The new kids' brand from Forever 21 - HTG81 Kids - a shortened version of the Heritage 1981 brand name for adults, has arrived just in time for spring. As expected the options for girls are trend-right and plentiful. No surprise there, but we do admit to being blown away by the attention given to boys.
We should have known something was up when we were greeted on the website with an image of two boys sitting front and center as a trio of girls walked in the background. Here are a couple more clues: you'll only find ONE pair of cargo shorts in the mix, and we spotted just two items bearing camo prints and only two striped polo shirts! Bottom line: There is not one item on this site we wouldn't buy for a little guy. And since everything falls under $30 - except the classic 2-button blazer at $36, snapping up every stylish piece may not be such a bad idea. At the top of the must-buy list? The two piece scarf ensemble, the Little Man vest, the checkered button shirt with tie, the skinny acid wash jeans, the Exclaimation Tie t-shirt and the Urban Snap jacket.
Shop online or find a store in your area here. The HTG81 Kids collection, for ages 6 to 14, is sold exclusively at more than 50 Forever 21 and XX1 Forever stores in the US and Canada.
Whether the kid in your household is a baby or a tween, a boy or a girl, a fashionista, a punkster or a preppie, there is something for them at Threadless Kids. That's because Threadless Kids specializes in the one item that fills every kid's drawers - T-shirts (and hoodies and 'onesies' and 'hoodsies' for sizes 0-24 months). No reinventing the wheel here. These are basic cotton tops. It's the cute and clever graphics that are the draw (pun intended).
Like its sister site Threadless.com, Threadless Kids runs ongoing competitions where anyone can submit a design for customers to score. If a design gets a high enough score, Threadless will print it and sell it on the site. New T-shirt designs are posted for scoring every day. How can you not cast your vote for a design like' Concentrate?' This cute entry features a water bottle mom and an orange dad (as in fruit) pushing a baby juice box in a stroller. We'd give that one a '5'. When a design is selected the designer gets $2,000 in cash, a $500 Threadless Gift Certificate (which can be redeemed for $200 cash) and $500 in cash each time the design is reprinted.
KidKraft got its start more than 40 years ago. And its wooden furniture and toys boast an heirloom quality. But that's where the old school vibe ends. This industry veteran is a modern marketer. Although the company isn't using its site to sell its own wares, KidKraft still lets shoppers browse and buy. For every item featured, the company includes a link to buy from a variety of online resources. Talk about easy comparison shopping.
Like an overstuffed toy box, kidkraft.com is chock full of special things for boys and girls. In the kitchen, don't miss the adorable two-tier cupcake stand and set of eight pretend cupcakes with mix and match tops and bottoms. They'll look perfect sitting on the counter of the silver or pink retro kitchen. If your little lady is mad about mod, she has to have the oversized designer dollhouse. If she was born to ride, get her the Harley-Davidson pink softail rocker.
