It's Tweentime!

Welcome to the preteen years, which some parents have come to nickname “second toddlerhood”. It’s a time of rapid growth, intense emotions, and plenty of struggles as kids begin to assert a new level of independence and develop the groundwork for their adult identities. Due in large part to cultural influences, this “tween” stage seems to be starting earlier all the time, with precocious, tech-savvy, fashion-forward kids as young as age eight being targeted by marketers for tween products and entertainment.

At this age, it can be a balancing act to allow kids the independence and individuality they need, while ensuring they hold on to the innocence and wonder of childhood for as long as they can. By guiding kids’ choices – including their fashion choices – in the right direction, parents can do their part to make this stage of growing up as fun, exciting, and rewarding as possible. Companies like 100% Gumdrop, Lemon, Inc., DeSalitto and Limeapple offer fabulous fashion options for parents – and their awesome tweens – to consider.

100% Gumdrop Is Charming on All Counts

Charm jewelry may go through phases of wild popularity, but their overall magic and desirability never really fades away. These cute, versatile bracelets and necklaces enable kids to boast about their friends, their hobbies, and their dreams without ever saying a word. Each charm brings a new moment of excitement and a chance to make a personalized fashion statement.

100% Gumdrop wants to make sure that girls have the best, brightest, cheeriest charm jewelry possible. This New York-based company offers a line of bracelets and necklaces that are just begging to be personalized with their wide selection of charms. The jewelry has a flashy aesthetic that calls to mind the wild neon fashions of the 80’s and early 90’s, so many moms will likely be drawn to it based on pure nostalgia for their own childhoods. In addition to chunky neon items, the company also offers a line of traditional 14k gold-dipped charm jewelry.

100% Gumdrop’s founder Sarah has been designing jewelry and baubles since she was in grade school. One year, an 11-year-old Sarah had the amazing opportunity to show her braided ribbon barrettes at the Henri Bendel Open See, and to her surprise and delight, the items sold out in one day. That early experience was a clear sign of the success to come.

Get charmed at www.gumdroplovesyou.com

Lemon, Inc. Serves up Trendy Tees for Infants to Teens

Preteens are at the age when they’re beginning to develop their sense of fashion. They start to notice what their friends are wearing, and may even start to care about the latest fashion trends worn by their favorite celebrities. It’s the age where parents and kids’ fashion ideas often clash and morning struggles before school are not uncommon.

Despite all this assertion of their newfound personal style, sometimes kids just want a T-shirt. It’s a good thing too, because T-shirts are usually an item of clothing that mom and dad can agree on. They’re comfortable and easy to match with other casual pieces, yet they can sport images and themes that still reflect the youngster’s sense of fashion. T’s are the official uniform of summer family events, camp, and just hanging out.

Lemon is the perfect place to go for all your youth T-shirt needs. It offers shirts in a wide range of sizes and designs, including holiday, dance, cheer, and camp T’s. Choose from among a rainbow of eye-catching colors, some of which include tie-dye, floral designs, or glitter lettering. In addition to standard T’s, many of the company’s styles are also available in tanks, cap sleeve tops, infant one-pieces, and tunics.

Check out all the choices at www.lemontshirts.com

DeSalitto: Authentic Italian Chic

DeSalitto is a design house continuing the Italian tradition of high-quality fine fashions. For over 20 years, DeSalitto has been creating clothing designs that have elements of cutting edge catwalk trends, while still preserving more traditional children’s clothing styles. DeSalitto offers several collections for parents to choose from.

The school collection features tailored shirts and skirts, classic sweaters and slacks in subdued colors like grey, off white and slate blue. Some of the pieces have the look of old fashioned business suits and skirt sets, with a few high-fashion details added in. Their Spring/Summer collection is more casual, with the printed T-shirts and hoodies kids love, but it also offers several pieces, like tailored shirts and a-line dresses, that have a more upscale, yacht club vibe.

The Autumn/Winter collection features some wonderful dress options for winter holiday events, as well as warm, cozy outdoor clothes for romps in the leaf piles.

The company’s outerwear collection has a huge amount of “wow” factor, especially for parents who are willing and able to splurge on coats that offer the highest quality when it comes to both fashion and warmth. From wool pea coats to luxurious fur-lined parkas, the gorgeous options are sure to impress even the pickiest tweenager.

See the full lookbook at www.desalitto.com

Limeapple Brings Fresh Flavor to Girls’ Activewear

The preteen phase is not only a time of emotional development, but of physical changes as well. The high energy of childhood may end up being channeled into more serious avenues like competitive sports. The body begins to take on new curves and angles, so the clothing that fit yesterday may not be the best option today.

Girls especially become more body-aware during this time. Nowhere is this more evident than when shopping for a swimsuit. Many a mother has stood outside the changing room door as her daughter tried on and rejected a staggering number of swimsuits, because they were all “wrong”. It’s no wonder, considering that most popular stores don’t have a very large selection of swimsuits in a variety of styles and sizes.

Enter Limeapple, a maker of quality athletic wear for girls. Limeapple’s collection offers bright, colorful one and two piece suits in an array of feminine and sporty looks, so girls can choose a suit that fits their personal style as well as their shape. In addition to swimwear, Limeapple also offers athletic clothing like tracksuits, leggings, leotards and skating outfits. For those interested in stylish non-sport offerings, the company also has two lines — Boutique and Bubble — that boast pretty dresses, tanks, tees and leggings for preteen girls.

Catch the wave at www.limeapple.com