How to create a classic chic French look for your child

How to create a classic chic French look for your child

Online and in our Parisian boutique L’île aux Fées, we are often asked questions on how to dress children in a classic chic French style.


Raised in Paris and living in the French capital half of the year, here are a few guidelines from our designer and tips from the team:


  • Less is more

To enhance children’s natural features, sobriety is the key word. No need to over do it by dressing them up to much. Leonardo da Vinci’s quote “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” perfectly reflects this French state of mind.

Avoid superficial details, bold accessories and rich ornaments. Life is party and childhood is meant to be celebrated but with discretion and subtillity.


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What makes l’Île aux Fées dresses so special?

What makes l’Île aux Fées dresses so special?

At l’Île aux Fées, we strive to make each purchase a delightful experience in the magical world of childhood. In their style and details, our dresses are very special :

  • Handmade within our atelier by the skilled fairy hands our passionate team of embroiderers, each one is made with care and love.

  • Made in highly limited editions sometimes unique version, our dresses are one-of-a kind

  • Selecting the softest cottons, most elegant velvets, precious tulle and organza and most gorgeous Liberty prints, only the best of fabrics are used for our dresses.

  • Made with traditional couture techniques, our dresses are of high quality. All our hems are stitched by hand to obtain a completely  invisible seam, as clean from the inside as from the outside

  • Until the very last button, each and every detail matters. Our buttons are self covered in fabric matching the dress colours, two additional buttons are discreetly sewn in the side hem in case of lose and some of our dresses come with a small extra loop button for a perfect closing

  • Smocked or embroidered, each one is a real work of art.  The fabric is manually pleated with great delicacy, our embroideries are made with traditional hoops. The result is so precise that we talk “peinture à l’aiguille” meaning needle painting. Our amandine dresses also have refined embroideries upon the sleeves.

  • Thank a handmade cotton lining, all our dresses twirl making little girls feel like princesses! Our Netti dress even have additional tulle under layer sewn upon the lining creating a wide and airy skirt.

  • As pretty from front and back, a delicate bow with the shape of butterfly wings adds a chic finishing touch. It is one of our signature detail.

  • Last but not least behind each dress lies not only a precious skill but most of all a human heart and soul. Our atelier enables Madagascan women to value their expert work and earn a decent living.

May our dresses bring you much joy! Wear with love!



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What are smocks?

What are smocks?

If the term smocks is commonly associated to little girl dresses, its exact definition and origin is less known….

Hard to believe today but until quite recently smocks were actually part of men’s wardrobes.

Smocks can be defined the embroidery of geometrical or figuratives shapes on top of tightly pleated panels of fabric. The original aim was not decorative but functional. Smocks were used to reduce fabric while keeping a certain flexibility and ease of movement. Smocked shirts were long worn by woodcutters before integrating childrens’ wardrobes.



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