By Chelsea Emery Sun Aug 13, 11:32 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Three-year-old Chloe Colligan picks out her camp clothes at discount retailer Target, but for other occasions, she wears the cashmere, velvet, silk and woven cotton fashions of luxury children's clothing maker Baby CZ.
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"I don't have the time to search for discounts and bargains," said Colligan, a founder of Ladies Who Launch, an organization that provides resources for women business owners.
"I don't have time to search for that one cute thing in a really ugly store. And you know you're getting quality when you go to these higher-end places."
[...]
Besides the higher incomes of many U.S. residents, tabloids touting the fashions of celebrities' babies have contributed to demand for the highest-quality infant apparel.
"People have to have the latest style and the greatest outfit," said McCauley, whose company also owns the mid-priced Gymboree clothing stores and the Gymboree Music & Play programs.
He would not provide sales figures, but said there are enough U.S. families making more than $100,000 annually to support 15 new Janie and Jack stores a year until they reach 200 from the current base of 70.
But what happens when an 18-month-old spits up on his or her cashmere sweater?
"It's a little bit of a misconception that something is uncleanable or unwearable if something happens to it," said Colligan, who also has a 2-year-old daughter named Somerset. "I can find a way to clean anything."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060813/bs_nm/retail_fashion_kids_dc