Announced in early December, Oscar de la Renta, known primarily for stylish gowns worn by celebrities at awards shows, plans to design babies’ and children’s clothing. While somewhat contradictory to the notion that baby products should be practical, Oscar de la Renta’s children’s clothing line is coming after a handful of other high-end designers, such as Gucci and Fendi, ventured into this field.

The fashion house recently appointed Papo d’Anjo’s Cathering Monteiro de Barros to vice president of the children’s line. Although no prices have been announced, the kids clothing is expected to hit stores in fall 2012 and will include garments for girls and boys between the ages of 18 months and 14 years. While fashion-forward pre-teens with money may gravitate toward the line, the brand claims its clothing will be for parents who “want their children to look like children.”

In addition to Fendi and Gucci, other ultra high-end brands have veered in the direction of children’s fashion, including Paul Smith, Burberry, and Stella McCartney. Profiled by the New York Times, these high-end designer kids lines fall into two camps: mimicking adult fashion in style or specifically designed for children. In addition to Oscar de la Renta’s upcoming line, Fendi falls into the latter. To the press, Silvia Fendi said:

“There is a fashion element to the collection. But it is important that it be clothing that works for children and that it be made well from good materials.”

On the same note, these high-end designer lines are made to last or, in the case of Stella McCartney, use eco-friendly materials. Yet, considering how quickly children – especially toddlers – go through clothing, is shelling so much for an outfit worth it? Unless the item is to be passed down, it ends up being nothing more than an expensive novelty.

Christmas and Chanukah are only a few weeks away, and if you’re looking for a baby gift, for your own child, a friend’s, or family member’s, you might be stuck on what to get. Toy stores are no help; the options are endless, and you might not be able to discern what is useful and what’s not. In general, follow guidelines for purchasing a holiday baby gift as you would for a shower: fun yet practical. Consider the following suggestions:

• Toys, toys, toys. A kid can’t ever have too many toys; yet, parents find that some activities are more useful than others. While play appears to be for fun, it’s educational for babies and toddlers but not in the ways you may think. Rather than reaching for Your Baby Can Read, find toys that stimulate a child’s senses, assist with building motor skills, or encourage creative or critical-thinking skills. For babies, these toys are often black, white, and red or have various colors and textures. For toddlers, on the other hand, soft toys that keep them active, such as blocks, dolls, or play sets, are your best bet.

• Be practical. Parents can never have too many onesies or diapers. But rather than going a mundane route, dress up your present. Holiday diaper cakes have a fun appearance and include 80 to 150 diapers. For clothing, consider the child’s age or size and go with basics: onesies, t-shirts, footies, or pants. Also, if parents prefer pink or blue, make sure to keep colors in mind.

• Think about parents’ wants or needs. Is a new mother carrying around an ordinary diaper bag? Surprise her with one that looks like a designer handbag on the outside but is equipped with all the features a parent needs inside. Or, if parents are in need of a new stroller, car seat, or crib, consider purchasing one, but ask about their preferences beforehand.

It’s no secret that babies are expensive. In fact, a child costs $12,000 its first year. Parents who want to cut down on this figure often accept hand-me-downs and purchase secondhand items, but are there any other options? One trend, started by site Plumgear, is renting baby clothing.

Reported by Consumer Reports, Plumgear began as a website started by first-time mother Caroline O’Connor. Finding hand-me-downs and baby gifts limiting, she wanted to create a site that has “cute, fun, modern stuff” for babies and allows parents to save at the same time.

Plumgear can be considered a prototype in the field of baby products, but the concept is similar to that of Netflix or any other subscription service. Parents who sign up for Plumgear can purchase orders of five, 10, or 15 garments, and the cost of subscription covers the return price. Garments are purchased in wholesale from Rabbit Moon, Petit Bateau, Angel Dear, Soy Baby, Le Top, Mini Muffin, and other well-known brands of baby clothing. When placing an order, a parent will receive a set of tops, pants, and onesies, with a dress and tights for a girl, and the baby wears these clothes until growing out of them in a few weeks. Once the garments are too small, parents send them back to Plumgear and then receive clothing from the next size up. The site carries clothing for boys and girls ranging from sizes 0-3 months to 2T.

If germs or overall cleanliness is a concern for you, all clothing is washed with fragrance-free Seventh Generation detergent. If, however, clothing is stained or ruined beyond use, the parents are not charged for the damage, and the garment is donated.

If you are looking for an affordable alternative to baby clothing, would you rent from a site like Plumgear? Why or why not?

Baby products and pop culture can mix, but the combination treads from being inappropriate to a novelty item to practical. An item such as a onesie emblazoned with Kate Moss’ quote, “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,” is clearly inappropriate, although cartoon characters, even older ones, are less out of place. But, what about video game characters, such as Angry Birds?

While a video game about aggressive birds doesn’t seem like a fit for baby products, Angry Birds, with its growing licensing and merchandising division, thinks it is the brand’s next step. Already with a successful line of toys, Angry Birds partnered with SwaddleDesigns, the first company to introduce large swaddling blankets. Displaying characters from the video game, Angry Birds baby products will include clothing and blankets. While not presently available, Angry Birds products can be purchased through pre-order and will eventually be found at retailers carrying the brand’s toys.

With 40 million players per month, Angry Birds is one of the most popular Apple mobile apps. But, does that translate out to baby products? SwaddleDesigns’ creative director Lynette Damir thinks it does. In a press release she stated:

“As parents, one aspect of Angry Birds we appreciate is how protective the birds are and how much they love their offspring. It’s one of the characters’ endearing qualities that resonates with parents everywhere, and a key reason we believe Angry Birds fans will be enthusiastic about our new line of Angry Bird baby products. We’re excited and honored to be Rovio’s partner to bring these fun, playful and loveable characters to SwaddleDesigns product line.”

If you play the app game on your iPhone, will you be considering Angry Birds blankets or clothing for your child? Or, are such products strictly extravagant novelty items?

You’d think that, with all of the coverage surrounding celebrity babies even before they leave the womb, Victoria Beckham’s baby shower would have been covered in the news sooner. Yet, news of her May 7 baby shower didn’t hit the tabloids until May 16 – even in the U.K., where Beckham and her soccer player husband are far larger celebrities than they are in the U.S. Perhaps the paparazzi are far more concerned with Mariah Carey’s twins than they are with the Beckham’s fourth spawn.

Nevertheless, as reported in celebrity gossip blog Hollywood Life, Beckham was thrown a pink-themed baby shower at the Hotel Le Petit Ermitage in Hollywood. A-list guests, including Selma Blair, Eva Longoria, and Nichole Richie, were invited. Source Beginnings, a Hollywood baby boutique, claims that, even with Beckham’s insistence that all gifts be pink, guests chose presents in other colors.

Baby products used by celebrities are not as far removed as, say, fashion choices. A Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag is closer to the average woman’s budget than a pair of Louboutins or a Hermes bag. If you are curious about the gifts given to Beckham, the following items have been mentioned by Hollywood Life and the Daily Mail:
• A Quinny Buzz Special Edition Stroller in pink
• A mamaRoo baby swing
• A Hoppop bath tub
• A Little Giraffe Luxe Blanket
• A Timi + Leslie diaper bag
• A custom-made stuffed giraffe by Melissa & Doug
• A Bonpoint clothing set
• An Orbit Baby Infant Stroller in red
• A Bloom Alma crib; and
• A Bloom Fresco high chair

Surprising a friend at a baby shower with a gift like one Victoria Beckham received isn’t out of the question. In fact, many of these brands can be found through ordinary baby boutiques. Baby and Me Boutique, for instance, carries Quinny Buzz strollers and Timi + Leslie diaper bags. Brands Melissa and Doug and Little Giraffe are sold through Hunky Dory.

Fire-retardant chemicals, in concept, seem beneficial. After all, in theory, they should slow a fire’s spread and save more lives. Yet, at the same time, many fire-retardant chemicals are toxic and can be found in items ranging from furniture to clothing to baby products. Because going green is beyond a trend and, at this point, has become a necessary lifestyle, USA Today ran a piece recently about the hazards of fire-retardant chemicals in baby products.

Fire-retardant chemicals are so omnipresent that even the dust in your house has traces of them. If you consider the habits of a baby, including sleeping and putting objects into his or her mouth, exposure to fire retardant chemicals seems unavoidable. In fact, such chemicals are found in the polyurethane foam in baby mattresses; up until the 1970s, they were added to baby clothes, until a study showed that these substances cause cancer in animals.

According to the USA Today article, the concentration of fire-retardant chemicals in toddlers and preschoolers is three times the amount in adults. While such chemicals are harmful to people of all ages, they can affect behavioral and brain development in children, lower IQ, or result in learning products.

But, is the addition of such chemicals even necessary? According to an article published in the Los Angeles Times in 2009, fire-retardant chemicals worsen emergency situations, as materials like polyurethane foam release the chemicals into the air during a fire. Although California, the state with the most strict fire standards, has made an exception for baby products, a significant amount of furniture is still made with fire-retardant chemicals: 56 percent of infant carriers, 44 percent of car seats, and 40 percent of portable cribs.

Finding baby products free of these chemicals is difficult but not impossible. Baby mattresses are a particular concern, as a child sleeps for 70 percent of its first year, and Naturepedic makes products that are organic and free of toxic chemicals. Containing no PVC, vinyl, or phthalates (a plastic softener), Naturepedic baby mattresses are tested for chemical emissions and are Greenguard certified. Each baby mattress has a 100-percent food-grade polyethylene waterproof surface, organic cotton filling, and a non-toxic and naturally-derived fire barrier system.

Fashion is the refuge of actors or musicians with waning careers. Just look at the selection of fragrances at the closest department store. You might not have seen an album by Celine Dion in nearly a decade, but she appears to be doing well as a fragrance brand. Ditto with Antonio Banderas. Even if you cannot remember the last movie he was in, his fragrances are often featured prominently at department and drug stores.

But fashion, from clothing lines to perfumes, has become saturated with celebrity-created or endorsed brands and the next move appears to be baby products. As the unchartered terrain about to be conquered, baby products are an inevitable step, considering the growing popularity of celebrity baby news. But while Angelina Jolie is busy with films, which stars are putting out baby gear lines?

Although not the designer, Kate Moss is associated with a recent baby product line displaying her 2009 quote: “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.” Your baby might not know the difference, but from a parenting perspective, should any mother or father dress their young child in a onesie with a pro-anorexia slogan?

A line created by Snoop Dogg and David Beckham may not be any better. Although in the initial stages, a baby gear line by this unusual duo that met on reality series Father Hood could turn into a novelty brand specifically for hip-hop or soccer fans.

Even if these two celebrity-related lines are the paradigm of inappropriate baby clothing, not all star-created baby products are this self-promotional, tacky, or extreme. PetitNest, a line of sheets and décor created by Saved by the Bell and Beverly Hills, 90210 star Tiffani Thiessen, actually appears practical. Although more expensive than most baby décor lines, PetitNest was created by Thiessen and Design Star finalist Lonni Paul after the television star couldn’t find baby products she liked. If you look at PetitNest, however, the sheets and décor are far away from the star’s personality and, so far, can be considered a more practical celebrity-related line.

Creativity and practicality need to meet whenever you choose a baby gift. Although an item can be attractive in appearance, it is useless if a parent can’t use it regularly. Even though a red and green bootie set and hat might be perfect for the holidays, a parent has no use for it after December 25. Clothing, however, is not out of the question, and neither are toys, blankets, and other baby products. Even if ordinary in appearance, a baby product can be dressed up for the occasion and used for a few months after.

If you’re looking for holiday baby gifts for a friend, consider some of these items:

• Baby Clothes. Children, and babies in particular, can never have too many clothes. Items get soiled, they become small, or they just become worn after a few uses. Parents, as a result, are always in need of new baby clothes — onesies, t-shirts, and other items. But with a wardrobe consisting nearly entirely of solid color cotton clothing, a special occasion outfit – one that can be worn at least a few times – adds a little variation.
• Baby Toys. Is there a toy that a child won’t refuse? For babies, a new toy is more than a source of a new play item; a toy is often an item that he or she has never seen. Although baby toys for the first six months consist of items involving sight and hearing senses, those designed for six-month-olds and older encourage touch and gross motor skills, such as rolling, crawling, and touching. Play mats, for example, have enough space for rolling and offer many items for touching. Various soft baby toys are also designed with a varied surface, multiple colors, and noises.
• Diaper cakes. Typically a baby shower item, diaper cakes are useful to parents all year round. Each diaper cake is made with 80 to 150 diapers arranged in two to four tiers. Various baby products are attached to the outside. As parents always need diapers, a diaper cake gives them a large supply. Designers like Rattlecake, as well, make specific holiday cakes.

It’s a fact that children go through clothing and toys quickly. When you have a baby or young child, you’ll probably find yourself buying new sets of onesies, shirts, and pants every three months, in addition to age-appropriate toys. Over time, however, this can end up as a considerable expense, and your children may only wear some clothing once or twice. Because many are trying to be more economical in the state of the economy, finding pre-worn or secondhand items is recommended, although as far as thrift and consignment stores are concerned, the items available are limited.

Because some parents want to be rid of old baby products and others are searching for a bargain, baby markets geared solely toward the selling of pre-worn, or “pre-loved,” items for children have popped up. Tiny Tots Baby Market in South-West Sydney, Australia is one such example. Held every three months, the market is organized by mothers in the area, and parents have their own tables to sell older products. Other parents looking for clothing, toys, and other baby products go to find a bargain.

Secondhand markets focused solely on baby products allow parents to find items their children may only use a few times and, at the same time, are green, as clothing, toys, and other items are used. Nevertheless, parents looking at pre-worn items should examine each product carefully. Although secondhand clothing is helpful, pre-worn toys and furniture may pose certain safety hazards. As in all cases, examine each item for choking hazards; ask yourself if the toy itself is a hazard or if parts will come loose and become a hazard. Additionally, make sure that all furniture is stable and durable, and once you’ve taken the product home, check to see if it has been recalled in the past.

It might not be easy being green, but it’s certainly easy to go green – even with your baby. Several basic baby products offer environmentally-friendly alternatives: mattresses, for example, are made from organic rubber or cotton, bottles are often BPA-free, and clothing and sheets, even, are made from organic fabrics. For the latter, organic cotton, colored with plant or vegetable-based dyes, has become increasingly common. But, organic cotton isn’t the only option for going green with baby clothing and sheets. Rather, bamboo fabric – often a hybrid material of bamboo and organic cotton – is increasing in popularity for baby products and for clothing in general.

According to a recent press release for organic baby clothing line Baby Bambu, bamboo fabrics are soft and antimicrobial, which make them useful for clothing ranging from onesies for babies to adult athletic gear. Organica Essentials is the manufacturer behind Baby Bambu, and they’ve designed fabric and garments for infants that are not only hypoallergenic and UV resistant but also less resistant to odors. Additionally, all Baby Bambu clothing has a gender-neutral appearance, with green or yellow being a popular color for the baby clothes.

Organic bamboo fabric isn’t only used for baby clothing, however. Several other products, including blankets, car seats, sheets, and pillows, are made from it. Although Baby Bambu is the more prominent name for this emerging sub-sect of organic baby products, other manufacturers use the material, as well. If the antimicrobial and odor resistance of organic bamboo seems appealing and you want to use the material, always read the product’s label before purchasing. The combination of bamboo and organic cotton is common, but some manufacturers use a bamboo and nylon combination instead; this combination is not organic – nylon is a synthetic material – and won’t have the same properties as the bamboo-cotton combination.