I’m not sure what’s happening here in NYC, but I just returned from a trip to London and the first stage of spring has sprung. Daffodils were in bloom at Hampton Court Palace, freesia graced the grounds, and tulip leaves were just beginning to emerge. All of this is enough to put a skip in your step and a smile on your face.
But if I could give Her Majesty one piece of advice for King Henry VIII’s former residence, it would be to bring in a little Sweet William. In gardening circles, sweet william is also known as dianthus. But in my circle (which is really the most important, no?), Sweet William is a decadent children’s boutique in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Just like a gardener knows how to cultivate young buds, owner Bronagh Staley knows how to cultivate just the right selection of baby and children’s clothing and accessories. Drawing on her background and contacts as former fashion editor of Cookie Magazine, the bright colors and tender styles that Bronagh brings to Sweet William are the perfect addition to any child’s spring wardrobe. It’s a modest, focused collection that brings together the most unique, high-quality, eco-friendly, and, in some cases, locally designed goods. While the collection is constantly changing, you might find pieces from Pop Up Shop, Mini Rodini, and locally created, hand-embroidered onesies (soon to be expanding into dresses) by Coral & Tusk. You’ll also find pieces from Angela Devine, a mother of three from Montana who designs the clothing and then works with Bronagh to pick the fabrics for the pieces that will appear in the store.
And, when it comes to the toy collection, you’d be hard-pressed to find any plastic toys. Bronagh opts for the handmade, old-fashioned knitted, felted wool or wooden toys such as the Alpaca toy penguin from i golfini della nonna.
Photo Credits: Ashley Reardon
There’s plenty here to keep you coming back for more (if you don’t have children, you’ll be racking your brains to figure out who you can buy the delicious pieces for), but keep an eye to the future, when Bronagh someday hopes to open another location in NYC. In the meantime,with that spring in your step, skip to my lou and skip on over to Sweet William.
Sweet William
112 North 6th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
718-218-6946
http://www.sweetwilliamltd.com/
