For clothing in sizes newborn through 12 years, the team at a new, sister-owned boutique in Ladue promises to offer perfect pieces for every little one, including gifts and matching sibling outfits. Called Little Derby, LLC, the store opened during this April.
Elizabeth Barrett, Caitlin Purcell and Megan Barrett are "three sisters" who founded this children's fashion clothing shop located at 9757 Clayton Road. Elizabeth and Caitlin are born and raised St. Louis natives who say they've always desired to open a local store. Megan, their sister-in-law, brings her Southern knowledge of unique brands she grew up enjoying in her hometown of Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Why the Little Derby name? Racehorse ownership runs in the family and Grandpa Raymond Barrett was a St. Louis entrepreneur with a passion for horse racing.
"For special occasion wear and everything in between, we're your one-stop shop for all children's clothing needs, plus we have gift bags, tissues, bows and cards, to complete your purchases," says Megan.
Taking that concept further, the space includes toys and accessories, a small play area to keep kids occupied and a bar stocked with snacks. An in-house embroidery service enables Little Derby shoppers to customize items such as sweaters, blankets, towels, bonnets and baby accessories.
Caitlin personally handles the embroidering requests on-site, with thread of 25-30 colors at any given time, and from among a selection of fonts.
"Last summer, we acquired a 10-needle, professional-grade embroidery machine, and now have a whole wall devoted to our options for embroidering so shoppers can choose exactly what they want. I enjoy measuring and aligning it all. It's a fun craft, and we usually can provide finished products within a week of when they're purchased. It's been a great addition," Caitlin says.
So far, Caitlin says embroidery add-ons are 50/50 between ones meant for gifts versus for whomever purchases them.
Megan and Caitlin have seven kids between the two of them, with an eighth currently on the way, and "Aunt Bits" is considered the best babysitter, godmother and overall cool aunt. "The kids are what inspired us to open a clothing store as an all-in-one shop for all families needs. We intentionally have unique brands at various price points," Megan states.
Elizabeth adds, "We thoughtfully chose brands to work with that we felt would add to the children’s clothing space in St. Louis. We're excited to bring in new brands along with staple brands customers have grown to love. Our intention is to provide high-quality clothing in a variety of sizes to fit every customer's needs."
They also offer clothing options for special occasions, such as sport coats, first communion dresses, flower girl dresses and baptismal gowns.
Since opening, Caitlin says they were shocked at how many people came seeking a robust boys section and girl clothing designed within more traditional styles. "We also have some athleisure wear, and we sell out of items that are white on white, as requested by country clubs for tennis dress, for example."
Well-made "play outfits" also are sought after. Caitlin says a boy's playset may have a pocket with checkered fabric and shorts that match. "Parents also want nice-looking, durable playsets to throw over girls' swimming suits when they leave pools to eat. These sets are quick, ready-to-go ways to give children 'put-together' looks."
Elizabeth admits it was a little surprising how far in advance store staffs need to purchase inventory. "But we're catching on quickly to what sells in St. Louis. And the buying cycle for children's clothing is a bit different than for seasonal or trendy women's or men's wear, in that children's clothing retailers provide for year-round purchases. And we're starting to secure for year-round seasons."
One key consideration in handling baby clothes is many people buy items for what season will be six months from the purchase date, attempting to line up with a woman's pregancy, future baby birth period or a baby shower date.
Fresh back from their third KidsWorld shopping trip at the Dallas Market Center, the Little Derby trio already purchased clothing for 2027 spring and summer. Dallas KidsWorld Market is purported to be the most comprehensive, business-to-business wholesale marketplace for children's product in the nation.
While the three often start by considering which clothing might best mesh with their children, they vote to arrive at final decisions, a process they say works well to accommodate sometimes different opinions.
As a go-to resource for local families, this new boutique is open Mondays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. These new business owners indicate they plan to establish a future registry system so guests can share their gift preferences.
557.237.0718
LittleDerbyBoutique.com