[Disclosure of Material Connection: Babiekins Magazine received complimentary clothing from Mondan in exchange for this post. Babiekins personally hand-selected each of the editor’s pick products featured here, and was not required to write a positive review or feature specific items. Babiekins also received complimentary zoo admission, courtesy of the Nashville Zoo.]
Summer fashion is a tricky thing, isn’t it? If the advertisements are to be believed, everyone spends summer cavorting on tropical isles, in a magical land of endless sun. But the truth is, summer also has its fair share of thunderstorms, chilly nights — and, sometimes — downright gloom. So it only makes sense that summer fashion should follow suit with styles for all summer weather situations, not just beach-level heat.
When we moved to Nashville, people warned us the summer weather would be as hot as Nashville’s famous hot chicken. But since we moved from the subtropics, we’re actually finding middle Tennessee’s weather to be a lot more varied than the predictable tropical heat we left behind. And varied weather means varied wardrobe choices. Plus, we now have an actual autumn to look forward to — even more clothing options.
When I browse the imported kids’ styles from Mondan (say: mon-DAHN), it makes me happy because they celebrate a wider view of summer than a narrow beach-only outlook. And that’s real life!
First of all, we have to talk about the Mondan dress my daughter wore to the Nashville Zoo last week! (You can see it in all the photos above.) The dress is inspired by the classic striped shirt you might find in the menswear section, but is peppered with bursts of embroidered, primary-color building bricks — you know, LEGO bricks! And I love the drop-waist ruffle. It’s the perfectly unexpected balance of preppy and quirky — and the lightweight cotton is the ideal keep-cool fabric for hot, humid days. (And perfect for petting kangaroos, too.)
But not all days push the temperature boundaries. So let’s tackle the rest of my editor’s picks — my top selections for the season from Mondan:
Every summer wardrobe needs a flannel for spontaneous smores around the campfire, right? And this one is screamin’ yellow — no traditional red or monochromatic buffalo check here.
Look at this darling school-girl skirt! I like to break up the textural monotony of summer wardrobes and make sure every mid-year closet has unexpected bursts of texture — like this plaid skirt — to pair with lighter pieces.
Lastly, have you ever seen red suit pants like this? These incomparable trousers are a paper-bag style, with a high waist that cinches to create a ruffle. Pure magic! (See them on my daughter here, during a visit to the Adventure Science Center in Nashville.) Mondan carries girls’ suit pants in navy, and has matching blazers for each, too.
My favorite thing about the garments Mondan stocks? They function like basics (e.g., solid color bottoms) but every single one of them has a twist! Functional, practical, but at the same time there’s still a sense of elevated style. I love that. And I know you will too, based on how many strangers walk up to us and comment on these clothes every single time we go out!
Head over to Mondan and shop contemporary girl’s clothes. Don’t forget to follow @Mondankids on Instagram, too!