Mid-July, and we know you're up to your elbows in brightly-hued beach towels, melting popsicles, and criss-crossed summer camp schedules. But here's a little secret: back-to-school shipments are already coming in weekly with Mike the UPS man, and the bulk of our deliveries will be on the racks in the next four weeks.

So what's on the menu for Autumn / Winter 2014? Every season we watch in delight as themes emerge from the broad range of lines we carry, and this season the trends are extra clear, and extra special. We're heading into a season full of cozy knits, new just-for-the-kids denim, prints and graphic inspired by whimsical woodland creatures, and more than a few bright pops of metallic shine.



Our young customers fill their imaginary worlds with an astonishing cast of fanciful creatures, and this season many designers chose to celebrate these joyful beasts in their prints and graphics. Egg Baby, a seasonal favorite for their snugly knits, have woven all sorts of magical animals into their designs (and wait 'til you see Winter Water Factory's polar bear print!). 



Look out, world: the kids have discovered denim, and they're not giving it back. From Tea Collection's grand-slam puffy denim vest and first-ever jean jacket to Pink Chicken's soft chambray Kennedy Dress, children's designer have made denim fresh and kid-friendly.
 



And as for those tiny feet? Elizabeth got starry-eyed at the Easy Peasy booth (can you blame her?) and we'll have stacks of their buttery-soft leather baby shoes coming in from France, all sprinkled with shine and doused with whimsy. (Baby's first steps ARE a work of magic, after all.)


Livie and Luca, a local shoe line and perennial Fiddlesticks favorite, has also fallen for woodland critters this season: we've picked up their new Hedgie to keep our best-selling Fox company (along with a few other surprises). 


Shine, shine, SHINE! They do it every day, and this season we're celebrating that with a shop packed full of our best buy yet (including quite a few glints and gleams of metallic glam, like those knock-out Pink Chicken Leggings above). Autumn / Winter 2014, here we come! 

P.S.
Join us here on our Autumn Trends Pinterest board for more dreaming...

Labels: Boys Clothing, Fall / Winter, Girls Clothing, Trends

Welcome back. Back to fresh notebooks and sharp pencils. Back to new clothes and shiny shoes. Back to growing minds in the classroom and making friends at recess. Back to School, of course!

Here are our top five Back-to-School must-haves at Fiddlesticks!


Quirky, durable, and 100% kid-pleasing, Dante Beatrix delivers a fresh new batch of bags for a fresh new school year.




Rise and shine! We've got a menagerie of animal alarm clocks to choose from: how about a ribbiting frog, a chirping red bird, or a giggling raccoon to help tug sleepy heads out of dreamland? (Our favorite is the clip-clopping purple unicorn, of course.)


Eco-Friendly Lunch Gear


Here's one you might want to snag for yourself: totally reusable lunch tins and snack bags. Fill with something delicious, send them off with hungry munchkins, toss them in the dishwasher, and repeat! Perfect for school lunches, picnics, backseat snacks, airplane trips...

For us here at Fiddlesticks, it was always stocking up on fresh new school supplies that marked the transition to a new year at school, so we made sure to gather up some goodies for this year's back-to-schoolers. Goldfish pencil sharpeners, ice cream cone pens, metallic colored pencils, rocketship pencil toppers, robot erasers (with removable limbs!)...now we almost want to go back to school, too!




One more that's too good not to mention: we are SUPER excited to be carrying the I-Wood! It's a laptop, done Fiddlesticks style: smooth wood exterior, and inside, instead of a screen and keyboard, two blackboards (and plenty of chalk). Perfect for getting some serious work done - like practicing 2+2=4, or drawing superheros, of course.


We wish you and your favorite little academics a wonderful start to the school year! See you soon!

Labels: back to school, Toys, Trends

 
Ever feel like boys’ clothing gets lost in the crowd? This season, join the Brights for Boys Revolution! A pop here and a splash there is all you need: For a true Fiddlesticks look, pair electric blue Bakker Made with Love corduroy skinny pants with a bright orange puffy vest by Morgan and Milo – worn open over the Slow Loris graphic tee from Nano Baby, of course. Find neon detailing on sneakers for little feet, and cozy hoodies in bright hues: it's going to be a good season!


Accessories, Accessories, Accessories
 
 


FOR THE BABIES:

 We can't wait to unpack all the boxes headed our way! 


Be sure to check out (fledgling!) Pinterest to see more of what's inspiring us this fall!

Labels: Boys Clothing, Fall / Winter, Girls Clothing, Girls Dresses, Trends

I just finished my big trip to NYC for the fall clothing buying trip. And while fall seems super far off (I know we are just starting to figure out summer plans)...there is a lot to be excited about.

A few emerging trends I spotted:
- The color rose seems to be consistent with all the designers. Vintage washed rose leather Mary Jane shoes to long sweaters and stripes in dresses - the color rose is replacing last fall's bright pink.
- Grey is still prevalent, but khaki is starting to make a statement as an accent color. Especially when black is involved. Jury is still out a bit on khaki, as we still adore our accent as grey.
- Our boys will be a bit more urban & hip this fall, from graphic tees to the pants being cut a bit more slim.

And without divulging all our secrets, here are a few things I am pretty excited to introduce at Fiddlesticks in the fall....

One of the BEST boy button down shirts I have seen in a long time!



Fingerless gloves! These are coming from one of my FAVORITE new brands that I just discovered. Wait til you see all their goodies...I fell in love instantly, and know you will too.



Outerwear, outerwear, and more outerwear. You keep asking, this fall I am promising to deliver.



Ties now at Fiddlesticks.



We have carried Neige for years. And this is by far my most favorite season from them - from color to design to quality, it's just spot on. Wait til you see the cashmere sweater, it will make you want one in your size!



Love, love and absolutely LOVE!



Back-to-school, we can't wait! Fall starts delivering to Fiddlesticks beginning to mid-July. Stay tuned.

Labels: Trends