Friday, March 6, 2009

Baby Clothes By Disney

by Kirsten Hawkins

Disney and children go together like milk and crackers. Its just a given that in almost any American household where children reside there is something in the home that was made by, produced by, licensed by, or endorsed by Disney.

Because of this natural affinity that Disney and kids seem to have, the Disney Corporation has been making clothing for children for nearly as long as they've been in business. This form of licensing and merchandising took off to new levels when George Lucas proved that there was money in movie licensing tie-ins with Star Wars in 1977. Today when a Disney movie is released there are kids' and babies' clothing items bearing the likenesses of the main characters faster than a parent can say Bambi. While some Disney titles are hit or miss these days (compare the numbers for Home on the Range with those for Finding Nemo) there are titles that seemed to strike a chord with kids and parents alike and the company still sells massive amounts of children's, toddlers', and babies' clothing related to those films.

The Little Mermaid

Even sixteen years after its release, kids and parents still love The Little Mermaid. Every little girl wants to be Arial (the titular mermaid) and their mothers don't mind helping them. Disney still sells t-shirts, swimsuits, and various other clothing items for babies and children with the film's motifs in droves.

Finding Nemo

One of Disney's most popular recent releases, Finding Nemo offers massive amounts of babies' clothing designs. Like Mermaid, the film's aquatic theme lends itself especially well to swimwear and summer wear for boys and girls alike. In fact, the first item listed when you enter the "infants" page on Disney Direct, the company's web store, is a Finding Nemo one-piece swimsuit for girls.

Classic Characters

The more things change, the more they stay the same someone once said and he may have been on to something. Of all the Disney themed apparel for babies and toddlers, no items are more popular with the kids or their parents than those that bear the images of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and the lovable dog Pluto. These are baby clothing items that are unlikely to ever disappear and which are so popular that a child throwing a foam brick in the daycare center is likely to hit at least one kid with Mickey stenciled or printed somewhere on his or her clothing. Suffice to say that when you're choosing casual clothing for your little Mickey or Minnie Mouse, you can't go wrong with designs by Disney.

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