Tulips

Sorry, it's www.thewhitecompany.com. I love everything from their baby section, from rattles to cashmere blankets.

flanneruk

I'm not a mum, but:

1. Bloomingdales etc have no particular cachet here. When a flight to New York costs less than a train from London to Glasgow, all Bloomies or Nordstrom says is "I bought it cheap". That's not to say that something NICE from an American shop won't be appreciated.
2. Do remember that posting a present from the US, or getting a US site to deliver, may involve the recipient in paying import duty and a handling charge.
3. DO NOT GIVE BURBERRY. David is 100% right.
4. Strongly endorse the White Company. Or try www.bloomingmarvellous.co.uk

Scarlett

" When a flight to New York costs less than a train from London to Glasgow, all Bloomies or Nordstrom says is "I bought it cheap".

While I am not interested in shopping at Bloomies and they are not big fans of the store either. . I don't quite understand this statement.
You might not have been to Nordstroms ? Are we equating a baby gift price with airfare now???

Personally, I thought the same thing when I started looking at Burberry...I have their bags, but somehow doubt a tiny baby boy would be happy with a fine leather bag even if it was understated without a loud plaid showing
I was thinking since winter is on its way and their new home in Surrey which is really very old, might be a bit drafty and damp, so a cashmere blanket and a piece of silver with his name ( most of it, he has a very long name!) and some soft little baby clothes from an American store might be nice after all.

Thank you all for the good ideas, it was almost as fun as actually shopping with you

Scarlett

Oh and flanner, we pay the shipping and handling plus duty here when we send packages to Europe or Asia.
I do this all the time.

Tulips

Scarlett; look at the White Company's cashmere blankets; very nice. And they're based in the UK, so not much shipping costs.

Xenos

I think that what flanner meant was that BECAUSE flights from the UK to NY are so amazingly cheap nowadays, a lot of chavettes and footballers' wives go there specifically to shop. Unless you're unlucky enough to get stopped on the way back by Customs, you can easily make up the price of the airfare several times over in what you save, because prices of clothing and other "designer" goods are so much cheaper over there. So most people in the UK are well aware of these big price differences and are unlikely to be impressed by branded goods bought in the US.

I would either go with walkinaround's suggestion of a "home-made" hamper of nice individual gifts, or have a look at these two sites, which my daughter has found invaluable since becoming a mum earlier this year -

http://www.preciouslittleone.com/acatalog/nursery.html
http://www.kiddicare.com/

I would strongly advise against buying any sort of clothing, since individual babies grow at incredibly different rates and you may end up buying something that you think would make a nice warm winter outfit for him in a couple of months' time, that doesn't actually fit him until next summer, or vice versa. My grandson was out of newborn clothes by 2 weeks and the lovely furry bunny suit that someone bought him for this winter would have fitted him perfectly in the midst of summer, but I believe his parents would have been arrested for subjecting him to heat exhaustion if they'd ever put it on him

Kate

just another voice guarding against Burberry - it's truly trailer park trash here now - or rather what we'd call Chav. Just don't!

Look at http://www.chavscum.co.uk/ for an idea of what we speak. eek!

Xenos

walkinaround

I wasn't trying to suggest that anyone would "turn their noses up", I was just pointing out that if the idea was to try and impress someone in the UK with a designer or (relatively) expensive US store label, it probably wouldn't have quite the desired effect.

My own daughter was quite disappointed a few weeks ago when her m-i-l went shopping in NY and, instead of the lovely Baby Gap or DKNY present she'd been looking forward to, she was given a baby sweatshirt with some kind of sports team logo on it. Still, as I pointed out, it's the thought that counts. Now if it had been a baby MUFC or England Rugby shirt, that would have been different

ncgrrl

Have fun shopping for the baby. After deciding on the best gift every, please add in a bib that says 'someone in Portland loves me'.

BTilke

Ahh, poor Scarlett, so many putdowns for such a nice, simply request.

If only the baby had been a little Englishwoman, girls so much easier to shop for...clothes, add a pearl necklace (the perfect gift for someone lives in The Pearl). People always suggest sports toys for boys, a bit of pressure there, hope the young lad isn't another Billy Elliot.

Anyway, my suggestion would be to stop into the rare books department of Powell's and check out their children's books. You might find a first edition or beautifully illustrated book of a favorite children's story. A few years ago, I bought a first edition of Bambi (the original novel is NOTHING like the movie). Nobody but you and the clerk would have any idea of the price, so these "anything from the U.S. must be cheap" school will be flummoxed.

In addition to the usual fairy tales, perhaps an early addition of an American classic story that would appeal to boys (The Light in the Forest, Old Yeller, The Yearling, for example).

LoveItaly

Good grief dear Scarlett, I don't know why your very reasonable question went so downhill. Since I haven't had my first cup of coffee yet so I will just keep my thoughts brief and say that I certainly agree with Elaine's post.

A reminder to myself to never ask for advice about where to buy a present for heavens sake.

Scarlett, I hope you and Yankee can get over to England to see this little lad just as soon as possible.
Best wishes to you.

walkinaround

my comments were not at all directed at the OP. she did not ask for a gift with the most snob appeal. my comments were only directed at the notion that someone would be insulted that the gift was bought in the US where it was obviously cheaper due to the currency. i don't see anyone defending this point.

Phinn

Take it easy, Johnhard!

For what it's worth, OSHKOSH BY GOSH apparently has a lot of street cred in the UK, or so I was told by an English friend!

annhig

the child in Q will be 4 now and Scarlett, last time i looked, was in Buenos Aires - this is an old, old thread!

Cathinjoetown

I have mailed many flat packs of baby clothes to the UK (three small grandchildren live there). I indicate "baby clothes" on the customs form and the parents have never been asked to pay customs.

Now, I don't know whether that is because Customs can't be bothered with something that insignificant or if it has do with the fact there is no VAT on baby clothes and books. For books, we use amazon.co.uk, so no issue there.

My daughter really liked a newborn range from Target with Winnie the Pooh theme. Baby Gap, although available in the UK, is also popular with our kids. None of it made in the States, of course.

However, between the arrival of the first baby three years ago and the third in January(two sets of parents), US postage has risen considerably. We transfer funds to their accounts and to the UK government savings scheme for children.

janisj

Phinn: Why the heck did you top a thread from <B>2005</B>??

(Cathieinjoetown - Scarlett ain't looking for help anymore)

some of the posters above have changed screen names and a few have changed continents since this was posted!!

Cathinjoetown

jj, You are so good at noticing dates. When will I learn? Oh well.

LoveItaly

I have often thought in addition to the list of threads showing the date of the last post they should also show the date of the original post. I have sometimes clicked on a thread that has been brought back up from ages ago and only because the thread seemed familar did I note how old the thread was and realized that those posting new comments hadn't noticed. I have no clue how Phinn didn't notice however as he had to have found this old thread via the search box I would think.

janisj

OH - I don't always notice. But this one was like a neon light . . . some prior screen names that have been changed, and Scarlett being in Portland. Really old history.

LoveItaly

Yes indeed janisj. And again I do wish Fodor's would post the date of the original thread as well as the date of the last post. But guess that wouldn't work with real old posts.