My baby’s due date is quickly approaching, which is why I find myself continually readying the apartment, the hospital bag, and my first son for the imminent changes headed our way. Among the many steps my husband and I have taken to prepare Oscar for the arrival of his baby brother, we decided a gift exchange between the two would be a nice idea and might help to soften the anticipated blow. So, I landed at the designer children’s clothing store, Estella, where I found a great assortment of hand-crochet stuffed animals made by local artisans from Peru. Among the many animals was a super cool T-Rex, sure to appeal to my dinosaur loving 2½- year-old. And for the baby to be, I selected a little baby elephant rattle. But, it was hard to stop there at this very special children’s boutique.

You are almost immediately drawn in by the store’s bright green and white color scheme and their quirky store displays. Estella makes its mark with a unique selection of super sophisticated styles combined with just-for-fun pieces, such as the Estella tutu in a gorgeous shade of brown. They stock several cutting edge designers that are rarely found in other New York City children’s stores, such as Caramel Baby and Child, Anne Kurris, Bon Bon (known as Bon Ton in France), Album di Famiglia and Sigikid to name a few. The Estella brand is not only comprised of beautiful hand-crochet stuffed animals, rattles and tutu’s, they are also known for their perfect fitting cotton items, such as solid crew neck or lap shoulder tees and leggings in hard to find neutral colors. They’ve also designed a sweet assortment of baby onesies, bibs, burp cloths and fleece accessories. So take a gander, and enjoy!

-Kristin