Posted on: Friday, December 21, 2001
Turn your keiki into a holiday fashion princess
By Paula Rath
Advertiser Staff Writer
When Hawai'i's little girls dress for the holidays, they will do it in style.
And chances are their pretty little party outfits will be the choices of Tutu and Tutukane. While parents and keiki have been shopping in toy departments, a recent scan of the mall revealed that many grandparents were carefully studying clothing options.
This season, lavender seems to be the color of choice, a carryover from big sister's prom season. Velvet, that mainstay of holiday dressing, is also much in evidence.
At Cinnamon Girl, Tutu Elaine Hatae of Pauoa was looking for a dress for her granddaughter, Nicole Hatae, age 3. She was struggling to choose between a roseprint rayon sundress and a little poppy-red number. Both matched the same cardigan, so Hatae was thinking she would buy both dresses and the cardigan.
"And maybe a matching dress for her mother," Hatae said. "The mother-daughter look is so cute, especially for holiday pictures."
Cinnamon Girl also features several spaghetti strap dresses for little girls trimmed with tiny silk rosebuds. These can be paired with the store's signature slippahs with matching roses to complete the look.
Macy's children's department features a "little princess" look combining burgundy, black or navy velvets with silk dupion, beaded brocade, a few splashes of sequins and even faux fur trims.
Tutu Jennifer Gerard of Ala Moana was shopping for a holiday party dress for her 5-year-old granddaughter, Abigail Gerard. She held up a long black velvet skirt with sequined flowers strewn across the bottom. Paired with a fuzzy lavender sweater, Gerard thought Abigail would love the look. Tutukane Paul just shook his head, saying "I have no idea. None whatsoever."
Macy's also has some classic children's silhouettes such as empire waists over puffy taffeta skirts.
The JC Penney party look for little girls is decidedly Disco Diva: Not a dress in sight, and the pants are bell-bottoms with glittery stamped-on lavender flowers. A faux chain belt hangs at the waist of a lavender, angora-like keyhole tiny top.
Laura Ashley, on the other hand, is sticking with classic children's silhouettes and traditional holiday fabrics. Velvet and corduroy, plaid and embroidered rosebuds, puffed sleeves and smocked bodices are much in evidence. Peter Pan collars in white pique with red embroidered scallops add a fresh touch to a black corduroy classic. An aubergine velvet dress with devore (a print created by burning out velvet) skirt, paired with a sweater featuring a fuzzy faux fur collar, was about as wild as it got at Laura Ashley.
Sears is offering a range of styles from dresses that look like shrunken versions of 2001 prom fashions to classic little velveteens with empire waists. But every one has a touch of shine. A lavender polyester to-the-floor skirt is topped with a silver stretch tube top, accessorized with a matching shawl. There's also a forest green velveteen bodice over a tea length skirt with ribbon roses at the waist. A red cap sleeve princess seamed bodice with scalloped neckline tops a softly pleated skirt for Sears' take on a classic.
Good news on the finance front: It looks as though the grandparents won't have to pay more than $50 for an ensemble, as even upscale Laura Ashley was having a sale on keiki holiday finery, while some complete outfits around the mall were selling for under $25.
