Marching down Madison Avenue with a mission

by Jamee Gregory

The author and her two California girls, Samantha and Carolina.

Marching down Madison Avenue with a mission, a whole new world opens up. Starting on 92nd Street, I discover fabulous baby boutiques. It’s an uptown world, with easy access for the horde of yummy-mummy’s, dropping their offspring at the many schools populating the Upper East Side. Normally I rush past, but with the arrival of Carolina, my granddaughter, everything changed.

We’re off to LA to celebrate her first birthday on April 22. I search for the perfect party dress. She has a very special white dress, hand-embroidered in Paris, covered with butterflies and lady bugs, a gift from my grandmother to me, for my first birthday. I have pictures of my daughter, Samantha, and myself in it at one. Carolina will wear it too, but not for the activities my daughter has planned, like crawling though tubes in her garden and jumping in tubs filled with balls!

First I peek in the windows of Obaibi, a sea of sweet cottons, but more for everyday. Next stop is the delightful Rachel Riley boutique, with charming dresses covered in old-fashioned English roses. Delicate shoes are on display, and matching sweaters. This unique boutique will tempt the most discerning shopper. I send pictures to my daughter, but she is not smitten.

Obaibi

My first stop: Obaibi on 92nd, a more affordable offshoot of Jacadi.

Plenty of pink in a spring window display.

Grey for the little lads and lasses in your life.

Rachel Riley

Rachel Riley’s new spring collection, fanciful and feminine, designed in England, specializing in sweet shoes.

Window displays matching bears and cardigans to compliment the dresses.

Blue is a big seasonal color.

A colorful selection, sleeveless for summer, featuring charming prints.

Love the smocked dresses and red Mary Jane shoes! A lovely dress, covered in butterflies with pink ric rac on the collar and sleeves ...

Shoes in all sizes.

Polka dots, prints, and stripes, perfect for warm days ahead.

Next stop is Bonpoint, the French shop, known for its miniature versions of trendy French clothes and use of Liberty prints. I see red denim jeans and a blouse that reminds me of Yves St. Laurent, covered in tiny pink and red flowers, with a little leather tie around the neck and long sleeves. Samantha loves this and thinks it’s perfect for crawling in the grass. I am also taken with the chic tee shirts with silver writing, acid green sweaters and khaki safari jackets. Body suits with the days of the week embroidered across the chest in a tiny canvas suitcase make a lovely baby gift. Everything is very elegant with prices to match. The clothes are not fluffy and babyish, but super chic.

Bonpoint

Chic Bonpoint window with a reflection
of Madison Avenue.

A mini shoulder bag for a trendy toddler.

Kiddie cowboy hats and jeans straight from Paris.

Cool.

A sophisticated selection of hot pink and grey.

Red and khaki and coordinating signature Liberty prints.

Pear grey and spring green with a touch of yellow. Sweat suits, tea shirts, jeans and Liberty print bloomers create a table top display.

A battle jacket, cowboy hat and one-shouldered tee and tote make the perfect Parisienne ensemble.

I love the Liberty print accented with celadon green!

How about a little canvas suitcase filled with mini body suits, all embroidered with the days of the week? Or an olive khaki tee accented with silver or a face cloth with rabbit ears?

Further down Madison I am drawn to Baby CZ. The baby clothes are simple and flattering, not overpowering. I find a knit jacket, pink, piped in white, like a mini-Chanel and the perfect sleeveless pink candy-striped party dress with matching pale pink cardigan for cold Santa Monica afternoons. I email photos and Samantha agrees. It’s the cutest dress ever! This shop’s clothes are understated and beautifully made.

Baby CZ

Window of Baby CZ.

Beautifully displayed dresses. Adorable white with hot-pink piping and matching cardigan, pink-and-white candy stripe with pale pink cardigan.

Signature piped cardigans for boys and girls with matching hats, socks and scarves.

Patch sleeves and zippered cardigans with matching leggings.

How chic is this dress? No dripping allowed! To be worn with flowered sandals.

Cranberry patent leather sandals.

Next stop is Ralph Lauren. Many things are displayed in baskets around an Easter theme. Colorful cabled cashmere sweaters and blazers for boys catch my eye. Delicate hand-knit vests look adorable in scaled- down sizes.

Spring Flowers and Petit Bateau offers a wide selection of cottons. A sailor theme is always popular in this classic boutique, known for its tiny tees and great baby sleepwear.

Ralph Lauren

Baskets filled with clothes at Ralph Lauren.

Daffodils and bunnies for Easter. Boys’ seersuckers and blazers.

Party Dresses.

Hand-knit vests and boots in signature Ralph Lauren style.

Spring Flowers

Dresses galore, sprinkled in the window like blooms!

Rows of crisp children’s dresses.

Many choices for boys and girls.

Party slippers galore!

Piles of pink, floral prints, candy stripes.

Petit Bateau

Windows in bloom at Petit Bateau.

Soft cottons for babies.

Enchanting sleepwear, cozy swaddling.

Sailor stripes in pink and denim pants with more stripes.

Greenstones, Too! delights anyone looking for unusual gifts, European designs and great accessories tempt. Fanciful sweaters from Italy by Catimini were my favorites. Bathing suits, sun glasses and matching cover-ups were available for summer.

Magic Windows has racks of dresses and masses of things for boys. The well-stocked shop has wonderful terry towels, Kissy Kissy body suits, bibs, stuffed animals and hand-painted furniture.

Greenstones, too!

A vast selection of European clothes and children’s accessories ... bows, headbands, matching hats.

Hats to match!

Swim suits.

Dresses and shoes.

Magic Windows

Bunnies and bears frolic in an enchanted garden.

A well-stocked shop, with everything from terry towels to bibs and in-between.

Smocked party dresses.

Giraffes, monkeys, terriers, march along for spring.

A wonderful painted bench.

Jacadi, another Parisian favorite, offers play clothes with hats and socks. Their blouses with embroidered collars really flatter small faces. Party dresses in pink and grey look very grown up. Now that I’ve covered all the bases I learn that the weather has changed in California and Carolina will be wearing overalls!

Jacadi