School is starting and your kids want to look their best. Some are fine with jeans and T-shirts, others have to wear uniforms. Then, there are those children who want to be stylish and dress up to date with fashion trends for their age group. Sure, the big stores carry what’s hip and in this season, but for truly unique clothing the internet rules. Like most things we look for, online shopping is one way to go. It’s convenient, easy, and you can have your kids right by your side to choose their outfits. Sometimes it’s the parents who want their children dressed in the best. While the little ones nap, Mom can be online ordering their clothing. There aren’t many children’s clothing stores around, just a few, and if they are not in your neighborhood, you have to travel. The online industry is booming and two local moms decided to open online children’s clothing boutiques. Both very different, both very unique, both cater to girls. Maria Marcus has been involved in fashion all her life. A native of El Salvador, she wanted her daughter to wear hand smocked dresses, so she learned how to do hand smocking.
When friends began asking her to make outfits for their children, Maria knew she had something good. “I always had a passion for hand embroidery and good quality fabrics. I am very traditional, I like children to look like children, I love everything classic, so I wanted to create a line that was classic and timeless,” Maria said. Maria taught others how to make the clothing to help her with orders, then opened her first boutique; within two years she opened a second store and, as the business grew, she opened a factory which employed 60 people. Years later, she was exporting her line to the USA and Europe. On one of many business trips to New York, Maria met her second husband. She decided to marry, sold the business and started a new life in the U.S. “I was a housewife for several years.
When my children went to college I decided it was time to get back into the business. I went overseas to look for factories to manufacture the line, and that was how Little Threads was born,” Maria said. “I am very traditional, I like children to look like children, I love everything classic, so I wanted to create a line that was classic and timeless.” Maria also created a high end childrens line named Marco & Lizzy, after her grandson and daughter. On one of her trips to Peru she discovered Pima cotton. Maria decided she needed to create a baby line using the ultra soft fabric. A year and a half ago the online stores took off. You can visit the websites at www.marcoandlizzy.com and www.babythreadslt.com.