What’s hot for Spring ’11? Fresh designs are sprouting up, but don’t expect an all-new slate of trends. Skinny jeans aren’t fading, the boho look is still in and nautical themes persist as a perennial spring staple. “The thing we’ve discovered over the seasons is that nothing moves very quickly [in children’s wear],” said Fiona Coleman, senior editor of kids’ wear for WGSN, a London-based global trend forecasting service. “There’s a slower pace when it comes to kids’ fashion, and we’re finding that gives [manufacturers] time to evolve the trends more.”

This isn’t a bad thing, since long-lasting appeal gives shoppers more reason to invest in a piece, as they’re assured the style won’t be considered passé within months. And as a result, Coleman noted, designers can push the themes further, turning out styles that offer greater longevity and elevated interest.

Still, buyers obsessively searching for the latest fashion pulse won’t be left in the lurch. There is newness on the market; it just takes closer examination to find. Subtle evolutions—such as a switch from gold hardware to bronze, or to a new type of heather gray—should subliminally trigger consumers’ impulse to buy. And rest assured, Spring ’11 collections are offering heaps of cuteness, comfort and quality to keep your customers coming back for more.

Boho Babes

Mixed prints, exotic inspirations and a touch of tomboy are playing into this season’s twist on bohemian styling for girls, while boys’ wear absorbs the look, too. According to Khalym Schell, children’s editor for the trend forecasting firm Stylesight, last seasons’ entries are being updated with a retro or vintage spin. Clashing hues in unexpected combinations such as red, pink and green result in an explosion of color, she added. One of Schell’s favorites from the recent European shows was the collection from Belgian designer Dominique Ver Eecke, who used kitschy prints straight out of a retro kitchen or the pages of a Golden Book title. “I think she’s at the forefront of mixing and matching prints,” Schell said, describing the designer’s directional color pairings and distinctive dresses bearing oversized prints that resemble Norman Rockwell paintings.

For Coleman, this theme also embraces some rural, country looks, with checks, small florals and denims entering the mix. She noted that Fendi succeeded with this slant in its debut children’s collection for spring, which gave boho a preppy tweak. Isaac Maleh, merchandising director for Weeplay Kids, said Pastry’s spring collection also incorporates countrified mashups—look for dresses with bandanna prints in varied scales, plus sweet ginghams and ditsy-print florals, which appear in hoodie linings.

Sailing Away

A new spring season brings another tidal wave of nautical-themed apparel, but not all designers have taken the idea so literally. Coleman said brands like Little Paul and Joe, Calvin Klein and the Spanish label Pili Carrera are giving a nod to nautical roots, but increasingly they are taking liberties to make the concept their own. You’ll still see Breton stripes, gold buttons, rope
details and anchor motifs, she said, but the colors and shapes have changed. Mean-while, trompe l’oeil art continues to add a playful effect.

Pastry has followed in the footsteps of Jean Paul Gaultier, as Maleh noted its nautical grouping abandons the expected navy and red for shades of teal and berry. The brand is also going beyond cotton, offering woven seersuckers and adding fresh, fun details, like boat and anchor charms affixed to belt loops, which girls can later attach to bracelets. And rather than the expected sailor dress, Pastry is giving the popular romper silhouette the naval treatment, adding stripes and braided embellishments but not losing the label’s DNA. “You can always maintain the integrity and vision of a brand and still be trend right,” Maleh said.

Tailored Tots

Babywear straightens up for spring, thanks to classic silhouettes and a move away from complicated designs. “I feel [baby] is a little cleaner and not so overdone,” noted Christine Hinz, creative director for Tawil Associates’ Absorba line.

“More and more, baby is following the older kids,” said Coleman, adding that Simonetta and Roberto Cavalli are offering smart, dressed-up looks—think pint-sized polos and blazers—for the smallest of tots. The pinks and blues of basic layette take on pale retro shades, from blush pink to chambray blue, and feminine details have sprouted up in this category, largely in the form of ruffles, as seen at Guess Kids.

Nancy Sommer, creative director for Juicy Couture, another baby line from Tawil, noted that the popularity of women’s rompers means more creative freedom when dreaming up new one-piece styles for baby. The recent trend toward shoulder details has also trickled down, she said: “Of course we wouldn’t do shoulder pads, but we’ve styled things with more emphasis on the shoulder. You might see a longer ruffle on the sleeve, or a puffed sleeve—elements that are familiar in children’s wear but still give a nod to what’s happening in women’s fashion.”

Active Endeavors

For Lindsey Samuelson, the head designer for DKNY Boys by Parigi Group, active and tech-heavy looks will be the No. 1 trend. Guided by shapes and details that men’s and women’s designers sent down the runway during Fashion Week, along with material innovations from technical brands like Patagonia and The North Face, look for DKNY’s line to include an abundance of synthetics, transparencies, hot color pops and futuristic details. Windbreaker silhouettes and other light layering pieces will prove important, she predicted, while graphic references—think abstract geometric designs, pixilated prints and exaggerated plaids—will appeal to tech-minded kids.

Look for saturated colored denim to take a backseat to tinted jeans—grayish washes with a hint of color (Samuelson expects electric blue will be hot for boys)—while ripped up styles fade in favor of cleaner, streamlined versions. Schell believes doubled-up layers will be big—and that doesn’t stop with twofer tees. She’s noticed plentiful shirts with attached vest or cardigan pieces, and shorts layered over pants or tights.

Coleman said past seasons’ rock ‘n’ roll looks are being replaced by a slicker motorcross style, where padded knees and seams appear on neater slim silhouettes. This follows the direction of the men’s market, she added, noting the grunge trend is moving out. “Everyone wants to dress down but still look smart.”

Surf’s Up

Expect boys and girls alike to be riding a wave of neon brights, Hawaiian prints and surf motifs into next summer. From preppy polos and sophisticated jumpsuits to scruffier beach bum styles (what Schell calls “tacky tourist looks”), the concept combines Polynesian culture with ’90s hues in a tropical thunder.

“Color still drives this trend,” Coleman noted. Diesel and Sonia Rykiel chose can’t-miss fluorescents, while brands like Sarabanda brought flamingo pink even to boys’ styles, pairing the shade with denim for more masculine appeal. These brights come in several strengths: virtually eye-blinding, faded out for a lived-in effect or softened when offset by clean white. From exotic dresses to surfer-girl separates, designers are reviving dip-dye techniques and other fabric treatments from the 1990s, while screenprints highlighting surfboards, palm trees and hibiscus flowers will be omnipresent.

Feminine Wiles

Think pretty: Girls’ looks cater to little princesses with abundant frills and flounces. Sommer said playful feminine looks make up one of her top stories for the season, and she’s focused on movement with chiffon and soft knits, adding circular-cut ruffles for extra flair. Girly and sweet, white eyelet fabrics are popping up in styles for baby through size 14, both in trims and full dress bodies.

According to Coleman, brands have found ways to feminize even the most casual tops with luscious layers of silk and chiffon. She lauded Dutch brand Scotch & Soda’s new girls’ label, Scotch R’Belle, which is based on the women’s collection and offers beautiful styles for girls. Schell said some of her Italian favorites also went girly, with brands like Miss Blumarine and Miss Grant incorporating oversized pearls and rhinestones for maximum impact.

While dresses and tunics remain important pieces for girls, separates seem to be emerging once again. Coleman said this is coming from women’s designers, who have become increasingly focused on the waist (consider current ready-to-wear favorites like pegged pants, and flowy blouses paired with skirts or trousers). “This trend will take some time to come through on the commercial level, but we’re definitely seeing that the more forward-thinking brands are pushing it further,” Coleman noted.

Seeds of Inspiration

Just where do kids’ designers begin when cultivating a brand’s wardrobe for the new season? Here, there and everywhere. Take a look at what’s steering modern children’s wear:

Corporate Parents

Adult brands like Guess and Diesel blaze traild for their children’s counterparts (licensed out or not), and the colors, embellishments, treatments and details find their way into the smaller sizes. Overseas partners also help set the direction. “Season to season, Absorba France sends us their key silhouettes, and that informs a big part of our line,” noted Christine Hinz, creative director of Absorba at Tawil Associates.

Designer Runway Shows

Whether it’s active looks from Alexander Wang or Alexandre Herchcovitch’s blazing neon colors, cues are coming straight out of New York and Paris Fashion Weeks, where presentations paved the way for trickle-down trends like the boho look and abstract, geometric prints.

Foreign Markets

Innovation is imported thanks to showstoppers found at Playtime Paris and Pitti Bimbo, plus designers’ shopping trips abroad. Whether it’s Japanese women adopting kiddie looks or the delightfully clashing colors spotted in Copenhagen, U.S. brands are absorbing and twisting overseas style for their homeland.

Fashion Leaders

Several designers confessed to keeping close tabs on J.Crew’s Crewcuts collection for fresh ideas, while fast fashion retailers like H&M, Zara and Forever 21 present an onslaught of shapes, cuts and bodies that spark ideas. DKNY Boys designer Lindsey Samuelson said she looks to performance brands like The North Face, Nike and Patagonia, which always turn out cutting-edge fabrics, construction and technologies.

Pop Culture

Celebs (and their offspring) continue to provide fodder for kids’ brands, which seem to be catering to Shiloh Pitt’s
penchant for tomboy looks and Suri Cruz’s girly-girl taste for spring. But broader macro trends also play a role: For example, Samuelson suggested that the market’s new crop of pixilated patterns and digital imagery can be linked to the importance of technology in today’s world.

Street Style Blogs

When The Sartorialist and Face Hunter began hitting headlines, we knew it was only a matter of time before blogs like Planet Awesome Kid and Mini Hipster would start following the younger set. Designers agree that these sites provide easy access to key information about what kids are wearing now.

Springing Forward

Designers and trend forecasters rattle off the recent trends that failed to leave a lasting mark.

• The boyfriend jean didn’t really translate—on a small girl, it’s just a baggy jean. Capris and Bermuda shorts aren’t trending either. Instead, it’s all about the pegged pant or rolled-hem shorts. And the ‘shark tail’ [hem] is over. Everyone OD’d on it. —Isaac Maleh, merchandising director for Pastry Kids, Weeplay

• Dresses have been the biggest thing for girls in recent seasons, but now separates are becoming more important. We had expected to see loads of maxi dresses at market, since they were so strong in women’s last year, but you do get surprises. And I don’t think I’ve seen as many skulls this season, which is a miracle. —Fiona Coleman, senior editor of kids’ wear, WGSN

• On the denim front, rip-and-repair seams seem dated to me. And colored denim has made a shift—shades of gray are much more prevalent, sometimes with a slight color tint. —Lindsey Samuelson, head designer of DKNY Boys, Parigi Group

• Retailers were optimistic about the one-shoulder looks we tried last year, but they didn’t really perform. Another thing we’ve discovered is that, for our age group [0 to 24 months], drop waists are important, but the item can’t have a banded bottom. A band doesn’t stay in place if a child is crawling around or being picked up. Their figures just aren’t conducive to that silhouette. —Nancy Sommer, creative director for Juicy Couture Kids, Tawil Associates

• I definitely saw fewer tutus this season—or if I did see one, it was more of a layered, tutu-like skirt, with a hanky or eyelet hem. I’m happy we’ve evolved beyond tulle, still capturing that pretty skirt for girls but using more interesting fabrics. —Khalym Schell, children’s editor, Stylesight

—Leslie Shiers