Short Hats Long on Style

I love hats with ear flaps for boys--they are so outdoorsy and sweet--and my favorite for fall/winter is the wool Issac ($30, 12 months - 6 years) from Short Hats. Based in Colorado, Short Hats designs some of the cutest headwear for children, including heirloom-quality hand-knit beanies , the trendy Riley cap, and classic hats that will never go out of style like the Gatsbyesque Buster. I also love that Short Hats uses recycled plastic visors in their brimmed hats, their knit hats are handmade in Argentina by companies that treat their workers fairly, and the rest of the hats in the collection are made in the U.S.

Just for Unboring Boys readers: Short Hats is offering a 10 percent discount on items in their online shop through 1/1/2010! Enter coupon code "Unboring" at checkout. Factor in free shipping (on all U.S. orders) and that's a sweet deal! Visit http:www.shorthats.com/kids-hats-summer-and-winter.php to check out all the fabulous styles.

Unboring Sweaters for Boys 2009

It's sweater weather! and time for our annual round-up of the hippest, sweetest, and off-beatest sweaters for boys, starting with our favorite this year, the irresistible Rodgers Cardigan from Knuckleheads ($57, 2T-6T), above, which successfully fuses grandpa fussiness with rock-and-roll edginess that would look adorable on any little man.

Season after season, Tea Collection carries some of the most inspired styles for boys, and their recent Indigo Arts line is no exception. We've featured the Kimono robe ($75, 6 mos - 8 yrs.) from this line before because we think it's amazing. But we also adore the Nippon Pullover ($65, 6 mos. - 8 yrs.) because of the gorgeous colors and texture.

If you haven't heard, GapKids has teamed with designer Stella McCartney to create a new line of children's clothing that we are falling for big time. At first glance, the gray Stella McCartney Cardigan ($58, S-XL) may look ordinary, but then you notice the delightful off-center buttons and thumb holes in the sleeves. Very unboring! For baby boys, we like her Fair Isle cashmere wrap cardigan ($58, 6 - 24 months). And though it's not a sweater, we have to point out the fabulous Band jacket which has been selling out like crazy. Rumors are some petite women have been buying the larger kids sizes for themselves!

Moms looking for holiday-themed sweaters should check out Janie and Jack's Nutcracker Sweater ($43, 3 months - 8) and Hanna Andersson's collection of colorful and stripey unisex styles, including the All is Bright penguin sweater (on sale for $38.40).

Shake up the Holidays with Looks from Bobinette and The Belle and the Beau

Ready to break with traditional colors, reindeer motifs, and argyle sweater vests this holiday season? Bobinette and The Belle and the Beau are two hot children's designers offering fashion-forward, colorful and festive alternatives for boys for holiday dressing and portraits.

I've featured Bobinette before (read the June 2009 article here) because I simply adore their hip, unbelievably soft, high quality shirts, like the navy polka dot, above, and red gingham print, right (modeled by my unboring boy, Nick). Bobinette's shirts are bright and cool, have fun details like contrasting cuffs and buttons, and can be dressed up or down. (click on the photos for a closer view.)

After you pick your favorite Bobinette shirt, pair it with a fabulous neck tie from The Belle and the Beau. The Belle and the Beau's two-mom design team makes the sweetest neck ties and bow ties for boys ages 6 months to teen (and men too!). My favorite? Who can pick just one? Don't be afraid to pair a dotted tie with a plaid shirt. Experiment! Go wild! It's fun and trendy to mix prints and patterns. But even if you go with a plain white button down, a tie from The Belle and the Beau will keep your little man front and center in holiday portraits. Those of you with girls may end up coordinating your daughter's holiday dress to match your son's look this year instead of the other way around!

SnackTAXI Reusable Eco-friendly Snack Bags

Right after school started, I realized I was using way too many little plastic zipper bags to pack my boys' lunches. I felt guilty, because we all know where those bags go: to the landfills, where it takes a gazillion years for them to break down and even then tiny, toxic bits of them remain in soil and water.

That's why I was so exited to come across SnackTAXI's reusable snack and sandwich bags. Each SnackTAXI bag can eliminate the use of 1000 zipper bags, which makes them both eco- and wallet-friendly. The bags are made in the U.S., are washable, and are 100% cotton with a nylon lining that is free of lead and phthalates. The quality is excellent for the money ($6.95-8.95 ea.) and Velcro closures make it easy for little hands to open. Did I mention they are way cooler than boring plastic zipper bags?

SnackTAXI bags come in great prints that will appeal to boys, including the Jungle Jumble print, above. I also love the Signs of the Times and Fly by Day bags, but there are prints to fit every personality. Check out all the pretty styles for moms, too.

One lucky Unboring Boys reader will win a 2 piece set of SnackTAXI bags including a Sign of the Times sandwich bag and a Groovy Guitar snack bag! Just visit www.SnackTAXI.com then e-mail unboringboys@yahoo.com with the phrase SNACKTAXI in the subject line and tell us how many lunches owner Erin Kelly-Dill packs in a year. We'll draw a winner at random November 10th. U.S. residents only, please. Good luck!

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Ants in the pants and on the sleeve and...: Blemish brand boys' clothes

At Unboring Boys, we are always on the lookout for new themes for boys. While bugs show up pretty regularly on boys' clothes, this is the first time we've seen a line designed so cleverly around ants.

Blemish, a Dutch company based in Amsterdam, has come up with a hip and quirky collection of ant-inspired clothes for boys including shirts, tees, pants and a coat. Along with the fabulous ant shirts and tee shown left and below, tiny embroidered ants appear on other pieces in the collection.

I love that Blemish does this for each of its collections, hiding that season's insect or animal (for spring/summer it was a crab) in unexpected places, like on a shirt sleeve or hidden under a collar!

Blemish, which means "not perfect," designs clothes for real boys, with a focus on comfort, quality and affordability. Pants have reinforced knees and adjustable waists. Tees are made with extra soft cotton. Shirts are made from Parisian fabrics with contrast cuffs and collars that offer a distinctly European aesthetic.

You can find Blemish clothes for boys in the U.S. at Barney's, Space Kiddets, Aminah et les amis, and Estella in New York; Marcia's Attic in New Jersey; 3 Monkeys and Me and Swaddle, Toddle and Bump in Connecticut; and The Red Balloon, LMNOP, and Stinky Pants in Chicago.

7 Key Pieces to Update Your Little Boy's Wardrobe for Fall

Read our article 7 Fall Must-Haves for Boys in which we introduce many of the fall/winter trends that have recently been featured here to a new audience. Also included are some new pieces from Tea Collection and NicoNico.

Unboring Boys is officially one year old (as of 9/2)! When I first started this blog, I wasn't sure if anyone would even read it. I wondered, Were there other moms out there as interested in trendy boys' clothes as I was? Or was I weird? It turned out I'm not weird because there are plenty of moms just like me who want their boys to stand out on the playground. :)

I want to take this opportunity to thank all the fabulous designers and boutique owners who have so generously provided insight, discounts and giveaway items over the past year. I loved hearing your stories in the interviews. I also want to thank our readers for convincing me to continue. I look forward to sharing more exciting boys' lines and designers with you in the coming months.

I'd love to hear what you think of the blog so far. Post a comment letting me know what you like and what you want to see more of. And if you have a favorite designer or shop, let me know about that too.

~ Cheers, Denice

And the lucky winner is...

Congratulations to Katie in Nashville, TN who won the Baby Star camp shirt! Thanks to all our readers who participated and to Baby Star for being a sponsor.

More fabulous features, giveaways and exclusive savings are coming! Please share Unboring Boys children's fashion blog with other moms of boys you know. Sign up for e-mail updates, or follow us through Blogger or on Twitter.