Press Release

What are we doing to our little Girls?!

Online store www.nectarina.co.uk calls for parents to stop dressing their daughters like little adults, as they launch their smocked dresses range.

Online baby girl and toddler clothing store Nectarina Baby & Tot is calling for parents to dress their daughters like little girls, and not like mini adults, as they prepare to launch a new range of smocked dresses on August 26th . The company, which is well known for their continental style girl dresses and shoes, is taking a step further with their Autumn–Winter 2008 collection, by reintroducing the smocked dress for little girls as the season must-have. 

Lola González, Sales and Marketing Director and creator of Nectarina, explains their decision to bring the traditional style in baby girl clothes back to fashion: “We believe there is a high demand for traditional style dresses and shoes for little girls in the UK. High Street shops are full of mini versions of adult’s clothes and it is virtually impossible to find proper girl dresses, the way they used to be. I was browsing a well known shop the other day and I was horrified to find a top with skulls all over it and the slogan “Rock Chick” on it. It was for a three year old. It feels like we are depriving our little girls of their infancy. If we treat three-year-olds as “rock chicks”, are we surprised that they start behaving like teenagers at 8 or that they get pregnant at 12? Little girls don’t behave like girls any more. It is such a shame. ”

The company, which imports traditional style dresses and shoes from small family-owned factories in Spain, was pleasantly surprised with the warm reception their products have had in the UK. “We have had so much praise from our customers” continues Mrs González, “they all tell us how difficult it is to find traditional style clothes for their daughters and how delighted they are with our products. We already have a waiting list for the smocked dresses. ”

Their decision to bring back the traditional smocked dress hasn’t been an easy one. “There is a lot of misconception about smocked dresses and traditional children clothing in general”, says Lola, who found inspiration for the shop in her one year old daughter. “People think of old fashioned puffed sleeved dresses, boring pastels, too many frills... But the fact is that the designs are contemporary, the colours are fashionable, and they follow the latest trends in children wear. Our providers have a very good reputation in Europe for offering excellent quality and design. We are very privileged to be able to offer their products to the UK market. “

Mrs González wants to change the way UK mothers think when buying clothes for their young daughters. “You don’t need a special occasion to dress your girl in a pretty dress. I don’t see anything wrong with little girls wearing jeans and t-shirts to go to the playground, but there are so many others occasions when they can be dressed smart without going over the top. Our dresses and shoes can be worn every day, for a birthday party, a walk in the park, a family gathering. They are pretty and girly without being too dressy.”

The company’s range of smocked dresses, which will be launched on August 26^th, is a taste of their Autumn-Winter 2008 collection. A range of non-smocked dresses, in line with their previous summer collection, as well as winter shoes, will be available in September. 

For additional information and pictures of Nectarina’s products, please contact Lola González or visit www.nectarina.co.uk .

ABOUT NECTARINA: Nectarina was created by Lola González after the unsuccessful search for traditional style baby clothes in the High Street when she was pregnant with her baby daughter. Being originally from Spain, she was disappointed with the UK High Street offering and missed the stylish and traditional looking baby girl dresses available in her country.  She decided to bring to the UK what she was missing from home, so after contacting several Spanish providers, she started importing dresses and shoes and selling them on her website.

Nectarina currently offers dresses, cardigans, socks and shoes for girls aged 0 to 3. The company plans to increase their age range in 2009 and to introduce boys’ clothes by 2010.