Little Dude Fashion

Mommy's little hipster.

Last winter, Jake and I were on pins and needles waiting to discover the gender of our baby.  At our “anatomy ultrasound” appointment, the tech squirted warm blue goo on my tummy and proceeded to point out different parts of the baby on the screen beside us.  “That’s the baby’s jaw, the toes, the heart beating like a hummingbird’s wings, and….” Here she paused for a moment and asked cautiously if we’d like to know if the baby would be a Seabass or a Seabassette.  When we said we would, she announced that it was a boy.

Upon hearing this news, Jake – who was unabashedly verbal about  the woes of raising a teenaged girl – kicked his leg in front of him and played air guitar like Dwight Schrute revving up for a sales call.  “Seabass!” he yelled.  “Yessss!”

I was, of course, thrilled – not only by the fact that we were going to have a healthy baby boy, but by the fact that I was finally allowed to drain my bladder after the ultrasound.   (Can I get an AMEN?)  The only thing that made me a tiny bit sad was that little girl clothes are so much more fun than little boy clothes.  No seriously, that was one of my first thoughts.  And yes, I really am that shallow.

Walking through shops that carry children’s clothing, I’m never interested in touching and cooing over baby boy duds.  It is the girl clothes – with their ruffles, bows, and bloomers – that make me weak in the knees.  Not without a little sadness did I resign myself to a lifetime of grubby denim and striped blue shirts.  How could I have known that stylish, adorable boy clothes that put girl ruffles to shame were just around the corner?

Enter Kate Johnson.  Kate is a friend from several years back who I recently ran into with her two kiddos, Maddy and Sammy. At the time, Sammy was dressed in an unbelievably cute fitted vest and matching golf cap that demanded the sorts of ooohs and aahs I generally reserve for little girl outfits.  When I asked where she bought his fetching ensemble, Kate modestly revealed that she had sewn it all herself.   Turns out she is a natural-born seamstress, recycling plush woollens and pinstripes from men’s trousers to create intricate clothing for fashionable little dudes.  “Boy clothes are way more fun to make than girl clothes,” she said.  “They’re more tailored and challenging.”  

A few days later, I received a gift from Kate’s mother-in-law, Beth (who is also a friend): a little blue pinstriped golf cap just for Seabass!  We couldn’t wait to try it out on him, so I composed a sweet little outfit for him to wear to church on Sunday.  I cannot tell you how many comments we received on his new cap.  Adjectives included “exquisite,” “precious,” “freaking adorable,” and “scrumptious.”  I heartily concur.

When I asked Kate if I could feature her on the blog, she passed along her website where you can buy any number of scrumptious wee golf caps for yourself or that dashing little man in your life.  Visit her at http://www.etsy.com/shop/katejohnson25.  And tell her Seabass sent you.