Dressing Avery Fall/Winter || Cary Randolph

 Cary Randolph

Is there anything Cary Randolph can't do? From her contributions on Selectism and Guest of a Guest to her Dress Code feature on Unabashedly Prep, Cary's impeccable sense of style is something to behold. Her blog,  Fresh Every Day, is a personal favorite of mine; so you can only imagine how excited I was to have her contribute to Dressing Avery.

When Skip asked me to "dress" his sweet girl Avery, I was immediately transported back to the closet of my earliest years - a hand-painted dresser stuffed with smocked and collared dresses that survived the wear and tear of myself, my two little sisters, and in some cases, our mother before us. These tiny frocks came mainly from Kelly's Kids and the Saint Louis Women's Exchange, and that's where I turned first to dress Avery. The Women's Exchange has long been famous for its "cherry" clothes - a hand-sew collection that is made right here in Missouri and worn the world over. Mrs. Jacqueline Kennedy dressed Caroline and John John in the original cherry dress and boys' romper, cementing their reputation as staples for the Old Guard and new preppies alike.

This little white cardigan would look very smart on Avery in these colder months.
 http://www.woexstl.org/cherry_dress.html.

With black tights and little red Mary-Janes, this A-line dress would also work for the holidays. Top it all off with a big red hair bow. http://www.woexstl.org/girls.html

For more information on the St. Louis Women's Exchange and the cherry dress tradition, check out this article published a few years back in the New York Times.

Equally revered by preppy parents is Kelly's Kids. This brand is like the Avon of children's wear: sartorially-minded mothers become reps and throw parties at which other mothers shop. The duds are so timeless that today's options are nearly indiscernible from those I wore nearly thirty years ago, and they are often identified by their slew of coordinating separates and that tell-tale mark of Wasp-dom, the customized monogram.

Baby blue may be traditionally reserved for boys, but I think that Avery would look amazing in this floral romper, giving sweet new meaning to the term "winter blues". A matching hair bow and turtleneck will ensure that she's the sharpest baby on the block.

Looking ahead to the holidays, this party dress will keep Avery all plaid out (get it?) with tin soldier smocking. This is the kind of dress I wore as a baby and the kind I will pass down to my own daughters.

And to get her started early on the go-to-hell pant, this matching plaid bloomer is tops. (Surprise! Alex gets go-to-hell pants too with a red lining that will pop when he rolls his cuffs, just like Dad.) Pair them both with matching (monogrammed) red turtlenecks. Is there anything cuter than a kid in a turtleneck?

A good shopping trip wouldn't be complete without a trip to Ralph Lauren, where I squealed audibly upon discovering this fantastic reindeer babydoll cardigan. Avery absolutely has to have this, and the look won't be complete without the matching earflap hat and mittens.

If Avery gets a mysterious package from a Rhode Island address, you can bet that it's from me and inside will be this buffalo check quilted and fleece-lined snow boot. Get them started early on the RL love, Skip. (Also, why don't they make this shoe in grown-up sizes? It would be a best-seller!)

//CRF