Feature Articles: Features

Step into a Wall Street conference room and there she is — the hard-charging business exec running the satellite-linked meeting with baby spit-up on her shoulder. Swing by the school’s lush outdoor park and you can track him down — the brilliant investment banker who’s cheering on his twin girls at their soccer match while cornering the market on his PDA. Today’s parents are strapped for time and need to have the right tools at their fingertips. Highly-specialized solutions for the modern family are delivered by Working Family Solutions, Beanstalk Express, SmartyPants, and Do Not Disturb.

Even in nature, youngsters love soft, cozy places. From baby birds in nests to little mice in beds of grass and weeds, moms lovingly construct comfortable places for their little ones to thrive. Human moms of course take this instinct a bit further and add all the fun decorative flourishes that take room design from the bare basics to fashionable and stimulating. Roman, Inc., Stephen Joseph, Douglas, and Maison Chic are all companies that help families stay in style with high-quality room décor, school gear, toys, accessories and more.

Many American companies find that manufacturing in the U.S. helps them do a better job of maintaining quality control and reliable delivery. While big retailers can afford to keep buyers abroad or send executives across the Pacific to check on suppliers, this doesn’t make sense for smaller companies. Made in the U.S.A. brands provide goods buyers want, made to their precise specifications, and delivered on time. These brands are just a few good examples of American-made pride: Petites Frites, Noli, Noli, Funkie Baby, and Fleming Clothing.

Kids lead on-the-go lives that zip from one activity to the next. When you offer well-designed clothes that keep little ones looking good, shoppers perk up and take notice. In addition to plenty of style, customers also warm to easy- care fabrics that withstand repeated laundering while holding their flash and dash. Each child is unique, so their clothes need to reflect originality to help them stand out in the crowd. Take note of these companies that feature threads for tots high in both pizzazz and practicality: Persnickety, Mooncakes, and ZAZA couture.