Moschino Kids | My Mills Baby

We’re weeks away from summer and it’ll soon be time to rotate your little girl’s wardrobe. Hand knits, sweaters and leggings will find their way to the charity shop, and cotton dresses and tees are most definitely in. Hundreds of festival tickets have been bought and many of us are looking forward to live music and a few glasses of Pimms in sunny fields across the country.

Yep, festival days are on the increase and mums and daughters alike are preparing to stand out from the crowd. With this in mind, I’ve been checking out Europe’s leading designer children’s wear emporium Melijoe, to see what the key trends are this summer for our little fashionistas.

DKNY dress with straps £52.13 / Troizenenfants viscose blouse £32.48 / Pepe Jeans boho-style modal dress £64 / Ralph Lauren flared flower-printed cotton satin dress and striped belt - yellow or blue £79.32 / Pepe Jeans flowing rayon dress with ethnic embroideries £52 / Ralph Lauren flower-printed cotton piqué polo dress - white, pink and green £56.66

The key is to find styles that are comfortable, lightweight and breathable to keep them cool in the afternoon heat, yet work well with cardies and denim for when the sun goes down. Ditsy, flower and Grecian prints are most definitely en vogue, much to the delight of parents everywhere where ketchup and orange juice mishaps are inevitable. Block colours are bright and vibrant to emphasise the narrative of sun, grass and sea.

For younger girls we’re seeing full skirts and extra length for ease of movement when toddling around with the older kids, whilst for older girls, cinching in at the waist with vintage belts, oversized ribbons or simple rope bring shape to cotton shift and box dresses. It’s a floaty feminine look that will look great beside mum as she plumps for free-flowing maxi dresses and cotton shirts.

Tommy Hilfiger printed cotton poplin dress with straps £67.24 / Richmond Jr spotted silk and lace dress £226.64 / American Outfitters printed viscose and cotton voile dress £61.95 / Derhy Kids printed poplin dress £43.06 / Derhy Kids viscose and silk voile dress £60.44 / LIU JO set of two crepe and jersey dresses £55.90 / Dolce & Gabbana signature print cotton poplin dress with smocks - yellow and green £222.86 / Moschino close fitting printed poplin dress £197.17 / DKNY two-material dress £67.24

Material-wise, designers have plumped for a no holds barred approach. There’s a healthy mix of cotton, viscose, crepe and broderie anglaise to suit any occasion. Teaming any with a straw sun hat, colourful wayfarers and sandals, lifts them beyond your home and into the great outdoors. I’m loving all the clutch bags this season too, these will save mum & dad carrying around lip glosses and other essentials that your little lady simply can’t live without.

Troizenenfants hippy viscose dress £52.88 / Stella McCartney Kids flower-printed stretch cotton dress with straps - blue £75.77 / Monnalisa lace dress - coral £119 / Stella McCartney Kids broderie anglaise lace dress with a detachable lining - sun yellow £86.88 / Pepe Jeans embroidered chambray dress £49 / Stella McCartney Kids sleeveless unicorn-printed fleece dress - ivory, blue and pink £56.66

I’m particularly impressed with Stella McCartney’s & DKNY’s sleeveless shirts that look fabulous both on their own or teamed with skinny jeans. They work equally well as beach cover-ups and for kicking around a ball at the park. As tailoring is largely androgynous, they’re a great option for parents who don’t prescribe to ultra-girly styling of their daughters.

Derhy Kids have also weighed in with some gorgeous eccentric pucci-esque prints with structured chests and loose fitting waists - for the younger girl this is sure to be flattering and help her stand out from the crowd. Ralph Lauren and Pepe Jeans seem to have gone head to head with simple timeless shifts, whilst Moschino and Dolce & Gabbana have embraced signature prints and elaborate tailoring - it’s a eclectic mix of styles for the summer season which is sure to suit any little girl on the cusp of womanhood.

To check out Melijoe’s 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. For further inspiration and lookbooks, Melijoe are also on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

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.