I never was blessed with a daughter, but am very grateful for my two rambunctious little boys.  It doesn’t mean I’m not a sucker for glitter and dresses, so when FashionPlaytes asked me if I was interested in checking out their new virtual design studio that empowers girls ages 6-12 to design and produce their very own clothing, I immediately thought of my fantastic friend Julie (I know, ironic we share the same name.  That’s why we’re so fabulous.) and her daughter Emily, I had to join in on the fun. The online platform let’s girls “play designer” and use their creativity to create custom clothes and accessories (complete with personalized labels!) that are delivered to their doorstep in just 3 weeks.

Once Emily was introduced to FashionPlaytes and shown the basic tips on how to operate the website and at just five years old, she went off on her own for hours, playing with different designs and creations to see the sparkles and designs she could make.  When it came time for Emily to actually decide what she’d like delivered to her door, she had her dress designed in just ten minutes.

It was about two weeks later that Emily’s new dress arrived.  It was wrapped in tissue paper with a thicker plastic around it to protect the garment and Emily put it immediately on.  Her mother, Julie (ironic, I know) said that she tried to wear it for days on end, until she finally pried it off her for Saturday’s laundry day.

I came up to Syracuse where Julie and her family live and it’s where I stay when I visit town.  The second I walked in the door, Emily had the dress on and wore it for the rest of the night and I believe tried to wear it to bed.  In fact, Emily’s birthday is this week and she’s turning six and I was just told that she bragged about her new dress and wore it so often that her uncle bought her a $50 gift certificate to FashionPlaytes just for the occasion!

A fabulous activity for moms and daughters (or nieces!) to enjoy together, the site allows girls to see their unique ideas come to life with high-quality garments they’ll be proud to wear. And – with prices starting at just $25 for a custom dress, the designs are budget-friendly and make for a fabulous birthday gift or slumber party activity. FashionPlaytes is happy to announce that soon girls will soon have over 2 million design options to choose from. They are adding trendy dip-dyed dresses, lace trims, and flared capris and tanks just in time for the nice weather heading our way!