There were plenty of nominations for the most "splurge-worthy" baby clothes line in this years' Readers' Choice Awards. But only five could be finalists; some of the brands are household names, others are still small but growing their fan base quickly. Let's learn more about each of the finalists.
RockerBye Baby
RockerByeBaby
RockerBye Baby is new to the awards this year and it's easy to see why parents love the line. With a tag line of "Everything in STOCK for your baby to ROCK!!" this Etsy shop produces everything from baby beanies and hoodies to dresses paci clips.
Owned by a mom of two, Amber Zrust is based in Minneapolis, MN, and is truly a rock-lovin' momma.
Her products have been received by Tori Spelling, Gwen Stefani (how much more of a rock endorsement can you get???), Kourtney Kardashian, Jessica Alba and Nicole Richie, just to name a few. In addition to her celebrity fan base, she's been featured on a number of blogs for her "goth and punk" styling.
Tea Collection
Tea Collection
A finalist in the 2011 About.com Readers' Choice Awards, Tea Collection is back for another shot at the title this year.
Started in 2002 in San Francisco, California, Tea began as a small line with an offering of just three Pima cotton baby sweaters. Since then, the company has grown exponentially and now offers a full range of beautiful baby and children's clothing.
What's unique about the line is the way they plan each season. By offering clothing inspired by a different area of the world, parents know that when they buy Tea, they're buying something original and a piece that will not be around the following year.
The "Congratulation Set" has previously been featured on the About.com Baby Clothes site as a Baby Clothes of the Day pick, back in January of 2010.
Mini Boden
Mini Boden
Boden has a style all its own. And parents LOVE it.
Founded in 1991 with just 8 pieces in its menswear line, the line did not appear in the United States until 2002. Then, in 2007, the baby line came along ... and mommas and daddies everywhere have been smitten since. Well, maybe not the daddies so much, but at least the mommas.
Filled with fun and fabulous color combinations and quirky designs, Mini Boden is all-European, all-the-time. And the line clearly resonates with consumers, because parents are willing to wait for their wares to come from across the pond.
Mini Boden covers kids from birth to 14 years; included in their line is everything from rompers and playsets to swimwear and party frocks and their line clearly fills a void in the American baby clothes market. Parents are hungry for European styling for their kids and Mini Boden delivers.
Mini Boden was previously featured on the About.com Baby Clothes site as a Baby Clothes of the Day pick, back in August of 2009.
J. Crew Baby
J. Crew
Relatively new to the scene of baby clothes, but definitely not new to the clothing scene in general. In fact, J. Crew has been around for many, many years and they're CrewCuts line for the younger set has also been around for quite some time.
With that said, the J. Crew Baby line follows the same simple design path as the other items in their offerings. High quality (cashmere sweaters anyone?) and natural materials are the base of the line and current pieces include sweaters, pants, short- and long-sleeved bodysuits as well as booties.