In between posing for selfies and going on adventures, the Millennial generation is quickly approaching the next big phase of life: parenthood. According to the Pew Research Center, a million of them are now becoming moms each year. Like Baby Boomers, Millennials are redefining what it means to be parents. One way they are expressing their differences? By creatively dressing their babies and toddlers.
Credit: saltylittlebums.com
Enter Salty Little Bums, a Southern California-based minimalist clothing brand for small children. Founded by a pair of designers, Kendall Hicks and Johnny Hirth, who happen to be a couple, their company had a clear brand goal from the get-go: modern unisex children’s apparel that uses contemporary design and typography. In sharp contrast to most kids’ clothing brands, Salty Little Bums has a unique palette: a monochromatic mix of gray, black, and white tones.
Salty Little Bums puts funny and quirky text phrases on its signature baby shirts — typical Millennial utterances such as “Blah!”, “Chillin” and “Born a Unicorn.” From rompers to bottoms and raglans, all of the clothing is 100% cotton, eco-friendly, and uses water-based inks — catering to Millennial predilections for sustainability.
The Salty Little Bums founders, like most Millennials, are adept at using social media to promote their fashion line. Hicks and Hirth seem to have a knack for capturing product images that resonate with their audience. The company recently launched a “Brand Rep and Enthusiast Search” program on social media, inviting kid models to represent its brand. The program helps the brand capitalize on high quality user-generated content and dramatically increases its visibility among like-minded, social media-oriented parents.
Whatever Sweatshirt | Credit: saltylittlebums.com
Salty Little Bums’ brand faces competition from other similarly fast-growing “cool kids” fashion brands. Rags to Raches, for instance, is a trendy kids clothing line that made a name for itself by appearing on Shark Tank in 2016. The brand is most famous for its toddlers onesies and features a patent pending neck design that makes slipping it on and off a breeze. Similar to Salty Little Bums, Whistle & Flute is another unisex kids fashion brand created by two parents. Its products feature quirky print designs such as pizza, pandas, and ramen bowls.
When designers Hicks and Hirth were little, their parents spiffed them up in signature Baby Gap and Baby Abercrombie tee-shirts. It’s funny to think how quickly those breakout children’s brands of 20 to 30 years ago have turned into establishment legacy brands now being both avoided and challenged by hipster upstarts.
