Buying kids clothes in Seminyak, Bali

Buying kids clothes in Seminyak, Bali

In my experience as a six-foot-tall woman, shopping in the enticing-looking boutiques along Jalan Laksmana in Seminyak can be rather disappointing, with not too much available in my size.

Shopping for kids, however, is another question entirely. Quite a few lovely shops selling children’s clothes have sprung up in this area over the past few years, making a slog along the crappy footpaths here (and around two corners onto Raya Basangkasa) worth your effort.

Begin at Indigo Kids, half way down Laksmana, a little further east from Cafe Bali. Branches of this 1983-established store are scattered across Bali now, selling breezy clothes for babies from three months through to kids aged 12. The Indigo Kids brand is a big export hit, and the items have slightly more of a mainstream* feel than some of the other labels in this area but there’s a reason they’re popular.

Further east on the same side of the road you’ll find Clara Mia, a tiny boutique with exquisite girls and boys clothes. Items are not cheap, but they’re oh-so-pretty. Designer Anne Jegou takes French vintage clothes as her inspiration, reinterpreting dresses she wore as a child from the far reaches of her grandmother’s cupboard as well as shirts and shorts her grandfather once wore.

Continue on the same side of the road until gorgeous Kidsagogo. Sue Hadinata is the creative talent behind this label, opening her first store in 1989 and continuing to create fresh, clean looks for kids with a slight batik influence through to today. Pretty Balinese-influenced homewares and accessories here are worth a look, too.

Next door is Kiki’s Closet, which tends toward sequinned, strappier dresses for girls — sort of miniature versions of grown-up dresses for little girls. It’s not quite to my taste, but worth a look if it’s yours.

Boys clothes on display at Dandelion

Across the road, still heading east, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang has selected kids’ clothes up the back as well as its main adult range. The Tuckshop (or Corner Store) is the spot to stop for an excellent cup of coffee and to browse the gorgeous Littlehornrange of baby and children’s clothes. Their signature look is bright, colourful prints on good quality cottons.

Cornerstore is also the place to snap up items from the Coco and Ginger girls’ range. This range is ethically produced, paying Balinese women a fair wage to create. The emphasis is on embroidery, but simple, flowing dresses that little girls love also come in pretty prints. (disclosure: we’re good friends with Coco, Ginger and their parents).

Now, head around that corner, to the right, then to the right again, and you’re on Raya Basangkasa. Dandelion along a way to your left has European-inspired smart clothes for girls and boys — their T-shirts in soft cottons for boys in particular are a big favourite of mine.

Across the road, eco-friendly Milk & Roses has a small but lovely range of cotton-y clothes worth looking out for, kind of in the Clara Mia vein of more fragile, dainty outfits — and also French-inspired.

* My original post said “mass-produced” but after receiving Sophia’s comment, I corrected to mainstream.

Source: travelfish.org