A Queasy-Bake Oven for Christmas

Against my better judgment, I was in Toys ‘R’ Us today, shopping for the latest addition to our daughter’s ever-growing list for Santa. I tell her that she can’t keep adding to this list– Santa has to have enough time to make all the presents. She’s already seen Santa and whispered her list to him– I think in an effort to test me…to see if I’m really Santa. I’m not sure how this will work. I guess if she gets everything on the list she told Santa, then he’s real. But if she doesn’t, then her father and I must be Santa because we didn’t know what was on the secret list.

She has plans to sleep in the living room on Christmas Eve, under my Snow Village table (which is skirted in fabric), with plenty of cookies to stave off starvation. This is an effort to see the real Santa, or catch us in the act of pretending to be Santa I suppose. I’m not worried about this last plan. She just recently started sleeping in her own room, with the lights on, so it really will be a Christmas miracle if she sleeps alone in the living room all night!

Anyway, I was in Toys ‘R’ Us looking for her latest addition which she refers to as a Queasy-Bake Oven. English is her second language and she’s quite fluent, however she occasionally comes up with these very endearing malapropisms. Of course, I realize I should correct her so she knows that it’s really an Easy Bake Oven, but if I correct every language error, I fear that would be demoralizing. And it’s very tempting to focus on grammar and let these words or phrases persist since they are so amusing and she always eventually figures out the right term and simply starts using it without any comment. 

As I maneuvered my cart through the store, along with the other parents and their carts overflowing with kids and toys, I began to wonder about the ritual of the list and the challenge we face as parents in discerning which gifts to give and which to forego. When she first mentioned the Queasy-Bake Oven I said, “We already have an oven– what do you need a toy oven for?” But as I thought about it, I realized that this would be her very own oven. She would be in charge of the making and baking process and, in her mind at least, not subject to my rules about the right way to roll a pie crust or spoon dough onto a cookie sheet. This gift was coming from an emotional need– to be more grown up like Mommy– and a love for food and the comforts it brings. So it was decided. There will be a Queasy-Bake Oven under our tree this year. 

Some other requested gifts won’t make the cut– the doll that walks, the all-terrain vehicle (where did that come from?)– but the gifts that do show up on Christmas morning will be the ones we believe provide satisfaction on an emotional level. And hopefully she’ll find at least one or two of the secret presents whispered to Santa!

Liz Smith has worked across the globe for many of the world’s major apparel brands, including Victoria’s Secret, Chico’s, Justice, and Hanes. She has earned thousands of airline points and worn out several suitcases visiting factories in more than 20 countries to ensure that production is of the highest standard. Liz has managed all aspects of garment production, from design through fabric development to sewing and merchandising– so she knows what it takes to make high-quality apparel. Liz is thrilled to share her knowledge about clothes to help discerning customers choose the finest products.

A Mom’s Perspective: Interview with Cristina

A few weeks ago a mother sent Lucky & Me an email to say thank you for providing boys’ boxer briefs which her picky son will wear. We wanted to learn more so we asked her to give an interview. Here is Cristina’s story:

When her son was born, he became very ill. Ultimately he was diagnosed with an immune system problem and it took  several years to find the right approach to resolve this issue. Cristina said, “He’s been through the wringer with his immune system.” Consequently, her son is extremely sensitive to the way things feel and even look– and is particularly picky about his clothing. He even considers the hole typically found in briefs and boxers to be a defect and would say that his undies were broken.

Cristina bought many brands of boys’ underwear to find an acceptable style, eventually trying Diesel brand– which her son liked, but Diesel stopped making his favorite style. She tried Calvin Klein, but found the elastic unraveled after several wash cycles. Then her quest for boys’ boxer briefs led her to Lucky & Me– the perfect blend of comfortable fabric and grown-up styling and without the hole! Her son loves them and will not wear any other brand of underwear.

While we were on the phone together, he came into the room after his bath and asked to put on his Lucky & Me boxer briefs. Cristina says, “I really, really appreciate your clothes and what you are doing. I’ve told all my girlfriends and they know when I say, ‘This is it– this is a good product.’ They can really count on it because I’ve done my homework.”

It is very gratifying for Lucky & Me to hear testimonials from customers like Cristina because it validates all the time and effort the brand puts into developing kid-friendly fabrics while creating appealing style and color choices for girls and boys.

Stocking Stuffer Undies

Now Available at VAULT: ShopVault.com/LuckyAndMe
Holiday coupon code available below.

Finding the perfect stocking stuffers for the kids is always a challenge for me. I want them to be colorful and fun but don’t like spending money on things they don’t need and won’t ever use or play with. There are scads of trinkets to choose from at all the trendy stores these days, but to be honest, most things small enough to fit in a stocking and cheap enough to be considered a “stuffer” are just not going to last. That’s why I’m so excited about Lucky & Me‘s new products for boys and girls– they are the perfect stocking stuffers!

For girls, the Natalie camisole is a perfect gift item. It’s sweet rosebud and organza trim lend a feminine air and it comes in red and black– perfect for the holidays and beyond. This style is available up to size 9/10, so it’s perfect for little girls and older girls, too. And the Natalie cami comes in an adorable organza polka-dot drawstring bag – just perfect for stuffing a stocking!

Boys will be pleased with the Grayson boxer brief, which looks like it’s made for grown ups, but is designed specifically for boys. The closed fly provides a comfortable, worry-free fit and the contrast stitching adds grown-up style and detail. The boxer brief is available in red, heather, and navy.

Both the Natalie girls’ cami and the Grayson boys’ boxer brief are made from a super-soft blend of bamboo rayon, cotton and spandex. This fabric is soft against sensitive skin, but retains its shape even after many washings. And of course, both are tag-free and made in the U.S.A.

Holiday Coupon Code

Enjoy 20% off on your holiday shopping when you become a member at VAULT. Enter LUCKYME20 at checkout. Offer ends 12/27/13.

Liz Smith has worked across the globe for many of the world’s major apparel brands, including Victoria’s Secret, Chico’s, Justice, and Hanes. She has earned thousands of airline points and worn out several suitcases visiting factories in more than 20 countries to ensure that production is of the highest standard. Liz has managed all aspects of garment production, from design through fabric development to sewing and merchandising– so she knows what it takes to make high-quality apparel. Liz is thrilled to share her knowledge about clothes to help discerning customers choose the finest products.

Tactile Sensitivity, Elastic, and Comfort

Photo Courtesy: CutestPaw.com

Does anyone wear control top pantyhose anymore? For that matter, does anyone wear pantyhose?

Years ago, when I was working as a full-time apparel exec and traveling the world in search of bras and panties for Victoria’s Secret, I wore a lot of skirts. Skirts traveled well– you could wear a skirt in rotation for more days than pants, they were more comfortable for long car rides to far-flung factories and if they were made of light, flowy fabrics they didn’t take up as much room in the suitcase. I didn’t love pantyhose as much, but for the professional look, in those days, pantyhose were de rigeur. But, I could never bear to wear control top– all for one reason– compression. They squeezed my mid-section and the waistband always left a red welt; I couldn’t stand them. The secret behind control top pantyhose is that the material used to make them is designed with a very high modulus– it takes a lot of force to stretch them out and they want to return to their original state. This creates compression as a result– the “control” in control top. And this property, how much force is needed to stretch the elastic, is called modulus.

Modulus is one of the properties that can make elastic waistbands uncomfortable for little ones with sensitive skin. If the modulus is too high (in other words, if it takes a lot of force  to stretch to fit), then the elastic will bind. The force as it tries to return to its original measurement will be too harsh. Lots of kids rebel against this, but for the tactile sensitive, wearing boys underwear or girls underwear with this type of elastic is excruciating.

But designing elastic is a bit of a balancing act because if the modulus is too low and the elastic too easy to stretch, then often it doesn’t perform as it’s meant to– it doesn’t hold the garment in place. One of my daughter’s friends was wearing leggings with that type of elastic this weekend. She was constantly having to pull them up as she ran up the driveway.

And we’ve all had experience with “dead” elastic– that’s elastic that’s completely lost its stretch and just lies there. I’ve had it happen on favorite pairs of undies that are washed and worn so many times they just completely wear out. It can also happen on inexpensive underwear with cheap elastic after just a few wash cycles.

Behind the scenes at Lucky & Me, elastics are designed with comfort in mind. The elastics used are specially designed with the finest yarns, high elasticity so they stretch to fit, low modulus so they are not too tight, and good stretch recovery so the elastic returns to its original state time after time. Lucky & Me girls underwear has the softest and comfiest elastic at both the waistband and leg openings while their boys underwear has a wide elastic at the waistband for a super soft and comfy fit.

Liz Smith has worked across the globe for many of the world’s major apparel brands, including Victoria’s Secret, Chico’s, Justice, and Hanes. She has earned thousands of airline points and worn out several suitcases visiting factories in more than 20 countries to ensure that production is of the highest standard. Liz has managed all aspects of garment production, from design through fabric development to sewing and merchandising– so she knows what it takes to make high-quality apparel. Liz is thrilled to share her knowledge about clothes to help discerning customers choose the finest products.

Girls’ Bike Shorts: Solution for Potty Training?

Photo Courtesy: A Creative Buzz

I’ve been scouring the mommy blogs for advice on potty training. I won’t go into the details about why I am doing this– suffice it to say that one thing I’ve learned from personal experience and the stories many moms tell is that potty training is not a once-and-done event. For many of us, it’s a long slog to success– fraught with set-backs, which can be triggered by any number of things…from the physical (lactose intolerance, surgery) to the emotional (a fight with a friend, the birth of a sibling). Whatever the reason, regression in the potty training arena can be frustrating and stressful for parents and children. I’ve seen postings by parents who are so desperate that they resort to punitive measures like taking away toys, humiliation, or worse.

In Search of Big Boy Briefs

I think this boy is looking for Lucky & Me briefs! He’s clearly determined and very proud of his new-found ability to walk. Maybe just a bit young still, but it’s never too early to think about the transition from diapers to briefs. Cool-looking briefs and boxers in fun colors can be just the right incentive a young boy needs to make the transition from diapers.

If he can’t find Lucky & Me briefs and boxers in his local store, he can look at the Lucky & Me website where discerning customers will find briefs and boxers in White, Big Wave and Seagrass.

If you liked this video, be sure to check out Nick Confalone‘s other Vines!

Factories: Where Our Products Are Made

There’s a lot of talk these days about where products are made. Many folks specifically look for Made in America labels. Just last week, I saw an article in The New York Times about a resurgence of textile factories in the United States due to customer demands for American-made goods– and how they can’t meet demand because there is a shortage of workers with the necessary skills and the willingness to do this kind of work. I understand what drives this demand– the belief that American Made means higher quality, the desire to keep jobs at home, and the concern about working conditions abroad. The images of the collapsed factory in Bangladesh, and the human chain required to carry hundreds of victims out of the rubble, made me heartsick.

I am especially sympathetic to the status of working conditions overseas because I have been in dozens of factories throughout the world and I’ve seen conditions ranging from unacceptable to outstanding. And I’ve seen the opportunities which good factories can offer young women and men with few other employment options.

The Many Benefits of Using Modal Fabrics

I was surprised when I first learned that Lucky & Me underwear uses modal. In all my years producing lingerie for Victoria’s Secret, we never used modal– What a miss! Modal has some amazing properties that make it perfectly-suited for anything worn next to the skin, and it’s especially wonderful for our precious children.

As soon as you touch a Lucky & Me garment, you will feel the luxurious difference the silky modal yarn provides our fabric blend. And your child may say something similar to my daughter’s reaction when she first tried on the Kelly Boyshort: “Mom, these undies are so comfy!!”

You Asked, We Listened– Lucky & Me to Add Bigger Sizes!

Many big sisters (and moms) have been asking Lucky & Me for big girl sizes. They’ve seen how cute and fun the styles are and want some for themselves. Moms love the fit and comfort and want to be able to buy L&M for their kids for many years. I’ll let you in on a secret– Lucky & Me comfort for girls is going to be available up to size 10 very soon!

You may wonder why L&M can’t just ask the factory to make bigger sizes and start selling them immediately. Well, it’s more complicated than you might imagine. Getting the fit right as the sizes are increased involves changing the pattern piece measurements properly– this is called grading. It’s not just a straight math exercise because of the way children grow. For example, legs get longer before waists get bigger, so the inseam increases at a faster rate. If they didn’t adjust for this, those bike shorts would end up as hot pants! And as we all know, kids of the same age come in all shapes and sizes. So it’s a good idea to try the styles on a variety of kids to ensure that the fit accommodates the widest range possible.

10 Reasons Girls Love Leggings!

Leggings are so comfy! The fabric is soft and smooth and it stretches.

Girls wear leggings under skirts so they can do cartwheels and somersaults without showing off their underwear.

Leggings are warm…and great for layering!

Leggings come in lots of fun colors!

Leggings pull down and pull up so easily, making bathroom breaks easy peasy!

Girls prefer leggings to tights– they don’t slide down and bunch around the ankles.

Girls feel more grown up in leggings.

Leggings are fashionable!

Leggings are softer and more comfortable than jeans. They’re perfect for girls with extra sensitivity.

Leggings go with anything!

Liz Smith has worked across the globe for many of the world’s major apparel brands, including Victoria’s Secret, Chico’s, Justice, and Hanes. She has earned thousands of airline points and worn out several suitcases visiting factories in more than 20 countries to ensure that production is of the highest standard. Liz has managed all aspects of garment production, from design through fabric development to sewing and merchandising– so she knows what it takes to make high-quality apparel. Liz is thrilled to share her knowledge about clothes to help discerning customers choose the finest products.