Baby clothing market takes upward swing

Baby Gap isn't good enough for one children's clothing consignment sale that starts today.

At the Upscale Resale in Holly Springs a pink romper with embroidered ballerinas that originally cost $60 is on sale for $24. A $70 smocked dress with embroidered snowmen is tagged at $35. A bargain here can cost twice as much as an outfit at a store like Target.

Organizers Toni Carpenter and Katy Williams think that plenty of people will show up to the sale at Carpenter's house, where parents bring in clothing and get a percentage of the take. Not everyone can afford to clothe their 18-month-old in silk dresses, hand-embroidered rompers or organic cotton onesies. But a growing number of families can.

The sale this weekend, along with plans to open or expand three children's boutiques in the next four months, are the latest signs that some Triangle parents are increasingly willing and able to spend big on their kids.

"Everybody is really excited. [They say] 'I'm so glad. We needed this,' " Carpenter said of the consignment sale.

The number of Triangle families earning $200,000 or more grew by nearly 60 percent from 2000 to 2005, according to estimates by the U.S. Census, just as families earning $20,000 to $25,000 grew by nearly 20 percent.

At the same time, the number of children under 5 has grown by 26 percent, compared with the Triangle's total population growth of 10.5 percent. And some Triangle women are waiting longer to have children, which means many have more money to spend on the new baby. From 2003 to 2004, married new mothers aged 35 to 50 grew by nearly 40 percent, according to the Census. In some cases, they spent their professional lives elsewhere, working or traveling to bigger cities where they found the kinds of high-end boutiques that are now growing in Raleigh.

"They've been in the work force, usually professional," said Pamela Turner, co-owner of Durham's Simply Spoiled. "They have more discretionary income."

Retailers are taking advantage of the trends.

Simply Spoiled reports double-digit sales growth since opening in 2005. Dilly Dally, a high-end shop in North Raleigh, can't keep $800 strollers in stock.

"We have to special order because every time we get them in, they're gone," said owner Angela Sikes Krause of the Bugaboo stroller.

Penny Ashley-Lawrence and Gina DeFrank of Raleigh met a year ago at their daughters' school. About 45 days later, they decided to open a children's store together. Moxie Kids opens Aug. 16 in Cameron Village.

Ashley-Lawrence and DeFrank said they admired the clothes the other dressed their daughters in. And they'd lament how difficult it was to find trendy clothes in the Triangle. The women shop online or buy clothes when they visit larger cities such as New York.

Moxie Kids will feature a range of European and U.S. designers, including several from Raleigh.

On the racks are clothes that a mom might want to wear herself, including a pink dress with a twirly skirt made by San Francisco-based ses petites mains that will be featured on the cover of next month's Parenting magazine. The corduroy version will be priced at $82 at Moxie Kids.

Also on the floor are natural wood, modern-styled high chairs and toys made by Svan. "We're just trying to do really beautiful things," DeFrank said.

In Cameron Village, Moxie Kids will be joined by Beanie + Cecil Baby in December, which will sell contemporary-styled clothing and furnishings for babies and young children.

Beanie + Cecil Baby will move into the spot that is home to Oh Baby!, a shop for baby and young children.