I'm looking at the brand new Olivia for Gymboree collection of girls clothes (6mo-12y) that just launched today, and I must say, it's all pretty darn cute. While I'm not always a fan of kids' cartoon characters all over my children's clothes, when it's a beloved character from a great book -- and I mean an actual book, not the book that came from the TV show that came from the movie -- I can justify it a little better.
In other words, Oliva > Dora.
(It's my own weird thing, I know.)
Since my own tween girls grew up on the original Caldecott winning Olivia, I bet they would have loved some of the clothes if they were a bit younger. It's a sweet line, with Ian Falconer's iconic illustrations adeptly woven into the designs, like Olivia peeking out from behind stripes in a sweater, or Olivia in a swimsuit hidden under little feet on the sole of a pair of sparkly red flip flops.
There are also some neat items with less obvious Olivia-ness, that I think older girls would like too that happen to be right on trend. My kids wouldn't wear a beret with an Olivia patch on the front, but I could see them oohing over a pretty pea coat with a contrast waist bow; a red tee with a string of faux pearls attached at the neckline, or just some really funky checked ponte pants or black-and-white striped leggings.
I especially like how well it all goes with basics your kids probably already own. And how the black-white-and-red theme can keep you going right through the holidays.
Related: Lots of crazy fun socks to keep you right on trend
I haven't seen any of the stuff in person yet so I can only assume they're comparable to other Gymboree products in terms of quality. And despite this being a limited time collection that just launched, the prices are pretty great with a lot of items already on sale. Now unlike other limited time designer collections at certain big stores, in this case there's no need to race to the store at 6AM and throw elbows at fellow parents to snag the $25.77 glitter ballet flats or the $16.99 cardigan. You can just buy them right online. Then again, not sure Ian Falconer counts as a big "designer," but when your kids see that cute red tutu, they're not really going to care what's on the label. Find the new Olivia for Gymboree collection online and in stores while it lasts. And if you haven't picked up the original Ian Falconer book Olivia, it's a must for kids' bookshelves! Find it at our affiliate Amazon or your local indie bookseller.
