Aside from offering attractive proof that everything old is new again, these togs have style and craftsmanship that reflect the small-scale environment in which they are made. Angela Devine, whose studio is on her property in Livingston, Montana, sews all her pieces herself and digs up most of her natural wool and cotton fabrics in church-basement sales, antiques stores, and rummage sales. ("I feel like a squirrel, collecting this stuff," she says.) The results have a luxurious texture and one-of-a-kind feel. "I like to be able to touch fabrics, to know how they'll wash and wear," says Devine. Stephanie Scarpulla, of Bluebird in San Francisco, has worked with the same seamstress for years: "I know her whole family, and I never have to check production," she says.
Perhaps the most American thing about these clothes is their melting-pot array of influences. "I get inspired by fabrics," says Ellen Massee, founder of Los Angeles–based Entertaining Elephants, who decided on a career change after trying to balance nursing her daughter and waking up at 4 a.m. for her job designing movie sets. "Almost all my colors come from India, and I recently fell in love with these beautiful stripes at Bon Marché in Paris." Lowry gets her textiles from Spain: "We like the European color sensibility; it's a little more sophisticated." Yet a child wearing her clothes—or any of those shown here—never has to feel like anything but a child. And that's something we can all feel good about.
More American designers we love:Department stores and retailers may not consistently carry small, independent vendors; please call ahead to find out if they are currently stocking your desired designer.
- Mor Mor Rita, mormorrita.com
- Burwell, available at Barney's New York; (212) 826-8900
- Albert, available at modernchild.com
- Dagmar Daley, dagmardaley.com, available at Love;
(203) 422-0900
