The mothers who pay stylists THOUSANDS to dress their babies

Stylist Tryce Vane Percy put together an impossibly chic outfit for her beautiful client: a pink and white majolica-print silk dress from Dolce & Gabbana, paired with pink and ivory Fendi sandals.

With a total price of over $750, you might think the wearer is a woman of considerable means, preparing for an important event.

In reality she is 14 months old. Welcome to the dazzling world of the baby stylist.

Initially it was a celebrity-only trend, with A-listers like Beyonce, Rihanna and Naomi Campbell employing a dedicated stylist to curate their little ones’ tiny wardrobes – from designer babygros to custom leather nappies and red carpet clothes.

Now, however, the service is becoming increasingly popular among mothers who have the means but, they say, don’t have the time to ensure their children always look their best.

Last summer, Tryce arranged for an £800 package of children’s clothing, including Baby Dior, to be personally delivered to a customer at Athens airport.

The woman was traveling to a Greek island with her family and was desperate for her two children to have specific designer T-shirts, shorts and dresses in their holiday wardrobe.

“I really like a challenge,” laughs Tryce, 32, who runs her business, Miniature Stylist, from her home in Notting Hill, west London (miniaturestylist.com).

‘Customers come to me because they know I can find them things they can’t get anywhere else. Obviously you don’t want your child to come to an event wearing the same item of clothing as others, just as you wouldn’t want that for yourself.’

Of course, the cost of such a personal service is not for the faint of heart. Tryce charges from £500 to source clothes and have them sent to customers for a specific event, with prices rising to £3,000 for those who want a ‘bespoke package’ in which she curates a baby’s wardrobe for every season and every event during the first year.

But given, as every mother knows, how quickly babies outgrow their clothes, what would make a new mother opt for expensive baby clothes instead of a simple pack of four from Mothercare?

Katie Quigley, 40, from Bovingdon, Herts, is one such mother. ‘I have an eight-month-old daughter, Aria, but I also run a busy livery stable for retired horses and help my sister with her stables. I don’t have time to go shopping – or know anything about fashion, unless it’s equestrian,” says Katie.

That’s why she uses stylist Erin McGinley, who runs Colorful Erin, for babies and new moms. For a daily rate of £120, or a 10 percent commission, Erin handpicks the outfits for her customer base.

“Every month Erin sends me a list of clothing ideas from online boutiques so I don’t have to wander through the stores,” says Katie.

‘She knows exactly what kind of outfit I like – girly pink things like floral rompers – and she sends me the links with the right sizing and it’s all so easy. She orders the items if I want her to, but I don’t mind clicking on a link.

‘I’ve been spending around £250 a month on baby clothes, which works out to around £3,000 a year, so it’s not too expensive, and she often gets a 30 per cent trade discount from some retailers.

‘We do spoil Aria, but I blogged about my IVF journey to have her, so I want her to look her best on Instagram.

‘Most of my friends have teenagers who are very interested in fashion and some share photos of their girls on social media, tagging brands and stores in their posts. This now feels like the norm.”

Erin, 41, also from Hertfordshire, started baby styling after her son Logan, now five months, was born. “Before having Logan, I was a women’s fashion stylist with my own boutique,” ​​she says.

‘But then mums saw on Instagram what I had chosen for him to wear – preppy Spanish-style outfits from brands like Misuenos Kids, which were very similar to the look the Princess of Wales had chosen for her children – and they asked me to advice . So I decided to look further into baby styling and it was very popular.

‘Shopping for children has changed enormously in the past ten years. Many mothers would rather not have their baby wear the same thing as everyone else, so they avoid the high street and I help them search for stores and brands on Instagram.

‘I live in a fairly affluent area, so new mums give me £1,000 to go and buy outfits for them. If they like brands like Gucci or Burberry, I go to Harrods, Selfridges or Fenwick.

“But usually my customers like some mid-range online boutique brands like The Baby Rack or Petits Amours. The most expensive item I have bought for a customer is a Moncler baby jacket for almost £300.”

You might imagine that many of the wealthier individuals who pay for the services of a baby stylist – a mix of people with lucrative jobs in banking and law, entrepreneurs and women of ‘high social status’ who don’t have to work – can be demanding.

“Some know what they want because they love fashion themselves,” Tryce explains. ‘And others don’t mind so much. They’ll say, “I like your style and trust you to choose what you think.”

Once Tryce knows which events or seasons she is dressing a child for – many of whom she meets – she creates mood boards for her clients.

“Say they were going sailing in Italy, I would probably capture some beautiful Italian patterns and mix them with the themes, colors and silhouettes for that season,” she says.

‘And then the customer comes back and maybe says, “Yes, I love this color palette, can you add something with lemons to it when we go to Sicily?”

Tryce also offers a “wardrobe management” service, where she sorts through the clothes a child already has, putting together outfits and suggesting additional pieces that would complement what the child already has.

“I might suggest a pair of burgundy tights or a little red cardigan, which will really transform an outfit,” says Tryce.

“I put everything in categorical order and write a style guide so the parent or babysitter can pick out an entire outfit without thinking.”

Since her young clients already have their winter wardrobe, including all the necessary items for trips to St. Moritz and Courchevel, Tryce is now focusing on choosing looks from the spring-summer collections for her mini fashionistas.

She’s a fan of the Childrensalon website where you can buy a matching baby greeting, hat and bib from Dolce & Gabbana for £385, a light pink Swarovski hooded top from Givenchy for girls, for £390, a Ralph Lauren knitted skirt with Tartan and wool checks for £269 and a girls beige cashmere hoodie and matching joggers from Burberry for a total of £750.

For many mothers, it’s a series of names that will seem somewhat bewildering, especially in those early baby days when everything feels quite chaotic.

Ria Ioannou, 34, admits she had no idea how to dress her son Beau after he was born ten months ago.

‘When you’re at an age where all your friends are having babies too, there’s quite a bit of extra peer pressure about how you’re going to dress your child,’ says the north London media manager.

‘I was looking at some friends who just seemed to know what they were doing with outfits and had the nicest clothes, but I wasn’t sure where to start.

‘I wouldn’t say I felt judged. But motherhood was extremely new and everything felt rushed: I was always late to events, shopping for anything was extra difficult, so a stylist simply made the process easier. I think Beau looks quite traditional and smart, so my baby stylist suggested a few brands.

‘Petits Amours is my favorite in Loughton, Essex. Angoubebe and The Baby Rack were also recommended; they are not too expensive. I probably spend £250 a month keeping up with Beau’s growth spurts.

‘But I’m a bit of a socialite and we’re always at events – whether it’s a children’s party, Easter or Christmas – so he gets tired of any fancy outfit. Mom can’t be the only glamorous one!

‘A stylist can also help with accessories such as shoes and hats – and what goes with them.’ But what about the moms who can’t bring themselves to hire a stylist like Tryce or Erin?

Charlotte Kewley runs The Little Stylist, a site where she curates selections of the season’s best baby and children’s clothes from the High Street, designer and independent stores.

Charlotte, 40, launched the website seven years ago during her maternity leave with her middle child and now has 11,500 Instagram followers hanging on her every word.

She dresses her own children, who are now aged two, seven and nine, mainly in independent designer brands, including Mini Rodini and Bobo Choses, but also in ‘pre-loved’ clothes and shoes that cost a fraction of the price.

“I love Gucci Kids clothes, I absolutely love some of the pieces, but I couldn’t justify spending so much money on them myself,” says Charlotte.

She believes it is important to keep in mind that children want to have fun (which often means making a mess) and not live their young lives as slaves to fashion.

‘I don’t think a baby needs a fully curated wardrobe. I love effortlessly cool children’s clothing that is also practical and playful.’

Given the high likelihood of children getting pasta sauce that will never wash down their £300 Gucci top, Charlotte’s approach seems sensible. Tryce agrees that it is essential to never lose sight of her young clients’ lifestyles.

‘Parents will complain about their children wearing out their Baby Dior shoes (which cost up to £500 a pair), but you have to remember that a child is still a child, so save them for special occasions – or make sure your shoe polish ready!’

• Additional reporting: Jill Foster