Tag Archives: Children’s Beachwear

Apr 10 2015

Melijoe Boys SS15: Beach looks for toddlers

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Choosing beachwear for the little man in your household can be tricky. The high street is packed out with neon slogan tees and cotton shorts which can look a little like pyjamas and aren’t very breathable under the glare of the sun. Equally, if a tee gets grubby, mixing another with bright shorts often looks uncoordinated.

The trick to getting toddler style right, is choosing miniature outfits that dad would wear. Jean or canvas bermuda shorts that stop below the knee will protect against the sun and are more hardwearing than a cotton mix - wear them long in the cooler evenings, and roll them up in the afternoon heat. They also look seriously cool with just about any tee making mixing and matching much easier. A few good quality pairs will see you through the entire summer so it’s worth making the investment now the weather is picking up.

Here are my favourite boys Bermudas from Melijoe, (Europe’s leading online designer emporium for children’s wear):

Left to right: Armani Junior white linen £74.03 / Burberry stone-washed blue stretch denim £74.79 / Timberland striped denim £52.13 / Scotch & Soda chino twill £52.88 / American Outfitters stone-washed denim £54.39 / Timberland twill £44.57 / Paul Smiith Junior electric blue cotton twill £60.44 / Replay&Sons stone-washed denim £56.66 / Pepe Jeans stone-washed blue £45.00 / Moschino yellow cotton and lyocell twill £77.06 / Petrol chino bermudas with elasticated braces £33.24 / American Outfitters beige Stretch cotton twill £50.62 / Tommy Hilfiger cotton £48.35 / Ralph Lauren Striped seersucker £41.55 / Aston Martin stone-washed blue £52.88 / Boss poplin bermudas £49.10

Teaming these with polo tops will ensure a classic look suitable for both day and night. Keeping logos and insignia small won’t irritate your little one when they’re on the move, and will ensure you can cross-match brands. Bright colours also mean you can better spot your little tearaway on a packed out beach, and will better reflect the sun. Ralph Lauren get it so right when it comes to polos but this little lot from the Melijoe Boys SS15 collection are equally cool for chilling out on the beach:

Left to right: 3 Pommes cotton piqué polo £22.66 / Moshino cotton piqué polo (yellow) £55.15 / Hackett cotton piqué polo £45.33 / Lacoste cotton piqué polo £46.08 / Ralph Lauren cotton piqué polo (green) £49.10 / Tommy Hilfiger cotton piqué polo £37.02 / Ralph Lauren cotton piqué polo (yellow) £49.10 / Hackett cotton piqué polo £58.17 / Armani Junior cotton piqué polo £50.62

For those of you who prefer a smart casual look, you won’t go far wrong with a loose cotton shirt. This is the best possible way of ensuring the air can still circulate around your little guy’s chest, and has the added bonus you can simply undo the buttons if they’re sweating too profusely, or even pop on a cheap white tee underneath for a more grown-up look.

Left to right: Petrol stone-washed oxford cotton shirt £26.59 / Tommy Hilfiger short-sleeved shirt (turquoise and red checks) £38.68 / Levi’s printed cotton poplin shirt (dark blue) £45.33 / Tommy Hilfiger short-sleeved shirt (navy and turquoise checks) £38.68 / John Galliano Kids light denim shirt £94.43 / Pepe Jeans striped poplin shirt £42.00 / Burberry denim shirt £86.88 / Guess blue and red checked shirt £32.03 / Scotch & Soda fancy poplin shirt £39.28

Finally you can add a healthy dose of your child’s own personality through their choice of accessories. Let your child choose and you’re bound to end up with a bright, vibrant and irrevocably fun hat or pair of sunnies to make their outfits pop. Caps are fab for active and style-conscious kids, whilst panama hats teamed with shirts works every time and shelter delicate skin from the harmful rays.

Left to right: Archimede sunglasses £7.55 / Souris Mini panama hat £16.62 / Ralph Lauren cotton twill cap (orange) £22.66 / Stella McCartney printed cap £30.00 / Petrol bi-material cap £9.07 / Tommy Hilfiger yellow gabardine cap £14.00 / John Galliano Kids bi-material cap £39.00 / Scotch & Soda raffia panama hat £35.00 / Little Eleven stone-washed blue cap £18.00 / DSquared2 military style camouflage cap £46.00 / Boss cotton twill cap £29.46 / Petrol cotton twill cap £9.07 / DSquared2 panama hat £70.00 / Lacoste cotton twill cap (green) £27.20 / GF Ferre cotton twill cap £31.73 / Archimede sunglasses (red) £7.55

To check out Melijoe Boys SS15 collection for yourself, head to melijoe.com/uk where you’ll find children’s wear from 0-16 years from all Europe’s top fashion houses. With clothes, shoes, swimwear and accessories you’re bound to find the perfect outfit for your little dude. Also on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

 

Aug 12 2013

My Little Surfer Dude - Swimwear by Konfidence

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As our holiday to Fuerteventura draws ever closer, we’ve been stocking up on swimwear for our Little Lord and Master. Although our villa pool will be heated, there’s every chance we’ll take him for a paddle in the sea too. Given there’s no predicting just how chilly the Atlantic Ocean will be in mid September, I was overjoyed when Konfidence agreed to let me review one of their fabulous Babywarma’s.

Yep, this is beyond cool. A baby wetsuit that is as flexible as it is warm.

Made from soft neoprene, not only is the Babywarma nice and thick (2mm), it also ensures a snug fit when wet. It will literally mould to Dexter’s tummy to retain body heat, and help protect his vital organs from the cold.

Far from being cumbersome, the Babywarma also offers lots of stretch and remains flexible when wet. On a trail run to our local pool, Dexter was twisting in the water, splashing, kicking… chatting up the other toddlers… he looked far happier than some of the other children in traditional nylon & elastane suits.

For ease of fitting, there are four adjustable velcro straps - two on either shoulder, one around baby’s bum, and one on the side of the Babywarma (pictured above). As this means the suit opens flat it’s very easy to get Dexter in and out of it (providing he doesn’t tear away from you across the living room floor… thanks Dexter). In fact, there’s additional brownie points from me as you have easy peasy access to a dirty nappy if needs be.

On the inside, the Konfidence Babywarma is also incredibly soft; all the seams are very soft and at no times will any velcro make contact with baby’s skin. Given it’s so stretchy, there’s also a lot of ‘give’ in all the edging to mitigate against rubbing and chaffing. Dexter seemed happy in it, that’s for certain!

So if you want to find out more, you can check out all of Konfidence’s fabulous swimwear range on the website (konfidence.co.uk) or see what everyone else has to say on Facebook and Youtube. If you wanted to get your own, they’re currently on sale for just £16.99!

Finally, I’d just love to know how your babies found their first experience of the sea… any tips for a first-timer?

DISCLAIMER: I a was provided with a Konfidence Babywarma in exchange for this review. All words and opinions are my own!

Aug 7 2013

Getting Dexter Beach Ready with Sportbaby Swimwear

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Since last taking Dexter swimming around 8 months ago, his tiny 6-9 month wetsuit has been gathering dust in his wardrobe. It wasn’t that Dexie didn’t enjoy the pool, far from it, Craig just hasn’t found the time to take him again (I wouldn’t want to subject anyone to the sight of me in a swimsuit right now - In fact, if I got in, the water level would rise so dramatically that you’d hear the little vents working overtime!).

The private pool at our villa - we’re hoping it’ll be baby-friendly enough for Dex to enjoy

Now we’ve finally booked our holiday, it’s time to get Dex kitted out with some new baby swimwear. Our villa has a private pool (pictured above) which we’ve requested be heated, so we’re looking forward to teaching him how to swim. So to kickstart his summer wardrobe, the fabulous guys at Sportbaby sent me this gorgeous Mitty James Baby Towelling Romper Suit, and some fabulous Jakabel Dolphin Stripe Shoes !

As you’d expect from Mitty James, the romper is supremely soft and very well made. The towelling is nice and thick without being too warm, making it ideal for protecting delicate skin from the sun at the beach. There’s also a very cute little hood (edged with branded cotton tape) to help retain warmth when your child is unsuspectingly plucked out of their rubber ring.

The poppers are nice and robust and there’s plenty of room for Dexter’s chubby little legs. I deliberately picked a size with room-to-grow and was very pleased to see jersey rib cuffs so I was able to roll them up a touch. There’s also a very cute front pocket trimmed with the signature Mitty James boat logo.

What I love most about this little romper, is that it’s very multi purpose. We can also use it for snuggling up after bathtimes which is fab as he’s very quick to shrug off his Cuddledry towel. At £24.99 it will get tons of use so is an absolute bargain.

His little shoes are also fabulous. They fit him like a glove and will offer him additional poolside grip. Although Dexter is only taking the odd step here and there (and mainly when our backs are turned) we suspect he’ll be a bit braver by the time we travel in late September. We’re also very near a beach so this will protect his little feet from hot sand and stones if we decide to take him for a paddle.

They feel like a wetsuit so slip on easily, stay put and will allow for a little heat swelling in the sun. Dexter wore his for 2 hours out in the garden today and there were no rub marks on his feet when I removed them. At £8.99 they’re a must-have holiday essential.

In terms of communication and helpfulness - I’d rank Sportbaby up there with the best. When querying sizes, they were incredibly helpful and even popped a little note in with my parcel to advise me to wash the romper first (in case of any loose fluff). You can certainly tell it’s a small family run business as you just don’t get these lovely little touches if you order from a department store.

There’s a huge choice of swimwear, rainwear, sportswear and even ski suits on their website, and they cater for children aged 0-8 in most ranges. You can check out the website (www.sportbaby.co.uk) and follow them on all their social media channels to say hello.

DISCLAIMER: I was sent these gorgeous products from Sportbaby in return for my honest opinion.

 

 

pixel Getting Dexter Beach Ready with Sportbaby Swimwear