South New Jersey

Oopsy Daisy

This shop’s hot pink and lime walls draw kids and adults alike inside to shop. With more than 300 styles of communion dresses and a plethora of other designs, owner Cookie Snyder makes certain her customers will find exactly what they’re after. Since buying the store seven years ago, Snyder feels she has discovered the recipe to success: paying attention to her customers’ needs. “If I don’t have what someone is looking for, I call [nearby] boutiques to see if they might have it,” she said. “My ultimate goal is to make the customer happy.”

Tailgate Clothing Co.

When business partners Debbie McCusker and Kathy Koob purchased their 1,800-square-foot store 10 years ago, their goal was to make customers feel right at home. With a play area for kids, Kidrageous offers parents a stress-free shopping venue. While the store is upscale, Koob said the average price point has gone down over the past year. “We’re trying to find more products that stay within people’s budgets without sacrificing quality,” she noted. Kidrageous strives to offer customers what they won’t find elsewhere and boasts an extensive boys’ section that keeps them coming back.

Heartache

The transition to storeowner was an easy one for Marilyn Bernheim, who bought this boutique with her daughter, Bonnie Lewis, four years ago. After years as a children’s wear sales rep, she already understood product, her customer and how to sell. For 2010, the co-owners plan to expand their girls’ 7 to 16 department to include more jeans and tees for tweens slowly discovering their fashion identity. “We find now that children have their own minds and don’t want to dress the way mom wants,” Bernheim said. “We are trying to please the kids and make it easy on the parents.”

Infants & Toddlers

Heartache: Baby Sara: pink and brown flower-print tunics with matching leggings
Heartache: Attitude Pie: pale pink tulle skirts and matching shirts with heart appliqués and pearl and rhinestone embellishments
Heartache: Heartache: navy and white tie-dye tops and pants with red jeweled lips
Heartache: Wes and Willy: long gray fleece shorts
Oopsy Daisy: Oopsy Daisy: cheetah-print pettiskirts
Oopsy Daisy: Little Mass: pink, black and white leopard-print pettiskirt dresses
Oopsy Daisy: Corky & Co.: pink swirl-pattern coats
Oopsy Daisy: Bébémonde: white crocheted tulle-trim dresses with matching jackets and hats
Tailgate Clothing Co.: Angel Dear: pastel pink and white striped chenille hooded jackets
Tailgate Clothing Co.: Lili Gaufrette: lilac Liberty-print smocked dresses
Tailgate Clothing Co.: Kissy Kissy: white Pima cotton one-pieces with pink trim
Tailgate Clothing Co.: Art Walk by My Boy Sam: blue and white striped hooded sweaters with skull-and-bones buttons and matching blankets

Girls 4 to 6X

Heartache: Flowers by Zoe: neon tie-dye leggings with black hooded tunics
Heartache: Hannah Banana: sleeveless mustard and brown ruffle-bottom dresses with heart-shaped embellished patches
Heartache: Submarine: pink bikinis with gold-accent belted bottoms
Heartache: Froggy by Debra: black halter dresses with purple studded butterflies on front
Heartache: Out of Control: tie-dye navy and blue pants with navy A-line tops
Oopsy Daisy: Ooh La La Couture: racer-back zebra-pattern bustle dresses
Oopsy Daisy: Belle Ame: red pettiskirts
Oopsy Daisy: Lipstik: blue denim leggings with black eyelet tank-style tops
Oopsy Daisy: Widgeon: brown faux-suede coats
Tailgate Clothing Co.: Juicy Couture: purple two-piece active suits with silver and white logo
Tailgate Clothing Co.: Ragdoll & Rockets: three-quarter-length ruched-sleeve striped tunics in neon yellow and gray with gray leggings
Tailgate Clothing Co.: Little Marc Jacobs: navy halter bathing suits with eyelet embroidered skull

Boys 4 to 7

Heartache: Wes and Willy: skeleton-motif swim trunks
Heartache: Wild Mango: ripped twill shorts in brown
Heartache: Monster Boy: brown plaid shorts with olive Buddha tees
Tailgate Clothing Co.: Monster Republic: white and black tie-waist cargo pocket seersucker pants
Tailgate Clothing Co.: Charlie Rocket: gray elastic-waist swimsuits with a white and aqua print
Tailgate Clothing Co.: Goldrush Outfitters: dark denim destroyed jeans

Girls 7 to 14

Heartache: Pinc Premium: straight-leg dark denim
Heartache: JK Tees: royal blue “Be Free” tees
Heartache: Butter: olive green hooded sweatshirts with a rhinestone peace sign on the back
Oopsy Daisy: Stosa Bella: white lace dresses with matching jackets
Oopsy Daisy: Christie Helene: ruched dupioni silk dresses in jade
Oopsy Daisy: Joan Calabrese by Mon Cheri: white lace dresses with jackets
Tailgate Clothing Co.: Vintage Havana: white gauze embroidered short rompers with red, blue and green embroidery
Tailgate Clothing Co.: Les Tout Petits: multicolored spaghetti-strap bubble dresses with gold sequins
Tailgate Clothing Co.: True Religion: medium-wash denim miniskirts with rainbow pockets

Boys 8 to 20

Heartache: Little Travelers: brown twill shorts
Heartache: Because We Were Bored: light yellow tees with a classic car on front
Tailgate Clothing Co.: IKKS: gray leather zip-front jackets with elbow patches
Tailgate Clothing Co.: Quiksilver: long-sleeve, multicolor neon plaid button-down shirts
Tailgate Clothing Co.: Tailgate Clothing Co.: light blue and red University of Pennsylvania T-shirts
Tailgate Clothing Co.: Kingsley: light blue “Rock Fusion” T-shirts

—Del-Ann Henry