Comfortable, Classic and Insanely Cute: Petit Bateau

Have your little ones feeling cosy and looking chic in famous French clothing label Petit Bateau. (And get a $100 discount, too. See below for details.)

French label, Petit Bateau is known worldwide for its simple, classic and ultra-soft garments for babies, children and adults. It’s been around since 1893 and has pioneered huge developments in the apparel industry, namely the invention of underpants (I know!), the first baby bodysuit with popper fastening (hello, convenient nappy changing!) and the American armhole (you know, the folded over seams at the shoulders of a onesie to allow you to easily pull it over baby’s head or shimmy it down the whole body during a blowout?). Yes, Petit Bateau has long been improving and perfecting baby, children’s and now adult clothing for years and years.

Whether you’ve ever owned anything from the internationally loved brand or not, you are likely familiar with it and even able to envision its long-established, charming logo, the little sail boat. It’s reputation of quality-made, comfortable, made-to-last and stylish children’s clothing has been earned through years of consistently keeping to the highest standards for each garment’s production from start to finish.

I recently visited the Petit Bateau’s Hong Kong flagship store at Harbour City in Kowloon, and loved being there so much that I stayed so long it almost got weird. Why did I love it so much? For one, I was obsessed with the extreme softness of the onesies, the pyjamas, the tees, the everything. I couldn’t stop petting the clothes like a Persian cat, and honestly, I had to fight my temptation to keep rubbing every piece of clothing on my face. Those beautiful rows of super soft onesies had me almost pining for a newborn (emphasis on the “almost”). Petit Bateau’s newborn collections of underwear and nightwear don the Oeko-Tex label, which means those products have been certified by one of the most strict certification systems in the world. And this means that the fabrics used to make these garments have been thoroughly tried and tested to be harmless to the most sensitive of newborn skin.

Another reason I was loving my time at Petit Bateau? The stripes! I’m a big fan of stripes, especially on kids. Petit Bateau’s sailor top is an all-time classic, but those fabulous stripes can also be seen throughout different collections, adapting to new seasons and styles, while still reminding us of its original, mariner-inspired spirit. I learned that the stripe spacing on the clothing is specific to each model. The distance between each stripe on the garment will vary with each different style and color of clothing. Clearly, they take their stripes seriously. And being that those stripes are responsible for one of the brand’s most recognisable, signature looks, I understand why.

My third reason for not wanting to leave the store?  Because of the gorgeous Fall Winter 2015 Collection. Filled with cozy, classics and updated takes on such, the dresses, floral-print padded jackets and vests, tube knit cardigans and sailor shirts in heavy jersey had me swooning.

Though I loved it all, here’s what I ended up choosing for Stella:

This wonderful, long-sleeved, turtlenecked cotton jersey dress. Perfect for those cool Hong Kong winter days, its thick cotton jersey makes it warm and durable. The snap buttons along the neck and shoulder allow for the turn down of the turtleneck on those warm days, or on a fussy, moody toddler. I died for the box pleats on the skirt, and of course – those glorious stripes. It’s a classic, practical and pretty little number. So practical and comfortable that Stella was able to scoot with ease, even getting a little tricky. And Stella was like, “It makes me feel warm and a little bit fancy.”

I also couldn’t leave without this classic wool and cotton cable knit cardigan. It’s the perfect thing for Stella to throw on when it gets a little chilly, and it puts a sweet, colorful accent on anything she may be wearing, even her favorite stained and raggedy Peppa Pig t-shirt.

And my last, but surely not least reason for loving Petit Bateau? The pyjamas, of course. No doubt, the classic daytime designs have kids looking sharp and feeling good as they run, play and (if they’re like my daughter) destroy things. But what toddler or kid or human being on this earth wouldn’t want to take advantage of that ultra-soft, cosy cotton at bedtime? I had to snag those ever famous long john pjs for Stells. The fabric is warm, but breathable, stretchable, and incredibly soft. They are made using a rare Petit Bateau technique which produces a fabric with wool on the outside and cotton inside for both warmth and comfort. And the “jammies” fit Stella perfectly. Now I’ve had fabric “hug” me before, but usually a little too tight and aggressively, and usually because I can’t say no to cake. But this fabric gives that perfect, non-smothering, warm hug. If anything could make my 3-year old night owl fall asleep without 300 stories, 7 cups of milk and a boogie monster eviction, it would be these pjs.

I’ve always known Petit Bateau to be a stylish, solid, quality children’s label, but to be honest, I had not visited a store in quite a while. After my Harbour City experience and after having my daughter want to live in these clothes ever since first putting them on, I have become a huge Petit Bateau fan, and plan to go back even next week to stock up on some more pyjamas, t-shirts, and holiday gifts for other little munchkins who will also want to live in the fabric.

Get a $100 Petit Bateau Coupon!

So go check out a Petit Bateau store near you, ASAP! And do it now because Petit Bateau is offering Sassy Mama readers a $100 Pateau Bateau coupon to spend at one of their 4 Hong Kong locations!

Simply send an email to Petit Bateau with Sassy Mama in the subject line at  [email protected]. Petit Bateau will then reply to you with an redemption letter. 

Coupon will be valid until December 31, 2015. Redemption must be made on or before the expiry date and will be valid at all 4 Petit Bateau stores in Hong Kong. See below for locations.

Ocean Terminal, Tsim Sha Tsui, FLAGSHIP STORE Shop G09A, GF, Ocean Terminal, Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui. Hours: Monday – Sunday 10:00 to 22:00. Tel: (852) 3188 4051

Lee Garden, Causeway Bay, Shop 209, 2F, Lee Garden, Causeway Bay. Hours: Monday – Sunday 11:00 to 20:30. Tel: (852) 3188 1592

Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong, Shop 16, 2F, Festival Walk, Kowloon Tong. Hours: Monday – Sunday 11:00 to 21:00. Tel: (852) 3188 9279

New Town Plaza, Shatin, Shop A191, 1F, New Town Plaza III, Sha Tin. Hours: Monday – Sunday 10:00 to 22:00. Tel: (852) 3621 0520