Spring and Summer are my favorite times in the year because they hold such promise for new life. A recent visit to a local nursery got us so excited for the gardens we will plant with our own kids! 

Ernest Hemingway once said, "There is no friend as loyal as a book."

We would have to agree! What are your favorte books to read with your girls?

In honor of Mothers Day, we have listed our top 5 favorite books to read with the little miss in your life.

1. Mama, Do You Love Me? by Barbara M. Joosse and Barbara Lavallee  

2. Wherever You Are, My Love Will Find You by Nancy Tillman  

3. Love You Forever by Robert Munsch and Sheila McGraw  

4. If Kisses Were Colors By Janet Lawler

5. My Mom Is Magical By Sabrina Moyle

Leave a comment with your favorite books to read and tell us why!

Styled for summer fun, we love Olivia in this retro look!  Can't you just see her strutting down the boardwalk or turning heads at a resort?  The green Young Soles sandals are a perfect match and the whole look comes together with oversized sunnies and her vintagey woven purse. 

Berkeley is ready to hit the park in style in her Botany paired with green and yellow Saucony sneakers!  

Botany also looks amazing styled with purple and orange, like on sweet little Alina.  It's vintage silhouette looks amazing with a cardigan and knee socks, creating a classic looks with a modern vibe.  

We always love seeing how you have styled your Bijou!  Be sure to join in the fun in our Facebook group, The Mane Bijou BST and on Instagram @bijousuavage.  And don't miss the Rhythm and Blues Frankie Collection Tuesday, May 15th at 8pm CST. 

I was looking through our Bijou pieces and one of my favorites caught my eye! Tequila Sunrise Maddox from the Mixology Collection. Paired with a festively trimmed straw hat, sunglasses and a some fancy fringe sandals....I believe Harlow will be ready to celebrate in style! I wish I had a sombrero, but man this was almost as cute!

Holidays always imply fabulous food paired along with the celebrations! I am not sure about you but my family loves a variety of Mexican dishes; especially chicken tacos! One of our very favorites! You also can utilize the chicken for so many things if you don’t use it all up. I usually always double  the recipe to meal prep for other dishes throughout the week. We tend to lead a busy life like most of my other friends! I tend to use my crockpot as a staple, especially on the weekends! Here is what you need to make shredded chicken tacos in the crock pot:

2lbs Chicken Tacos
1/8 cup Olive Oil
2 cups salsa or Taco sauce if you have picky no chunk/green stuff kiddos ❤️
3 tablespoons taco seasoning
Light salt and pepper
Add fresh cilantro chopped up if you have some!
* I chop a handful or so and toss it on top

Directions:
Turn on Crockpot on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours
Add olive oil
Add chicken
Season with salt and pepper both sides 
Sprinkle Taco Seasoning on both sides
Top with Salsa and Cilantro
*I add  1/4 cup water or chicken broth for a little extra moisture, I don’t like anything to get dried out! Extra salsa also never hurts!

Cover *  Cook * Shred * Serve

Tequila Sunrise Maddox
Hat and Sunglasses Gap
Leather Fringe Sandals: Canton, TX

images and styling @nllm

Spring should be filled with barefoot children chasing the golden sun! I recently visited a friends farm and got to meet their newest goat baby born only two weeks before. Watching the children learn from seeing and grow from being present ( like the magical moment when a baby goat is born) is what I currently craving. 

Childhood is so magical and I love when we can keep it innocent and fun. 

Do you have any memories of visiting a farm when you were younger? How about taking your kids to one? What was their favorite part of visiting?

Dresses: Pink Ladies and Crazy For You

Fabrics and prints always feel like a certain style to us - if we find something we love, we can usually say immediately “oh that’s a Maddox” or “definitely a Frankie”.  What we end up with is a Collection of prints that have absolutely no cohesion or anything in common from one to the next.  I will venture to say theming a collection and naming our dresses is the most challenging stage of the process for us, because we place a lot of importance on this piece of the puzzle.   We essentially back our way into a theme that ties all of the different fabrics together, after the dresses are finished. 

There’s usually one fabric in each collection that is a jumping point.  Take Derby Dolls, for example, the skates dress was a really fun commissioned print, and an obvious starting point for a Roller Derby theme.   We could easily come up with three other fun names that fit the prints and voila - we have a collection.  Others are much more challenging. 

Thinking back, I think the British Invasion Maverick Collection was one of our most difficult.  We had fairytale critters in a meadow, Brazilian wish bracelets, Blue Lexington Floral, and bugs.  Uhmmmmmm. Like zero in common.  We all obsess over it, too.  It’s like the crossword you can’t solve, or the thing you forgot you were trying to say.  We ventured from Woodstock, to the supernatural, to groovy 70s slang.  All we really had was the Beatles, I mean how could you name that dress anything but?!  We throw ideas back and forth for days, via text.  I will get a random text “I will Survive!” and then nothing else.  Or “It’s really pretty, buy it” as a suggestion for a name.  It really is one of my favorite phases in the launch.  It requires a lot of brainstorming and thought, and thinking outside the box…and results in a lot of really funny - often inappropriate suggestions.    

We can usually get 3 of the 4 to work together, fairly easily, then there’s that one.  The bad kid.  Everyone knows who I’m talking about.  It just won’t fit or click with the others.  We can’t squeeze even a “close enough” name out, or it’s really a stretch.  At this point, we abandon the three names we love and start over with the challenging Kid.  Who are the assholes?  Lets see if I can name them from some collections… Do - Re -Mermaid (Von Trapp), Pandora (Mt. Olympus), Chelsea (Big Apple), These aren’t Roses (Wonderland), The Darlings (Hooked)… y’all get my drift.  They are just a bit of a stretch, even when we call it good (enough).

When all of the prints and dresses click and come together… it’s really satisfying.  The Hooked Collection was really diverse - mushrooms, a plaid, an animal print, a landscape and an eclectic novelty print with butterflies, mirrors and tiaras.  It was really difficult to make them all jive together, and we struggled for quite a while on that one.  With the help of some of our closest brain trusts, Peter Pan was born, and naming it Hooked was just so clever and Punny - I mean who isn’t hooked on Mav?! 

Speaking of Punny - y’all have probably noticed we LOVE a good Pun or idiom for our dress names.  It is a way for us to sometimes tie a collection together when we have nothing to really go on besides color, or complete randomness, and it's super fun to do.  Mixology, Skyler, the oh so famous Frankie collection with “bot” names… all relied on a clever play on words to create cohesion.  My favorite Collection theme to date was probably the Darcy Collection, Hopelessly Devoted, where we called on some of the most (in)famous couples from history and added some fun word play as well.  Bon Bon & Clyde is one of my favorite dress names ever! 

We also love when we get the customers involved in a friendly naming contest.  How Fun was the 2016 Halloween Collection?!  You guys are brilliant and often come up with names we never thought of or considered.   A collection of pieces named for Fashion Icons with punny spooky twists - absolutely brilliant - and the Collection name, "Vanity Scare", icing on the cake!  I am beyond excited to see what you guys come up with for the Next Reese Collection, "Pardon My French!" 

Please join us on The Mane BST on Facebook for a chance to win the naming contest and recieve a Cart Pass for an upcoming Collection!  Contest ends Thursday, April 19, 2018 @ 8pm CST!  Good Luck and Have Fun!

XOXO,

Kris

(click image above to follow this adorable family on instagram!)

Harlow (5) and sister Rowynn (7) are inseparable sisters that share the love for fashion and a love for Bijou Sauvage!

Since it's national siblings day, we thought it would be fun to interview them on what they love about each other!

Harlow :5 years old

{Q} My favorite thing to do with my sister is

{A} Play together and do lots of art together. 

{Q} I dislike when my sister

{A} Pinches me or takes away my stuff from me. 

{Q} When My sister grows up I think she will be

{A} Fun and she will be a vet! 

{Q} A funny story about my sister is

{A} when she was skating around the kitchen in her hockey gear and she fell on her booty butt and spun around....it was super funny. 

{Q} I like to ____ with my sister

{A} Laugh

---

Rowynn: 7 years old

{Q} My favorite thing to with my sister is

{A} Hangout 

{Q} I dislike when my sister does

{A} Steals the pink bowl from me at breakfast

{Q} When My sister grows up I think she will be

{A} six years old.....oh for a job a doctor or dentist. 

{Q} A funny story about my sister is

{A} When she ran down the dock naked with just a life jacket on! 

{Q} I like to ____ with my sister

{A} Play 

Sweet Stella simply added a bright pair of fun sandals for an easy and eyecatching summer look.  

 I love pairing a fun pair of sneakers with a beautiful dress, like adorable little Lucy here.  It is a whimsical look that keeps her ready for fun and adventure.

 This is such lovely layering on Aaralyn.  Reese layers wonderfully with cardigans since it has no sleeves to get in the way and it is a great way to add a pop of color.  The matching Hunter boots and comfy tights give the outfit a put together look perfect for cooler days.  

I always love seeing how you have styled your Bijou!  Make sure you join us to share photos and join the fun on our Facebook group, The Mane Bijou BST, and use #bijoubeepic when posting on social media for a chance to be featured. 

Make sure you join our Facebook group, The Mane Bijou, to play along in our next round of styled 3 ways, share your Bijou style, and join in all the fun.  

Download the PDF here, print it out and then hand them to someone you admire!

Be sure to tag us on instagram with #bijoubeepic so we can see your Valentine's day fun!

When our dear friend Ana told us the story of Caximba, we felt a need to do all we could to help these precious kids and families.  Caximba exists on a landfill at the edge of Paraná state’s capital city of Curitiba. Because the township was built up around the landfill without permission, Caximba residents are not acknowledged by Curitiba officials. City services and electricity are non-existent; access to transportation and clean water is extremely limited. For the children in this under-served community, the counseling, food, and shelter offered by Amigos do Caximba provides a welcome refuge away from a life of drugs, prostitution, and crime.

We knew a partnership with Amigos do Caximba would give our work as designers a purpose beyond fashion and empowerment. We have been inspired not only by our own strong daughters and every girl in our Bijou Sauvage community, but by the girls of Caximba as well.  We believe every girl deserves a safe place, access to an education, and the self-confidence which comes from feeling powerful and beautiful. Working alongside Amigos do Caximba with educational support and clothing donations was an easy decision for us, and we are so proud to play a part in this movement. Every child deserves the same opportunities regardless of race, color, sex, class, age, or country, and we believe we can all do our part. Whether the action is seen as large or small, each positive action shines a light and lifts a burden, creating opportunity and hope.  

We feel honored to donate funds to expand Amigos do Caximba, a library and community center for youth in the impoverished Caximba neighborhood in Curitiba, Brazil. The funds will support a much needed construction project, enabling Amigos do Caximba to build two classrooms, two restrooms, and a roof. The Bijou Sauvage donation will also allow the center to purchase books and other learning materials for the library.

We are inspired by the work begun by Edilaine Lima, a Caximba local, who opened her home as a shelter for local youth. Now, after helping more than four hundred children, Edilaine’s Amigos do Caximba safe haven has outgrown her home.  She continues to provide meals, counseling, and activities for children from a building nearby.

In addition to the construction fund, we were also able to provided more than $56,000 worth of dresses to help clothe the girls of Caximba. Our vision expands beyond girls’ dresses into community empowerment, especially the idea of raising girls to be strong, independent women.  We are humbled by the opportunity we have been given to help better lives of those living in Caximba.

Love, 

The Bijou Sauvage Family

Friday was a really special day for me, Kris and our families. My daughter Scout graduated. She is four years old and has attended the Melinda Webb School at the Center for Hearing and Speech in Houston since she was diagnosed with Auditory Neuropathy at 18 months old.  For the first 6 months, Scout wore hearing aids and following her second birthday, she received her cochlear implant.

Scout's transformation after the implant has been miraculous. Most of you know Scout from her photos or what we have shared over the last few years as an outgoing, bright and happy little girl.  She is so full of life and radiates joy even in still images.  However, prior to her implant, she could only say four words and only sometimes. Knock knock. Open. Cookie. Kitty. That was it. After 6 months of intense speech therapy, that was all we could get from her.  She was withdrawn. She wouldn’t make eye contact. She was isolated. She wouldn’t interact with new children or adults.  She was very delayed in motor skills and regular childhood developmental milestones.  She just couldn’t connect.  After her implant, it was literally like night and day the changes we all saw.  Just a week after her activation, she was starting to talk.  I remember going into speech and Amy (Scout’s speech therapist) asked us, “So how's it going?” My response, “Well she’s talking...” kind of blew her away.  We got out Scout's favorite book Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See? and she repeated back all the names of the animals and the sounds they make.  I can still hear her sweet little voice now.  The memory is so vivid.  I think I knew then that something special was going on.  It was the beginning of something that is awe inspiring to witness.  She learned language at such a fast rate we couldn’t keep up.  I don't even know sometimes where she picks up the words she knows.  She still catches me off-guard when she delivers a new word in perfect context.  All along, Scout's gifted ability for language acquisition was lost with her inability to hear or understand what was being said to her.  Once that world was opened up to her, she took off and has never looked back.  Her speech level is that of an almost 7 year-old and she is in the 98^th percentile for vocabulary acquisition, expressive and receptive language.  She is all caught up to her peers in every way and she is just so HAPPY.  She has literally come alive right before our eyes.

I get a lot of credit for how far she has come, and I promise I am not being humble when I say that I don't deserve it.  I give 100% credit to Scout and the Center.  Her success and development, her ability, her gift is all due to their hard work.  Without the center we would have been lost.  What they do for children with hearing loss is astounding.  We are so thankful that this place exists and Bijou will continue to champion their efforts and support it.  Scout will continue visiting once a month for speech therapy and her mapping and audiology services. We just cannot see ourselves anywhere else.  We both have made lifelong friendships there and we are both so grateful.

We cannot wait to see where Scout’s journey takes her.  She has been accepted to a very prestigious and challenging school next year and I know she will thrive in a demanding academic environment.  She started summer camp this morning and the theme for the week is “Seasons”.  How appropriate as we close one chapter and embark on the next one in her journey.  I told her this morning as we were walking out of the house and she was so excited, “OH! Yay! Like summer, spring, winter and fall?!” and then she started singing a song she learned at the Center about seasons. "Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall. There are seasons four in all. Weather changes, sun and rain and snow, leaves fall down and flowers grow." I just kept the radio off and let her serenade me as we drove to camp.  Her voice is just magical for me.  As we walked in she was nervous.  I haven't seen her that way in some time.  This was a new school. This was the first day.  A new season.  She gave me a tight hug.  You could see a little apprehension. “I’ll be here right after work to pick you up okay?”.  You can see her get brave.  The moment it happens.  She’s ready. “Okay mommy see you after work”.  She is resolved.  She turns around and walks right in where the kids were already running around the gym waiting for their day to start.  New teachers.  New friends.  New faces.  And she jumped right in and found her stride along side them.  Gone is the little girl that wouldn't look you in the eye and was scared of new people.  Scout is fearless and brave and strong.  She is a force.  There is nothing she cannot do.  She will move mountains.  

XOXO,

Tammy

We hope you all had a wonderful holiday season with your friends and families.  I don't know about ya'll but I'm having some major sugar withdrawals and dreading the extra hours I earned in the gym over the last few weeks. I am also having Bijou withdrawals.  Tammy and I enjoyed our time away, but are elated to enter 2017, and excited to be back in business this week with the release of our new Ryan collection.  

Our Ryan dresses come to us from a new production team...don't worry we aren't planning to change from our old team - they are incredible...it was just a new growth opportunity for us to try and increase our production capabilities.  With any new team comes new personalities and growing pains and learning curves...It's very much like dating a new person and stumbling through and figuring out new processes -- learning each other.   The quality on these dresses is impeccable. It is what we expect and what you guys have come to expect from us.  The issue is in the pattern grading/cutting.  There was obviously miscommunication between all of the moving parts, and they just aren't consistent or up to our standard in measurements.   

I'm super bummed that our sizing isn't perfect on these, we worked so hard on this collection and perfecting the pattern, it's impossible to not be disappointed when it isn't just perfect.  Despite all that, the collection is still very beautiful and we are excited and proud to share it.  I don't know if I have a favorite, but Casterly rock epitomizes Bijou Sauvage for me and might be ahead of the pack by just a titch.  The entire collection offers fresh new fabrics, a new silhouette I adore, and we hope they do not disappoint.  

 We have so many exciting plans and new goals and challenges for ourselves and our little company in the coming year.   We are only a few short months away from celebrating our one year anniversary since we launched our first piece ...can you guys believe it has been a year since sweet Charlie?!  I can't.  

Tammy and I came to a tough decision recently to change our return policy across the board starting with this next release.  We are one of the few boutiques around that offer a return policy and we have come to understand why most don't.  Preparing for every release takes weeks, between running QC, doing inventory, measurements, size charts, tagging, bagging, photoshoots, marketing... It's a ton of work.  Not to mention the time we spend packaging and shipping all the lovelies out to you guys.  Once we release a garment or collection, we are already prepping the next.  We don't get a ton of returns, honestly, but any at all is just getting to be too much work on top of our growing loads.  We essentially have to "re-do" all the work we did prior to its initial sale to get it ready to sell again, and then re-ship, etc.  Effective as of Jan 1, all sales will be considered final (not just on our Discount Den items) - exchanges will not be available, cancellations will not be made, and we will no longer be accepting returns.  We hope you all can understand our decision and we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. 

Here's to 2017, we cant wait to see you all Tuesday night at 8 pm CST for the release of our Game of Thrones themed Ryan dresses - The Westeros Collection, featuring The Vale, Highgarden, Sunspear, Casterly Rock & Winterfell!  Which one is your favorite? 

xoxo,

Kris & Tammy

Let's talk about Dru! She is so lovely, if I do say so myself.  We are super proud of the Olympus Dru collection and are so excited for Tuesday's release.  Dru is our latest version of one of our favorite silhouettes to date, one of our first Bijou babies, The Tatum.  The Dru is a lot more detailed and technically complicated than the Tatum was, and it's pretty amazing for us to see how one of our first designs kind of evolved and grew up into a big girl.  This silhouette is pretty much the same as Tatum, I changed the sleeve to a little crew sleeve, and we lengthened it for the season, but it just feels very different - more elevated and refined.  This dress is so beautiful on girls of all ages and truly fits like a glove.  We love this dressed up or down and it is a wonderful staple year round.

When we were choosing fabrics for this collection, we knew we wanted to play off of the pleating detail of the bodice, and "busier" prints and patterns do magical things on the bodice when broken up and texturized.  We certainly didn't invent this "accordion pleat", but the use of the prints we chose make it feel new and fresh to me, and I couldn't be happier with the overall collection.  I am obsessed with the Asteria fabric and the pop of coral liner and purple buttons up the back - yum!!

Speaking of Collections - naming or "theming" a release is probably my favorite part, besides seeing the actual pieces in the wild on your babies.   It's important for us to try and be inventive and creative (on fried brain and exhaustion) and try and tie it all together, plan an epic photoshoot, and deliver fun new imagery for each release.  Tammy and I don't think about names when we design a collection (I mean that makes entirely too much sense, right?)... and we usually have that Aha moment when we start planning and brainstorming for a release ...not so much this time.  

Coming up with a unifying theme and names for Dru was probably the most challenging to date.  Up until 2 days before we planned to announce release, they all had completely different names!  We just couldn't get zebras and toys and constellations and flowers to jive together.   The zebras, the Athena dress, was the most difficult to name.  We were on a Billboard chart-topping songs tangent, and believe it or not, there aren't a whole lot of songs about zebras.    Drops of Jupiter (yes!), Hey There Delilah (yay!)... and... we got nothing.  Then we decided we would highlight the Athena dress being our Breast Cancer awareness dress and it would be named "Fight Like a Girl"...(which I still love by the way Mary Ray) but then, what do we call the capsule? Stop and smell the flowers?  And toys?  The struggle is real!  Ya'll know if we ever announce a dress naming contest it's because we failed at doing it ourselves!  (We were close on this one) A dear friend of mine suggested we name the toy dress Pandora...which was perfect, and suited it, and voila we have a theme, we have a collection, we have magic.  

Athena was named after the Goddess of war - a tribute to so many women warriors we know who have fought breast cancer, are fighting breast cancer, have survived or have lost their battles to this devastating disease.  The disease hits very close to home for us.  We are grateful to be able to contribute on behalf of Bijou and each of you to the Susan G. Komen foundation - the leading foundation dedicated to the education, research, treatment, and the search for a cure for breast cancer - with proceeds from the sale of our Athena dress.

 We can't wait to see you all Tuesday night for the release of our Pandora, Athena, Asteria & Aphrodite Dru dresses.  The Olympus Collection lands at 8pm CST on our website www.bijousauvageclothier.com

xoxo,

Kris & Tammy 

Tammy and I wanted to approach our halloween collection a little differently than what we are accustomed to seeing in the marketplace.  We wanted classic halloween color ways, but we wanted stuff that could be worn after the holiday - and it had to be pretty!  Don't get me wrong, we love a themey halloween outfit as much as the next mama...but we really wanted to create pieces we could wear throughout the fall season.  We are beyond thrilled with how this collection turned out - the pieces are all beautiful and festive,  the names are so fun, and that photo shoot - I die!  

Anyone who knows me even a little, knows I LOVE HALLOWEEN - I'm like Martha Stewart level of celebrator when it comes to Halloween.  The house is obnoxious, we host a huge block party, I force Rob to dress up in some humiliating costume, and the 4 littles go on hay rides and trick or treat and we eat candy for the next 2 months straight!  What's not to love!?  I have been thinking about our halloween release and photoshoot since Easter I think!  Creepy broken dolls in gorgeous garments...yes please!

We are so blessed and lucky to have the talented Heather Dobos and her beautiful daughter, Harper, here in Houston, now.  She graciously agreed to allow Harper to model with our girls for this shoot-- and she brought her camera!  I didn't have to take one picture.  I'm obsessed with everything about it.  The lighting, the cheap striped tights from Amazon, Scout's "terrible" shoes, my new crimping iron, Tammy's mama's creepy pony...all came together magically to create this spooky but beautiful campaign.  The girls were all super cooperative ( Rosie has her limits - ya'll know this), the new studio space was perfection, and Heather worked her magic!  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!  You seriously brought our vision for this release to life <3 

We will see you all Wednesday night at 8pm CST for the release of our Vanity Scare Icon Collection - Jackie - O - Lantern Maddox dress, The Hallow's Yves Saint Laurent Dylan Peplum, and the Marlene Dietrich or Treat Sloane.  

Good luck and cheers to a Haute Halloween!

xoxo,

Kris & Tammy

Scout's shoes 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00K6UIO5C/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Harper's shoes

https://www.amazon.com/Martens-Infants-Brooklee-Boots-UK-Infant/dp/B00FGT0WDA/ref=sr_1_7?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1473132872&sr=1-7&nodeID=7141123011&keywords=black+patent+youth+doc+marten

Monroe's shoes

https://littleskyechildrensboutique.com/pepe-shoes-pepe-black-patent-ballet-flats

The Girls' striped tights

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00EYKQQ7I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

One small issue - although Tammy and I do both love classic, clean lines and vintage silhouettes, we also share an affinity for bold graphics and design and a more edgy fashion sense.  There was a certain edge and excitement missing for us in the "mens shirting" category, and in hindsight, from our first few releases.  

Our early releases (like we are veterans now or something) were always beautiful, and well-made and classic and safe.  We love vibrant colors, unexpected fabric choices, fresh prints, whimsy - and I think our pieces, as of late, are much more reflective of that and more true to our style.  A lot of times Tammy's fabric "finds" drive my creativity and lead to fresh design ideas, she is REALLY good at her job.  I don't know if our style really fits in a box-- I don't think either of us care too much about that, but what I do know, is we make a pretty damn good team and our venture outside the mens shirting industry is proving a good one.    

I think over the course of the last few months, we have learned that the pieces we take risks on, the ones we say eff it, lets do it, WE LOVE it, end up being our favorite dresses, and, in all reality, your favorite pieces, too.  I'm not saying it was a conscious decision or effort to change direction or the "feel" of Bijou, but more of an organic change that came naturally as we gained a little confidence and shook some of the self- doubt and desire to always make "pleasing" things for the people.  When we are passionate about a fabric or a pattern, and trust our gut... I think it is evident in the finished garment.

Don't get me wrong, we still love the fine cottons and linens from afar, but I think we have definitely changed... found our groove if you will and have a clear sense of style and what we want to see in Bijou Sauvage garments.  I hope we don't disappoint.  I, personally, do what I do every day because I love the risks and challenges that come with trying to find ourselves in this industry.  

"Everyone has his own style.  When you have found it, you should stick to it."  --Audrey Hepburn

 I'm feeling a little reflective today and giddy and anxious for tonight's release.  The Jude maxi is a pattern very near and dear to us.   We have been working on this pattern for months, it has seen 3 different pattern makers, dozens of changes, and the end result...I think pretty amazing!  These prints and fabrics are some of my favorite we have ever used.   They are different for us. They are luxe.  They are modern. They are fresh and a little funky and as far as I'm concerned, what you can come to expect from us gals at Bijou.

Here Comes the Sun...

XOXO

Kris & Tammy

For now, Let's talk about Capsule pieces -- Lord knows everyone else is!  So this Smithsonian Maverick is by far one of my favorite dresses we have ever produced.  The Maverick style is probably my favorite design to date.  It is named after my second son, and it suits his personality to a T!  It's effortless and casual, but still has a little drama and flare resulting in a super versatile dress the girls can wear anywhere - who doesn't love the perfect modern shirt dress?!  This silhouette is classic, timeless and reminds us so much of Lucille Ball with a hint of Stepford!

The fabric we chose for the Smithsonian is one Tammy, our self-proclaimed science nerd, and I have pined over for a long time.  It's weird, it's interesting, it's incredibly soft and beautiful in real life, and ...it's expensive!  We, as a company, knew we couldn't afford to make a regular run of this dress and knew our retail price would have to be pretty steep to justify the cost of our materials.  We decided to introduce the capsule collections so we could use fabrics like this one, in much smaller quantities, without going bankrupt!  

We know that the market for $135 "Sasquatch" (it's really a bear) dresses featuring Nemo and chartreuse bumblebees is probably pretty small.  We aren't crazy (well maybe a little), but we figure there are at least 6 other people out there that will love it just as much as we do.  (If not, I guess our girlfriends will all be getting really nice Christmas presents this year.)  It is definitely not a conventional fabric choice for a little girl's dress - we know.  We didn't introduce these OOAK dresses to get wealthy, we did it to scratch an itch.  We did it because we can.  We make OOAK dresses for our girls all the time, with crazy good fabrics, and wanted to share the love!  Some of the capsule fabrics we have stashed are seriously breathtaking... mermaids, lions and maybe even some fun back to school prints!

We produce everything right here in the U.S.A., and unfortunately it's expensive to do so.  We aren't a brand that will compromise quality, notions, trims, details, ideas or fabric to always maintain a certain price point or always target a specific market.  I know we aren't the brand for everyone.  I have been entrenched in this industry long enough to know at least that, but we certainly wish we could be.  

We are so excited for tonight's release!  This collection is some of our best to date, if I do say so myself.  Each piece is different and gorgeous in its own right.  This little Maverick dress is perfect for all of summer's adventures, or getting ready to go Back to School (one more month ladies- hang in there!)  We appreciate each and every one of you who support us - indulge our crazy dreams - and we sincerely can't wait to see you all tonight!

XOXO,

The Bijou Gals

It is with a heavy heart that I write this week's blog.  I won't comment further on the tragic events of Orlando that our nation is still trying to understand, comprehend, and heal from - a children's fashion blog is hardly the place.  Bijou is, and will continue, praying for the families and the victims effected by this heinous act of violence.  We implore everyone to hug your loved ones, cherish today, be tolerant, love each other, and be grateful for this nation where we are free to live our lives by choice.  

Whether you're planning a BBQ, a pool party, or getting together with your friends and family to watch a fabulous fireworks display, the Fourth of July is all about showing off your patriotic pride and being together with the ones you love the most.  We love Independence Day, layering on the red, white and blue, celebrating our country, and honoring the men and women who gave us the Freedoms to be individuals, to be independent.

Our four dresses coming to you this release are all very unique and lend themselves to expressing that independent style!  There is definitely something for everyone.  The White Plains Maddox is classic Americana, the Yorkshire is playful and fun, that plaid on Bunker Hill - obsessed - and the beautiful red white and blue floral we used for Lexington -- from one of our favorite luxe fabric stores -- a no-brainer!  (The Lexington is up there with the Pemberley in my books.)  

This collection, named after famous Revolutionary battles, is one of our favorites to date.  The patriotic palette of each dress is perfect for celebrating the good old U.S. of A. or any day of the year!  We tried to take a less literal approach to the typical "holiday" offerings and we hope you love our fun twist on classic holiday colors with these comfy, casual and effortlessly stylish dresses.

We love the Maddox dresses as much as you guys do and are so happy to bring you this Bijou favorite in two beautiful prints.  The second style coming this week is our new Maverick dress.  I predict the Maverick dresses to give Maddox a run for their money in the casual comfy and chic department.  The little mandarin collar and sleeve are modern, yet the silhouette feels so nostalgic and vintage - we are in LOVE!

We have faced hurdle after hurdle with getting this marketing campaign done and out to you guys.  Between the challenges of summer and travel schedules and the need for an Ark here in Houston, we didn't know if it was ever going to happen!  

Ana seriously delivered with these images.  There's a certain quiet and stillness in the moments she captured that are simply breathtaking.  I find myself wondering what daydreams the girls are chasing, wondering where they have been, imagining what adventures lie ahead and undoubtedly remembering the wonderful hot summer days I spent with my friends and family as a child -- those three blissful months when we slow down, run barefoot, and learn things we can't be taught in a classroom... Thank you Ana! 

Please join us this week as we gear up to celebrate America, our Freedom, our beautiful children, summertime, and of course each of you! We will do a fun giveaway on our business page, and we also plan to donate a percentage of all proceeds from our Yorkshire Maverick to a charity that is very dear to us, Pets for Vets.  This organization helps heal the emotional wounds of military veterans by pairing them with a shelter dog that is specially selected to match his or her personality --  a small way to offer a BIG thank you to our U.S. military veterans for their service!  Stay tuned... and Happy Birthday America!

 xoxo,

Jenn, Kris & Tammy

Photos courtesy of Analicia Herrmann Photography

Awesome car courtesy of my dear friend Billy "Bags" Lucas

We are coming back from our biggest release to date.  You guys blew us away with your love for the Clue collection.  I mean, we love it, but never ever could have imagined the overwhelming response and popularity that those sweet colorful Maddox dresses would bring.  We love you guys and your love of all the things - thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  (I think Jenn is still wrapping up pretty little packages from last month, on the eve of our Frankie release!)

Now, lets talk about Frankie!  When we received our samples a few weeks ago, I think we were all in awe.  They really turned out better than we could have imagined.  The fabric, the pleating, the fit...the surprise shorties - yep you heard me - the sweetest matching shorties for our sizes 5-10.  They are breathtaking...just wait until you guys get your hands on these.  We are so proud and know you will love them as much as we do.  

I'd like to say we typically have a pretty solid direction for marketing and photos well in advance, but who are we kidding, we typically fly by the seat of our pants.  We all brainstorm and fire off ideas, we find cute shoes, we look for cool spots to shoot, we squirrel out...and eventually we land on an idea or theme that we know is "it".  This Frankie collection was especially difficult for us because each dress feels so different.  Each one says something completely different and would be the perfect dress for completely different occasions.  

The names of the dresses - so cute right?-, the hats, the style of the shoot and the location...all kind of came together at once.  When I asked Jenn and Tammy if we could maybe put the girls in big Derby hats, and shoot them very avant-garde, high fashion editorial style...I think we all started laughing simultaneously and laughed until we cried.  If you knew the personalities of our girls, you would understand why even the thought of this was really hysterical.  Getting Monroe, Harper and Scout to all cooperate for a shoot, is difficult enough, but asking them to not smile, stand awkwardly, be still, stare aimlessly, DON'T SMILE, and also wear these huge hats with your hair all glued in a giant knot...HA!  Thank goodness Gi is always on point and does exactly what she is asked - her photos are always stunning!

With the help of massive amounts of bribery - think the make-up, ice-cream AND ponies type of bribery - we managed to achieve exactly what we wanted.  This is our favorite shoot to date.  Analicia seriously nailed it.  She took a few tantrums, some duck lips, hat refusal, hat envy...and captured some seriously magical moments.  These images are everything.  They say exactly what we think, when we think of our Frankie collection, and they are very Bijou.

Please join us tomorrow night for the Cat's Meow, The Bee's Knees, Tickled Pink, and Smarty Pants at 8PM CST on our website.

www.bijousauvageclothier.com

xoxo,

Jenn, Kris, & Tammy 

Photos Courtesy of the crazy talented Analicia Herrmann

Shoes by Pepe

Hats by Moi ;)

https://www.facebook.com/analiciaherrmann

xoxo,

Our dream for Charlie was born many months ago over a small table in the middle of a Panera Bread.  She has taken on many forms since her inception.  Charlie today, is a dress that celebrates the magic of childhood.  It's color.  It's happy.  It's friendship.  It's sharing secrets.  It's giggles.  It's classic.  It's fresh.  It's peaceful.  It's kind of magical.  It's a lot surreal.   

We have made pattern changes and edits to nearly every element of this garment since receiving our first production sample.  We learned why our colleagues in this industry don't all make scalloped dresses.   They are simple and beautiful to look at, they are excruciatingly difficult to execute.  We have an amazing production team, and seamstresses with 40+ years of experience, and only one, yes ONE, could successfully execute the sleeves and collar of this dress—so that's what we did!  I think we all had days we felt abandoning the idea of Charlie would have been easier than exhausting our resources and patience, but we are so thrilled we stuck it out.   

Over the last several months, we have laughed, we have cried, we have learned, we have grown so much...we have grown so close.  Every day in our Charlie Chapter brought challenges and triumphs and frustrations and victories.  We took on what we now know is one of our most difficult patterns, first, all while starting a new business, being moms, and trying to figure out what the heck we were doing!

We overcame tags with typos (thougtfully).  We learned what a direction card is.  We mastered the art of compromise and communication. We now all know what a vector file is.  We can tell you the content of most fabrics by sight.  Through broken legs, medical set backs, a recession, two major U.S. holidays, and the Chinese New Year…We did it.  We learned  how to make delicious lemonade out of a huge pile of sour lemons. We did what a lot of people told us was not only impossible but also unrealistic.  We not only survived, we landed on the other side with huge smiles on our faces and a little dress that is even better than we could have imagined.

We are so humbled by the support and encouragement we have all received from our families and friends through this journey.  We still can’t believe it is finally here.  We have talked about this day and tried to envision what it would feel like, be like, look like —nothing could have prepared us for the satisfaction, pride, anxiety, excitement and emotions we all feel on the eve of our first release. 

We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts for believing in us and our little dream, for believing in the beauty of childhood and for allowing us to enhance your daughter’s little world through Bijou.  We hope you love Charlie as much as we do, and are so excited for what’s next! 

xoxo,

"Nothing is impossible, even the word itself says 'I'm possible'!"

-Audrey Hepburn