Debonair: for your dressy darlings

EID is just around the bend, and you've already chosen the perfect outfits for yourself. Wonderful! Now, what about your little ones? Surely, they'll be expecting something new to wear too? If the thought hasn't crossed your mind as yet, don't panic. Just head on towards Debonair.

Debonair is located at House 1, Road 138, Gulshan, right next to Sarovar sarees. The spacious rooms that once displayed Westecs outfits now house an extensive collection of children's wear. From party frocks to shalwar kameezes, Debonair has just about any outfit to make for a very happy little girl. There is also a collection of shalwar kameez for women, tie-dyed tops for teenage girls, and a small collection of outfits for little boys...

The extensive range of party frocks range from Tk.150-1500, depending on the material and design. They are available in different materials like cotton, silk, nylons, lace, tissue and a host of designs inspired by leading fashion catalogues. The exclusive range includes evening dresses for the little ladies that come with a lot of detail work and matching stoles.
The shalwar kameez collection for children is priced at Tk.1100. The ladies' kameez collection starts at Tk.3000, while the tie-dyed tops range from Tk.350-550. There is also a collection of comfortable cotton night gowns that cost between Tk.300-650.

Little boys can hope for Debonair punjabis that cost between Tk.550-2000, depending on the material and design. There are also T-shirts priced at Tk.270, and trousers at a starting price of Tk.300. There is a small range of outfits for new borns at Tk.150-220.

If you want your kids to look real sharp and natty this Eid, then this is definitely the place to include in your Eid-shopping itinerary.

By Sabrina F Ahmad

Mayasir- the little princess exhibition

For a house of haute couture Mayasir is startlingly minimalist. Maheen Khan a name synonymous in our country with fashion is the creator of the whole range of garments for little children that is absolutely breathtaking. Anyone at first glance would not know how the small punjabis or kameezes for that matter are so wonderfully designed. She has used unusual fabrics and embellishments in her latest collections that are very innovative in design and colour.

During the eve of Eid all our young generation who are so fashion conscious want to wear something new and something special. So readers for all your little ones Mayasir is the ultimate store for you from where you can select variety of garments.

The little princess exhibition flaunts little kameezes that come in between the age group of 2-7 years . Sequins and embroidery at play in bright colours like pink, orange, red, green, and yellow combine to make a bewitching effect. These cost about TK 550 to about 750.

You can also find cute summer frocks in colours like blue, yellow and green, pink and all subtle shades. These cost about 270 to 450 TK.

The shop also boasts its Punjabi collection that comes for the age group of 7-9. These are embroidered Punjabi that come in colours like dark blue, green, maroon and even light blue. These garments are also very innovative in design, and cost within the range of TK550.

So if you are fretting about where to go for your kid's shopping during this Eid, then Mayasir is the ultimate store for you. This is one store that promises its customers to bring to their reach the latest in design and fashion.

Mayasir is located at 37 Kemal Ataturk Avenue, 1st floor, Banani , and also at Concord Arcadia, Dhanmondi.

By Sarah Zermin Huq

Cool kidswear at Nandan

NANDAN has become a familiar name in kids fashion over the last few years. Since its inception in 1995, the small shop situated in the Orchid Plaza in Dhanmondi has developed kids clothing and brought a new dimension to the market. Initially, Nandan used to produce blocked-clothing for mothers and kids. However, they soon captured the market for kids' clothing, putting more emphasis on it.

This shift in marketing strategies opened the door for Nandan, and with the unbelievable effort put in by its owner Ishrat Ara, the shop has improved by leaps and bounds, attracting customers from all over the city. Nandan has added its second store in Dhaka, at the Rangs Anam plaza, which was opened recently. The laudable thing about their material is that it is 100 percent cotton and this adds to the comfort of your kids. The store sells clothing for children starting from newborn babies to 14 year-olds.

The store has a collection, which comprises of frocks, T-shirts, nima's and fatuas for newborns, small gift packs, and different skirts and tops for kids. They even have socks for newborn to 10-year-old kids. The collection of frocks at Nandan is really good, with both different colours and designs available. The same goes for most of their products; a good variety can be found at the store. The shop is usually filled with customers and since Nandan doesn't do much advertisement, the customers basically come once to check it out and then recommending to others.

However, business wasn't always like this. Mrs. Ishrat faced many obstacles during the initial stages of the store. Nonetheless she kept at improving the products and this improvement displays its perks nowadays. Being a favourite amongst mothers and shoppers for kids, Nandan keeps at providing its customers with different clothing and brings its own designs into the market. The clothing is all designed by Ishrat herself, and she also supervises the production, all done at her own factory. She started off with only 3 machines and now boasts 15 machines used for production.

The prices are fairly reasonable and this provides a good edge over its competitors. Her aim is to use local products and hence help the economy as well as provide good quality products. This is quite an exception in a market, which is usually dominated by imported products from places like Thailand and India.

The one problem that is faced by Nandan is the shortage of raw materials required for production. Different shades of cloth material are hard to find and this provides a rare drawback. "Children love bright and colourful clothing," adds Ishrat. To keep up with the growing customer list, Nandan has to come up with new designs and colour combinations quite often.
Ishrat has high hopes for Nandan in the future, although she has opened her second shop. She intends to carry Nandan into the future by expanding the shop and adding a whole newborn section, which would have everything from socks to diapers, not to mention clothing. She also intends to maintain the quality that has maintained the growing demand. However her plans for the immediate future continue to keep customers satisfied and to meet any complains.

Nandan has really captured its own market and has kept on growing its customer list over the last few years. The contribution of its owner is definitely laudable and this makes the products keep improving. So, if you are out shopping for your kid, don't forget to give Nandan a visit.

By Mishel Ali Khan

See also : the ultimate kid's shopping guide