Dear Boston Mamas: Cute Local Tees

Today's Dear Boston Mamas question comes from Perri via Facebook:

Baby girl turns 1 this week and I wanted to find a cute T-shirt or onesie for her to wear on her special day. I saw a couple of cute (non-cheesy) items in Chasing Fireflies but unfortunately do not have time to order. Any ideas of local shops that might have some fun, cute, sassy, non-cheesy birthday gear?

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Dear Perri,

Thanks for writing in! I'm often in the same boat as you; I love online shopping but often get to it too late (and I refuse to pay exorbitant expedited shipping costs!). Fear not, though, because we live in a city of retail awesomeness. There are so many baby and kid's boutiques in Boston and the surrounding communities, but here are a few great indie ideas to consider:

It's been a while since I stopped in, but Bird by Bird in Inman Square (Cambridge) has a fantastic collection of cool tees and onesies (and dresses, shoes, etc.) -- lots of hip screen printed options plus embellished goods.

For organic options, check out Hatched in Jamaica Plain.

They don't have their own storefront but I've seen Hoosier Magnolia on the craft show circuit a lot; this local company makes cool and quirky appliqué shirts and other items. I looked at their retailer list and you can find their shirts at select Whole Foods locations, and also at Magpie in Davis Square (which is an incredible treasure trove for cool and kooky indie finds).

Finally, I recommend you check out Etsy. This independent craft marketplace is a bit of a rabbit hole (there's so much awesomeness to choose from), but you can narrow your search by location. If you shop local, you not only support area artists but you can cut shipping time (assuming they can turn the item out to you immediately), or you might even be able to connect in person with the artist to pick up your item.

Good luck and happy shopping! And happy birthday to your baby girl!

Image credit: Hoosier Magnolia

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Have a question for Christine? Drop her a line! And of course feel free to comment in if you have recommendations beyond those made above.