Stylish Girl Fashions with Sister Fresh

Dressing up tweens and young teenagers is among the most difficult things for parents to do mostly because of this is a very awkward phase. You have to make sure that their dresses are age-appropriate: not too young but not too mature either. Whatever type of spring sun dresses you decide to get for your ladies, you have to make sure that they emulate the season’s mood: fun, fresh and comfortable.

Sister Fresh’s 2016 spring line offers gorgeous dresses for all ages. What looks amazing on your toddler will also look stylish and chic on your tween.

Sister Fresh Teal With Ivory Tulip Print Isabella Dress

Retro designed dresses are making a comeback and they are extremely trendy! This Sister Fresh Teal With Ivory Tulip Print Isabella Dress looks super comfortable and relaxed, perfect for casual strolls on a beautiful spring day. They can even be paired with any type of shoes – but strappy sandals are preferable – and your little girls will look like chic and dainty young ladies.

 

Sister Fresh Ivory With Pink/Teal Gold Painted Floral Ava Dress

Looking for sundresses for your daughter to wear? How about this Sister Fresh Ivory With Pink/Teal Gold Painted Floral Ava Dress that also comes with pink, teal and gold floral prints? It’s best worn during the spring when all the flowers are in full bloom but it looks great during summer, too. The low sun dress has an elastic waist to provide the wearer with a comfortable fit and its neck area is also gathered to give it a blousy look and feel.

 

Sister Fresh Pink,Yellow and Blue Tribal Print Ava Dress

Sister Fresh’s line of Ava dresses look super feminine and chic, perfect for your young little ladies who are just experimenting with how they would want to look. The Sister Fresh Pink,Yellow and Blue Tribal Print Ava Dress  comes with pink, yellow and blue tribal prints to set the mood of the season. Pair this fun dress with the gorgeous Joyfolie Champagne Winnie Luxe Shoes.

 

Sister Fresh Pink With Ivory Tulip Ava Dress

Yet another version of the Ava dress from Sister Fresh is this Sister Fresh Pink With Ivory Tulip Ava Dress. It still has an elastic waist and a gathered neckline so it looks modern, despite being retro inspired, and trendy.

 

Sister Fresh Pink With Grey Petals Emma Dress

Another great dress to don on your little princesses is this empire waist Sister Fresh Pink With Grey Petals Emma Dress. The sleeveless gray sun dress that comes with pink and gray petal prints is super comfortable to wear because of the elastic waist. It also comes with a square neck line and the bodice print is made up of a V-shaped petal print in the front and a triangle gray print.

Don’t these dresses make you crave spring?! We love these gorgeous patterns, especially since they are the perfect fashion for toddler girls, older girls, and tween girls. Most sizes range from 2T to 14, so pre-order your favorite styles now to ensure you get the sizes you want.

Fall Is In The Air At last we can begin wearing fall clothing as temperatures begin to drop. Cozy sweaters, rich corduroys, luxe tights and all that fabulous layering! We have the best pieces for fall from over 100 designers for you, including matching tights, leggings, shoes and hair accessories. Everything you need for that one of a kind fall wardrobe in one convenient boutique. Stop in today and peruse your favorite designers and be sure to check out some of our new designers as well. You might fall in love with them, I know we sure did.  New arrivals every week!

We are delighted to announce our newest addition, our Baby Boutique. We have had a ball choosing the best baby girl outfits, layette, gifts and accessories. Stay tuned we have more adorable items on the way to show you. Baby girl clothing from newborn through 24 months. Everything But The Princess www.everythingbuttheprincess.com

Fall Trend Report – Volume 1

See what’s trending this fall ….. Fall is in full color in our store. We have received most of our fall collections already and we are loving working all the new lines with you. We have new items arriving daily, so there is always something fresh and fun for you to see when you visit.We have some great new designers this season as well. Be sure to take a peek in our fall arrival section to see everything this amazing season has to offer. SHOP FALL 2012 COLLECTIONS HERE Kitchy Couture   Heirloom inspired frocks reminscent of a simpler time. Clothing that captures the sweetness and innocence of childhood that is as lovely to look at as it is to wear. Vintage looks in palettes of timeless prints, old fashioned designs that bring us back to simpler times. This fall the trend of lines such as Persnickety, Dollcake, Moxie & Mabel (formerlly Hopscotch), Ilovegorgeous, and Misha Lulu bring this style trend to you. With many of these clothing lines being made right here in the USA, and with charitable programs such as Persnickety’s Buy One Give One and Joyfolie’s Giving Children Hope, you can feel as good about buying these products as you do seeing them on your loved ones.   Trend …….. Rockin ~ Fashionista The pop star, rockin’, fun looks are not just for tweens anymore. Girls of all ages, this fall more than ever, are loving the fun and flashy looks from Lipstik, Hannah Banana, Flowers by Zoe, Miss Me denim, Little Mass, and Ooh! La, La! Couture. Let them explore their inner pop star with some of these trendy looks ………..

Preorders 101

Mustard Pie Fall 2012

Why preorder? What are preorders anyway?
We’d like to take a minute to dispel some myths about seasonal preorders and explain all the great reasons why you might want to consider preordering this season.

First of all, what’s a preorder? Put simply, a preorder is an order you make for specific items in advance of their arrival in a store. When the shipment arrives, all the preordered items are pulled out and shipped to their recipients. It’s pretty simple, really. This allows a customer to preview what’s going to be available in an upcoming season and make selections in advance of the company shipping the products – many times even in advance of the designer even sewing the items.

Why would you want to preorder? Well, for one thing, it’s just fun to get to see all the new stuff in advance. It gives you a chance to put together your shoes and accessories and most of all, it gives you the chance to order first. You get it first. If you have a favorite brand that you’re in love with and it’s a smaller designer, carried only in a few select boutiques, then it’s important to get your size first. Who wants to look all over the internet for the top in the same size as the pants you found? When you preorder, you can put your whole outfit together and claim it before the shopkeeper even gets it. Nice, hunh?

Eliane et Lena Fall 2012

What do you mean it’s all sold out? It’s not even sewn yet! The way ordering works for boutiques, and most department stores too on a larger scale, is that buyers preview a season about a year before it’s intended to hit the stores. They look over all the options for the upcoming season and select their favorites. Buyers are looking for the items that will appeal to the aesthetic of their shop and their customers – they are ordering for you! The buyer then makes an order of a certain quantity of the product in the sizes they need for their store. Then the company that makes the clothing line or other product takes those orders and cuts, sews and ships to fulfill them. Occasionally there are supply chain troubles that result in an item being “undercut,” which means that the company doesn’t make enough to go around for all the buyers’ orders. Some companies even undercut deliberately, either to create a scarcity or because they are confident that a certain number of orders will not be accepted for a variety of reasons. When that happens, there’s a shortage of certain items. Gasp! Sometimes a company is confident that they will receive reorders and they will make a little extra, or “overcut” those really hot-selling items, because they will know that stores will sell out and want more. Occasionally, shops do not accept their orders for some reason (for example the company ships late, stores go out of business, the items do not appear like the samples or other reasons). In this case, as well as the overcut case, there are extras. So the amount produced is not always exactly the amount ordered, but that’s the basic guideline. Preordering also helps stores know right away if they need to reorder, so they can ask for more before the season is produced and it’s too late. In most cases, once a season is produced and shipped, it’s too late to order any more. Heck, by the time a season is shipped, your favorite designer is already producing the next season. But that’s fashion for ya. There’s always something new coming out in this creative, artistic industry.

Appaman Fall 2012

So it’s not custom? They’re not making it especially for me? Not really. But your favorite boutique wants you to get “first dibs” on those super cute things, because they know how heartbroken you will be if your size is sold out when you want it. Some stores make it sound as though an item is being sewn specifically for you, and therefore they won’t accept returns or exchanges. If the items are made custom to your specifications or special order, that makes perfect sense. They can’t sell it to someone else. But for regular line preordered items, you are simply reserving an item that would have been ordered for the store anyway. It’s always a good idea to know a store’s return & exchange policy before ordering, but with preorders it’s particularly important. Kids grow, after all, and preorders usually take place a few weeks to a few months before the season that the child will actually wear that dress or outfit. Who knows? Maybe it won’t even fit when it arrives. In that case, you’ll want to be able to exchange it for the right size or return it if they don’t have the size that fits. Choose a store that will allow returns and exchange on preordered merchandise. That will save you headaches later, and you’ll be able to preorder confidently, knowing that you don’t really have to worry about your estimates on your kid’s size come next season.

Curio + Kind Fall 2012

The other nice thing about preorders is that most stores allow multiple payments for the seasonal preorders. A deposit is usually required, and then the rest is charged when your order ships. This breaks up big purchases, such as back-to-school clothes for kids or Christmas dresses and gifts, into more manageable chunks. It also saves you big on shipping if your orders come in separate packages, since usually stores will charge shipping only once, regardless of how many packages it takes to send your whole order to you. Isn’t that nice?

Why not take a trip through your favorite store’s preorder department and see what they are offering for preorder? This is an ideal opportunity to get an idea of what’s coming up next season, plus take advantage of multiple payments, shipping deals and other special incentives. Anyway, fashion is fun! A sneak peek at what’s coming up is always enjoyable.

Knuckleheads Fall 2012

Everything But The Princess is a great example of a boutique that offers a lot of preorders. Here is our page of Fall 2012 preorders for girls, by brand. You can see boy’s Fall 2012 preorders here, at The Little King Boutique.

10 Reasons to Love Everything But The Princess This Season

Fun: Girls want to express themselves and just have fun! Princess: What girl doesn’t love to let her imagination go? Even the tomboys have a fantasy side. Color: Bright and cheerful – with a broad palette of gorgeous colors, she can create infinite combinations. Special Delivery: Each package is lovingly wrapped and delivered worldwide – quickly and at a reasonable cost. Shoes: From everyday to amazing, unique footwear makes her mark. Service: Shopping with Everything But The Princess is like having your own stylist and personal assistant. Glitz: Glitter, glamor and glitz – sparkling outfits and accessories accent the twinkle in her eye. Formal: Exquisitely beautiful, or elegantly simple – find your perfect dress. Wonder: Explore worlds of color, pattern and design that will enchant your hungry eyes. Unique: She can step ahead of the crowd in unique and unusual ensembles that are guaranteed to set her apart.

Special thanks to Mandy Lynne for her beautiful mailbox image used in our collage. You can view her portfolio and visit her Etsy shop at mandylynn.com.

Timeline – 8 Years of Fashion Love

Let’s take a trip in the Wayback Machine, shall we?  Goodness, it’s been a great trip, hasn’t it?

[~fade…~]

A 2006 homepage message. EBTP had cute sayings and messages throughout the pages.

“Well, how it all started is me being an obsessed mom,” says Deanna Stewart, proprietor of Everything But The Princess.  She was shopping online for European fashions from stores all over Europe, because 13 years ago, there really wasn’t that much in the USA.  At that time, more European brands, particularly French and Dutch brands, were beginning to export to the US, exposing mothers of young children in the states to a different design sensibility.  In 2004, with her last little one off to school, Ms. Stewart found herself wondering what to do with her time.  She had a degree in business and finance, but living in a rural area found work in her field limited.  Lucky for us, because she also had a love for fashion.

A friend said, “You know more about these designers and European clothing than anyone I know.  You should open a store.”  Deanna wonders what gave her the guts to think she could pull it off, but she thought, “what the heck?  Why not?”  She had empty days with the kids now at school all day long, so she simply opened a website and ordered a dozen of her favorite brands.  Deanna and her friend brainstormed ideas for a name.  The concept at the time was one store that had the clothes, the shoes, the hair bows, all in one place.  Deanna was tired of scouring the internet for items to complete an outfit.  She wanted a one-stop shop where busy moms could get the whole look without spending countless hours on Google, tracking items down and spending a fortune in shipping to get it.  That was the vision – “a princess closet,” everything but the child.  Then the name Everything But The Princess came into being.  “It’s too long,” her husband warned, but that’s Deanna.  She did it anyway.  And it may be long, but it really describes her concept to a T:  Everything – but the princess.  It was the store she was dreaming of, with everything she needed in one place.

2005: Boucle was all the rage, rhinestones were in, and handpainted bell bottoms were a playtime favorite.

That first season, under the slogan “Only the best for our little princesses,” Everything But The Princess offered Baby Gassy Gooma, Baby Nay, Biscotti, Cakewalk, Chatti Patti, Greggy Girl, Indygo, Katanda, Kate Mack, Keedo, Lillian Grace, Meli Meli, Mim Pi, Room Seven, and Shilav.  She never dreamed that Everything But The Princess would be more than a hobby to keep her busy while the kids were gone all day.  Each season, she added another two or three brands, and over time, the little shop grew.  Deanna relished spending the day talking with people who shared the same passion for fashion, particularly European designs, that she did.  She had nobody else who care about this stuff in her life, so it was “awesome to chat with ladies who were actually excited about clothes.”  She laughs that her circle was ready to have her committed for spending so much money on a toddler.  The just didn’t understand her love of quality, of design, of uniqueness.

That special something that brings art to the everyday in the form of design.  Everything But The Princess not only filled her time with something she enjoyed, but it opened up a great network of like-minded women to work with on a daily basis.  It brought her family together on the project too, with the kids (Amanda and Katie) and her loving husband Ray working alongside her, steaming dresses, putting things on hangers.  “They really helped me to accomplish my dream,” she remembers.

This became one of the shop’s favorite slogans, right from the beginning.

By the time Everything But The Princess had been in business 5 years, this little shop was really expanding.  Deanna had discovered that she wasn’t alone in her desires, and a dozen brands were being added each year.  More gifts, shoes, hair accessories were added, broadening their selection significantly and keeping EBTP on track as the one-stop-shop that Deanna had envisioned.  Sales grew, as did repeat business from around the world, with a large international following.

Inevitably, as will happen, Deanna Stewart became a grandmother.  “She really doesn’t seem old enough to be a grandma,” a friend laughs, “she’s just too stylish!”  As the grandmother-to-be of a little boy, she went looking for a gift.  Finding a similar drought of acceptable [to her taste] items for boys, she did what any entrepreneur grandma would do:  she opened a boy’s shop.

In 2005, The Little King Boutique opened.

In 2010, The Little King Boutique opened, with an equally long but descriptive name.  A haven for those shopping for boys and looking for something that’s just a little different than the pablum usually served up for little boys.  Something interesting, for goodness sake.  Something you’ll be proud to see him in.  Something that shows you care what he looks like.  The Little King Boutique follows the same principle as the girls’ shop.  What Deanna found was that just as looking great is good for little girls’ self-esteem – it’s good for boys too.  As before, her “why not?” thinking brought a crowd of like-minded shoppers to her little treehouse on the internet.

In 2011, Everything But The Princess opened its first brick-and-mortar store, a little boutique in Delta Junction, Alaska, Deanna’s hometown.  Yes, of course it was pink.  Bright pink.  “It’s a cheerful environment to work in, and it’s nice that our local fans can come to see us in person,” says an employee.  Can’t get to Alaska?  That’s just fine.  Everything But The Princess still has the friendliest personal service on the internet.  “It’s just like being there,” says a regular customer from California.  “You can ask for advice, get measurements, even get recommendations for accessories!”  The internet has brought the world closer together.  It’s allowed a small-town dream to become a reality for one style-obsessed mom. Today, Everything But The Princess has gone from a teeny hobby store to a 1500 square foot boutique and 5 online employees to serve you best.  Each of these employees takes pride in the business and genuinely cares about customers.  No matter how big they get, it’s this personal attention that will continue to win the loyalty of their customers – in Alaska and around the world.

Deanna Stewart welcomes you to share her Fashion Love, for boys and girls, at her online shops:  www.EverythingButThePrincess.com and www.TheLittleKing Boutique.com.

Unpacking first shipments into the new boutique – Wow! You have a lot of work to do!

Deanna and Amanda in the freshly-painted boutique.

~ Because they’re not just clothes, They’re memories. ~