Blu and Blue: True Love
•Posted on July 29 2018
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The mail had come! A package from our favorite boutique, Sweet Tea & Caviar was waiting for us! It was a gorgeous & soft neutral colored "Martin" shirt from Blu & Blue NY. I immediately started to play around with the four buttons at the denim, kurta inspired neck and cuffing the sleeves with the denim tabs & painted white metal button closure. This 100% cotton shirt is so soft!! The denim around the collar & sleeve cuffs is some of the softest denim I've ever felt. And it just gets softer with washes! I hang dry all of my boutique clothes, so I always use extra fabric softener to help with the stiffness of hang drying items, but this shirt honestly dried as if it were a cotton/jersey knit t-shirt!!! THAT soft! I immediately thought of all the possible ways this piece could be worn! It's SUCH a versatile piece! Light enough for summer beach days or evenings, yet thick enough for a crisp fall day. It is a piece that will transcend through the seasons! Even more so because Miles got it in a 2T, and he is small for his age, especially short, so it fits with room to grow, but is still adorable being a tad oversized. I decided to put together TWO outfits with the Martin shirt. The first outfit is perfect for a " going home from the beach" look, with a pair of chambray style roll up summer pants, and black Salt Water Sandals. For the second outfit I paired the Martin shirt with a pair of Turtledove London (another amazing brand carried by Sweet Tea & Caviar) black bloomer shorts, and again the black Salt Water Sandals. I think both of the outfits I put together can be dressy and/or casual, and that is a serious win/win for me, and truly shows the versatility of the Martin shirt by Blu & Blue NY.
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Blu & Blue New York was founded in 2015 by Aaina Jain. Aaina has clothing design in her blood, as she was born into a clothing business family in India. She went to college for marketing and worked for many well known fashion brands as a marketing manager. She realized her true passion, however, and returned to her roots, wanting to prove to the world that denim is so much more than jeans and jackets. Her philosophy for Blu & Blue NY is " Do what is right, not what is easy nor what is popular" and that is reflected in every aspect of the denim brand. The fabric and trims are all sourced globally from renowned mills in Japan, Italy, Turkey, Korea and California. After that every aspect is done in-house, at Blu & Blue's state of the art, environmentally friendly, manufacturing and washing facilities in India. That is such an important factor. The world we live in is filled with clothing factories that are far below sub par. Sadly, Blu & Blue is in a minority of companies that have pristine, eco-friendly factories, but that is what makes me proud to shop and support companies like Blu & Blue. I can feel good about the clothing I'm putting on my children, and that's a great feeling. I love knowing that Blue & Blu tests all of their fabrics for durability, comfort, shrinkage, color fastness and bleeding. Any fabric that does not meet their strict guidelines are rejected. This means that my kids clothes will stand the test of time and will take my kids wear and tear, therefore I'm ok investing a bit more into an item from them, knowing it will last far longer than other brands. Every item made by Blu & Blue is thoroughly checked over before being sent out, and it must be given the Blu & Blue seal of approval, or else it does not make the cut. All Blu & Blue clothing is safety tested, they use needle detector machines and nickel free buttons, to make sure every garment is 100% safe for the kids wearing it. Just recently, Blu & Blue teamed up with Baby2Baby to help migrant children in need. Blu & Blue was able to donate hundreds of pieces of new clothing to separated migrant children, ages 0-12. What a truly selfless act, and they encouraged other brands to do the same. Blue & Blu cuts no corners when it comes to their brand, and that is something I can seriously get behind.
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So, as I'm sure you can see, this is why I'm so thrilled and in love with the Martin shirt, and why Blu & Blue has a new customer in me. The Martin shirt is such a timeless design, I know it will be around in my house for years to come. Let's face it- denim NEVER goes out of style!!! I have so many cute outfits planned for this shirt, it's coming with us on our beach vacations, and is going to be a fall staple for us as well! Just picture it paired with some black skinny jeans and cute little black army boots!! Actually, Sweet Tea & Caviar just got in the sweetest little boots, the Kensington Treklites in Jiffy Black, from the always awesome shoe brand, Native Shoes. The Kensington boots will be a perfect addition to Miles' fall wardrobe. If you have yet to try Native Shoes, you NEED to! They are so light, perfect for littles that are still trying to get the whole walking thing down ( and even big kids that are ALWAYS on the move). All their shoes wipe down so easily, a huge plus considering my kids are always running around in dirt, mud, grass and who-knows-what! A lot of their shoes are odor resistant, and all are shock absorbent and contain at least an EVA sole. We own everything from snow boots, to hiking boots, to their signature slip on rubber sneakers from them and have loved every style!
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Sweet Tea and Caviar is such a great one stop shop for all of your kids needs, through pregnancy and on. I have two boys, ages 2 and almost 6, and STC has everything I could need for them! Even when my oldest no longer fits into the sizes of clothing STC carries, I will continue to be able to purchase his Hip Peas hair balm and shampoo, his RePlay plates and cups, Native Shoes, Jack & Jill toothbrushes, Inklings Paperie lunch box scratch off notes, Twee sidewalk chalk (which is SO COOL!! Basically designer sidewalk chalk!) and Slumberkin books! Just the other day I ordered the Slumberkins Sleepy Time Rhymes: Hammerhead Conflict Resolution book for Parker, and I can not wait to read it with him! I trust the brands that STC picks, as the owner Leslie is a mother herself, so I know she picks brands that she would & does, put her own kids in. Whatever you're looking for, Sweet Tea and Caviar has got you covered.
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Guest Blog by: Hannah Chagnon