Featured Designer: Bobinette

Sure. You could buy another polo for your boy this summer, but WHY, when Bobinette's shirts are more versatile and way cuter?! There's nothing boring or uniform-ish about the Buckaroo shirt, above, an offbeat blend of western style and madras summer-ness. We love, love, love Bobinette's gingham pieces as well as the Oscar Blue Swirls shirt. Each piece is full of spunk and personality, yet equally at home on the playground, at Sunday school, or at your cousin's backyard wedding.

Recently we spoke to Bobinette's owner Lorraine Le Tac about her designs.

Unboring Boys: What inspired you to mostly focus on boys' clothing?

Lorraine Le Tac: My son, Spencer, was born 7 years ago. We lived in New York City at the time and even though New York is a fashion mecca, all the baby boys' clothes I found were fairly conservative and unoriginal. I would ask my mom, who lives in Paris, to send me fun and colorful clothing for Spencer. He was the best dressed baby on the block! That is when it all started. I have a 2-year-old boy, Matisse, also, so I have twice the reason to keep designing boys' clothing.

Unboring Boys: What inspires your designs?

Lorraine: Everything and anything. I have found inspiration in fashion, home decor, architecture, photography and simply in the nature that surrounds us. I am particularly fond of anything from India, Asia, Africa and North Africa--colors, patterns, culture and food.

Unboring Boys: How do you go about choosing certain fabrics and prints?

Lorraine: Color and patterns guide me. I love stripes, checks, polka dots and plaids, so I always try and incorporate them in a creative way in my designs. I like to create unexpected combinations, mixing checks and polka dots, for example. And of course, I am always attracted to "exotic" prints from India or African batiks, madras, woodblock prints, and the like.

Unboring Boys: What are the unique challenges you have faced and continue to face as a designer of primarily boys' clothes and accessories?

Lorraine: Designing for boys is challenging because there is so much you can create around shirts, t-shirts, pants and shorts. Boys' clothing should first be comfortable and easy to wear. Additionally, I want them to be stylish. For me, everything is in the details--a button or a snap, a small pocket, a trim. Quality is also essential. That is why I choose mainly natural fibers like cotton and linen.

Thanks Lorraine, for taking the time to answer our questions! Get a peek at Bobinette's amazing fall/winter 2009 line on their website. Also the new spring/summer 2010 collection will be introduced at trade shows starting in August. Lorraine promises "more eye-catching prints, as well as a few surprises!" See Bobinette's list of retailers here.

And the lucky winner is...

Congratulations to Suzanne who won the free Invisibility Shirt from Crazy Dog t-shirts! Thanks to all our readers who participated and to Crazy Dog for being a sponsor.

More fabulous features, giveaways and exclusive savings from the hottest boys' clothing designers and boutiques are coming this summer. Sign up for e-mail updates, or follow us through Blogger, to catch up with what's happening on Unboring Boys. It's easy to subscribe and you'll get the latest post(s) sent right to your in-box.

Edgy Yet Sweet Styles from Schatzi, plus an Exclusive Offer

Schatzi in German means "small treasure" and the t-shirt designs by this Canadian company are just that. Inspired by American edgy style, the two moms behind Schatzi have come up with a hip collection of boys' tees and tanks (in sizes 3-6 months to 12 years) that draw from fantasy, rock and roll, and mod 70s elements.

What boy wouldn't love to wear Schatzi's wicked Hot Schatz dragon tee, left? And how groovy is this Peace and Thank You tee, below? Though based in Canada, Schatzi ships to the U.S. for very reasonable rates.


Just for Unboring Boys readers, Schatzi is offering a fabulous deal to introduce their tees. Buy a tee at regular price and receive a FREE tank. You can choose from the World Tour tank or the Fairy Magic tank (for unboring girls!). Just enter the phrase "unboring boys" in the message box at the time of purchase along with your choice of design and size. Hurry! Offer ends June 29th.

Win it! Invisibility Shirt from Crazy Dog T-shirts

There are a lot of cool t-shirts out there for boys, but none that give them the power of invisibility!

Crazy Dog T-shirt's clever Invisibility Shirt (currently deactivated) comes in sizes 2T-4T, and youth sizes S, M, L for $14.99. (there's an adult version too)

(...now if we could just figure out how to activate it)

Our other favorites are the Never Forget dinosaurs shirt and Yes, I Wore This Shirt Yesterday tee.

Want to win one? We're giving away a free Crazy Dog kids' tee (2T-4T, or youth size S, M, L) this month to a lucky Unboring Boys reader. To enter, leave us a comment telling us which design out of the three you would choose if you won.

*U.S. residents only, please.

Cool Summer Hats for Boys

I'm a sucker for a cute hat. When my boys were little, I always bought the matching hat, socks, romper...you get the idea. While we don't do as much matching now that they are older, I still buy hats for them. Hats add personality to an outfit. More importantly, they provide sun protection for the face.

This week, I'm sharing my favorite hats of the season for boys.

No roundup of boys' summer hats would be complete without my personal favorite, Hanna Andersson's floppy hats, available in a range of bright colors and prints, above. My boys lived in these as babies, and have now graduated to Hanna's reversible bucket hats. Hanna hats wash up beautifully and can be passed down to the next child. Right now they are on sale for $10-13 so stock up!

Looking for a trendier or dressier alternative? Baby Gap carries a stylish contrast woven fedora with brown trim and a plaid-trimmed straw hat, both for $16.50 (the woven fedora is going fast). For big boys, check out the Dapper Straw fedora from 77Kids by American Eagle ($16.50).

Cowboy hats are always cool, they go with anything, even swimsuits, and boys are crazy about them. Sand Cassels' ultra hip version is available at Little Dudes Only for 20 bucks.

Giveaway update! Congratulations to Lizzie in Fairfax, VA, who won the Little Ace necktie! Thanks to everyone who participated and to Little Ace for being a sponsor.

Tiny Revolutionary

Everyone I know these days is becoming more environmentally aware. We're using refillable water bottles and reusable shopping bags. These may seem like small things when we're bombarded daily with bad news about our planet. It's easy to feel helpless to do anything (there's even a term for it: eco-stress!).

How about some hopeful and positive messages for a change? Tiny Revolutionary carries a hip and progressive collection of tees & onesies for children with phrases like "I'll Change the World Someday" in baby, toddler and new youth sizes (above), and "Be the Change You Want to See in the World." Styles range from the environmentally-minded Save the Polar Bears to the more political War is Poop.

What could be better than shopping for cool tees for your unboring boy AND helping other children around the world? For every This Shirt Saved a Life tee sold, Tiny Revoluationary donates $20 to Africa Aid to help feed refugee children in Ghana.

All change begins small. That's Tiny Revolutionary's slogan and the perfect slogan for anyone trying to make positive changes to benefit the earth.

Tree Town Batiks Boy's Tees

At Unboring Boys we like to feature a diversity of boys' clothes and accessories for our readers, from big name companies to small emerging shops and designers.

Our latest indie discovery is Tree Town Batiks. We love their one-of-a-kind batik tees for boys. You'll find just about anything that boys would be into on them, from trains to robots to guitars, with some offbeat stuff thrown in like broccoli! Their youth shirts go all the way to 12, and they have a fun collection of bodysuits for babies, from 6 months up, plus some wonderful pieces for grown-ups, like our favorite peacock print. The process that designer Jerusha uses to make these shirts is fascinating; you can read more about it on her site. Right now she is offering 20 percent off long sleeve shirts when you buy 2 or more.

Readers, time is running out to participate in our giveaway for a free Little Ace necktie. Just leave a comment about the blog, what you like, what you want to see more of, or just tell us your favorite boys' clothing designers and shops, and on 5/31 we'll pick one name at random from all the comments we receive to win the tie. Thanks for your feedback! ~ Denice