Children's Clothing

Even some of the layette marked “newborn” is too big for an infant’s teeny tummy, hands and feet.

Keep his little head warm with The Wee Hat, made to fit a new baby’s noggin. The cotton design has no seams or scratchy tags, ideal for babies up to 2 months. Whether it’s for his first ride home from the hospital or a summer trip to chillier climes, his warm head will thank you for the extra layer of comfort.

Now about that “Future CEO” T-shirt that’s five sizes too big…

Available at wee-baby.com.

Vintage children’s clothes are very thin on the ground at consignment shops and thrift stores. Yeah, you can get used Gymboree or Baby Gap items, but they’re usually never more than a few years old and lack in a certain weathered charm.

Turn to Fab Vintage Baby instead, for fresh dresses crafted from real vintage fabrics — mostly pillowcases, by the looks of it. Who knew there were so many wildly printed pillowcases from the ’50s and ’60s? Fab Vintage Baby’s Heather Rider, that’s who, and she turns them into sweet little gowns for infants and girls up to age 6, as well as neat appliqued tees featuring cutouts of retro prints. Sure beats combing the thrift stores.

If “environmental fashion” evokes a picture of your kid wearing a bib made of bark, think again. Earthy duds have gone designer.

For example, singer-songwriter and Grammy-nominated artist Marilyn Scott recently launched Starting Green, an organic clothing line for baby’s first year. Made in L.A. with domestically grown cotton, the collection boasts locally sourced fabric and eco-friendly manufacturers. The resulting overalls, jumpers, dresses and tree shirts are soft, sweet and simple.

It’ll help you get back to nature.

Available at startinggreen.com.

With a company name like “Peek…Aren’t You Curious?” how can you resist having a looksie? Especially if you know that this particular online shop has some of the most stylish baby and kids clothes around.

Not enough to tear you away from the gossip blogs on your lunch hour? Think Liberty-print dresses with matching bloomers, tanks and soft cotton sweaters with subtle details (delicate ribbing, ruffled edges) often missing from children’s apparel. Suffice it to say that the brand’s founders, veterans of The Gap and Lucky Brand Jeans, totally know what they’re doing.

The moral: Letting curiosity get the better of you, as any Gawker-Perez-TMZ devotee knows, can be a really good thing.

Available at peekarentyoucurious.com.

Sister Parish would be proud of your prints prowess, from the chinoiserie in the guest bath to the Pucci on your headscarf.

Prints are all the rage in Ittikid, a collection of children’s clothes imported from Denmark and Sweden. Started by a Danish-born designer based in NoCal, the site features a smattering of utterly charming duds bedecked with cows, cars, curly-tail cats and circus creatures. Surely no one else in the ‘hood will have these leggings and long-sleeved tees dreamed up by unusual brands overseas.

At least, not yet.

Available at ittikid.com.

With any luck, spring is here to stay (or continue, for all those lucky to live in year-round warmth). And thanks to a long winter, baby is in another size bracket altogether.

Stock up on sweet spring styles from Mugu Baby. Classic two-piece sets (sweatshirt and pull-on pants), floral poplin dresses (some handmade) and striped bodysuits are perfect staples of the coming months. Pink and blue are fine, but go for happy seasonal colors like orange, green and lilac.

Sunshine, we missed you.

Available online at mugubabyclothes.com.

Would you care for some Burgundy with that burp cloth? How about a little Chardonnay in your sippy cup?

OK, wine and babies don’t exactly go together – unless you’re talking about the infant designs coming out of Napa Valley. Petit Luxe recently launched its online shop in NoCal with a selection of American (Kule, Lucy Sykes) and international (Oyuna Cashmere, Flora and Henri) brands. Knit layette, seersucker pants and party dresses are all musts for bebe’s first spring.

Like good wine, good fashion praises itself.

Available online at petitluxe.com.

Bamboo is kind of like the Renaissance kid in high school who seemed to be able to do everything perfectly, without much effort. It grows faster than any other plant, with no help from pesticides or irrigation. It’s exceedingly strong. And it has a softer side: When woven into fabric, the grass has the feel of cashmere and the sheen of silk.

It’s no wonder the people at Sprout, an up-and-coming kids fashion retailer, make all of their clothes from this wonder-plant. Before you start conjuring crunchy, oatmeal-colored designs, let us assure you: This stuff is hip. Picture vibrant onesies, hoodies, tees and kimono-style tops with contrasting trim, elbow patches and beachy graphics like surfboards and hula girls.

Beautiful, organic, sustainable – what’s not to love? When it comes to making the world a better place, we name bamboo, and the companies that promote it, “most likely to succeed.”

Available online at sproutkidsclothing.com

Move over East Village and Berkeley: The latest in ironic slogan tees is coming out of…Bella Vista, Arkansas!

That’s where Zoe & Sprout, a suburban mom-owned startup featuring adorably witty onesies and kiddie tees, is based. On the company’s website you’ll find fashions with statements like “My tricycle is a hybrid,” “Bald is beautiful,” and for future indie rockers, “I’m with the band.” All of the pieces are made in the USA in a sweatshop-free environment and many are available in super-soft organic cotton.

The take home (to wherever you live): Coolness is a state of mind, not a zip code. And a really rad T-shirt is the universal currency.

Available online at zoeandsprout.com