Oh, Baby!

By Lisa Arnett
December 2024 View more Discover

Shop for sweet gifts, pint-size clothing, and more at these baby boutiques

Boutique Baby

92 S. First St., St. Charles

As a doula and lactation counselor, Deborah Giampapa’s professional work has centered on supporting women and families for nearly three decades. On a mission to help parents-to-be start their new chapter on the right note, she opened this boutique in 2022 with daughter Gianna. Inspired by Gianna’s firstborn son, Jackson, who had severe skin allergies, they dove headfirst into researching fabric dyes and chemical processing in baby clothing. At the shop, they focus on stocking clothing made with organic and Oeko-Tex certified fabrics, such as bamboo pajamas from Bellabu Bear, which earned a Seal of Acceptance from the National Eczema Association. Strollers, car seats, and highchairs by Nuna are Greenguard Gold certified for low chemical emissions. “We test every product with my nine grandkids,” Giampapa says. “There’s nothing in our store that hasn’t passed the test of months of wear and tear and washing and drying.”
Good to Know: “We have an in-house photographer—Abbie Christine Photography—she is phenomenal and she does packages within our store,” Giampapa says. Because the shop stocks clothing for older children and adults as well, the staff can curate outfits for the whole family for your next portrait session.

Bows & Babes

175 Jackson Ave., Naperville

Inspired by her youngest daughter’s love of bows, former labor-and-delivery nurse Anne Miller decided to make a career change and opened this baby and children’s boutique in 2011. Though her inventory is mostly clothing these days, she does still stock plenty of bows, including Baby Bling headbands and snap-clip barrettes that will attach to even the wispiest baby curls. One clothing line she’s carried since opening day is RuffleButts, which showed off its frilly baby bloomers on season 5 of Shark Tank. Another favorite is Spanish brand Mayoral, which the store carries in infant through toddler sizes. “They make cute knit sets for a going-home outfit for a new baby and pretty dresses,” Miller says. Gund stuffed animals and Angel Dear blankets make for great gifts, while christening outfits, holiday jammies, customizable birthday capes, and big sibling tees round out the offerings.
Good to know: Need a game-day outfit for the littlest sports fan in the fam? Miller stocks onesies with Chicago sports team logos, and even some Packers gear for cheeseheads in training.

Little Barn Baby

123 S. Washington St., Naperville; 15 S. Third St., Geneva

Fashion-savvy parents flock here for the latest drops from Quincy Mae and Rylee + Cru, two sibling brands with neutral color palettes and modern flair. Amsterdam-based clothing line Riffle is also big with customers, as is Peruvian brand Tun Tun. “They do organic cotton sleepers and sweaters that are very cute, almost doll-like,” says Hayoung Lew, who manages the Naperville store. Heirloom-quality gifts include hand-knit animal dolls from Cuddle + Kind and palm-size stuffed mice by Maileg, which come with their own accessories for imaginative play. “They have furniture, or a little camper, or a bed for the mice. It’s very dollhouse-y,” Lew says.

Good to know: Love a good deal? Little Barn Baby’s much-anticipated Dot Sale runs through the end of December. “All the pieces on our sale rack are marked with a colored dot, so anything with a green dot is $5; if it’s yellow, it’s $10, and so on,” Lew says. “It’s extremely popular.”

Photos: Boutique Baby; Bows & Babes; Jen Banowetz (Little Barn Baby)