sizes 6-10 in addition to newborn and smaller children’s items. Owner Nancy Bradley describes the new collections as “urban,” “funky,” and “European-inspired.”
Bradley first opened her shop in an interior space in the mall in August 2007. It was inspired by the birth of her granddaughter Olive (the “O” in “O’Child”). She began with layette and toddler clothing, but discovered that many customers were looking for clothes for grade-schoolers that were “not real kid-looking but not real teen-looking either.” For girls, she says, this translates into skirts and dresses that are neither pink nor flowered but “will still twirl.” Boys’ clothes tend to have an Abercrombie and Fitch vibe, straddling the gap between preppy and skater-surfer styles.
Among the new girls’ offerings are polka-dotted dresses from Dutch brand Mim-Pi, “edgy” Wild Mango jeans, and patchwork pieces from Room Seven that reflect the influence of the designer’s mother, who makes the popular girls’ line Oilily. O’Child also has homegrown togs from Ft. Wayne designer Kristine Bercot, who describes her Art and Soul line as “comfortable, whimsical, and unique.” Bradley also carries Lelli Kelly sneakers, which sparkle with beads and sequins in intricate and colorful patterns.
Boys will find graphic Ts, corduroys, cargo pants, and plaid button-downs by such brands as Jackson Clay (owned by actor Martin Sheen’s daughter-in-law), Knuckleheads, and Charlie Rocket. Bradley says the unexpected top-sellers have been boys’ hats, which she carries in a number of styles including fedoras, pub hats, and skater caps.
Parents can shop for both sons and daughters by checking out San Francisco brand Tea, which features globally inspired modern designs for girls and boys. The collection is “a little more exclusive and a little more expensive,” says Bradley, but also “stylish and hard to find.”
Boys’ garments at O’Child cost around $20-30; most girls’ items are in the $30-50 range. The store also carries toys, books, diaper bags, nursing and baby-wearing accessories, girls’ jewelry and hair ornaments, and maternity clothes. O’Child Boutique
is located at 101 W. Kirkwood and is open Monday to Saturday from 10 am to 6 pm.
