Classic Children's Clothing

Two girls wearing classing Florence Eiseman clothing

Classic Children's Clothing

At Florence Eiseman, style starts small. We design chic, classic clothing your children will want to wear. Care and quality go into every detail, from sourcing the best fabrics available to delivering craftsmanship that lasts. You'll know a Florence Eiseman by its eye-catching color, its timeless silhouette, and details that pop. Children are exceptional, and we believe their clothes should be, too.

About Florence Eiseman

Florence Eiseman, Children's Fashion Designer

From her first sale of girls' pinafores in 1945, Florence Eiseman redefined children's fashion. What began as a hobby—sewing clothing for her children at home—grew into a fashion line that would set the standard for children's fashion the world over.

When the trend was to dress children like small adults, Florence had a different vision. She designed clothing that celebrated childhood."There was so much ruffling, with big skirts and petticoats," she said of girls' fashions at the time. "They made designs that made girls look like little women."

Instead, Florence dressed girls up in flattering A-line dresses that flowed away from the body, giving them room to run, jump, and play...in other words, to be children. She designed shortalls, jumpers, and more in styles that were childlike, distinct, and functional. A child could be a child in an Eiseman.

Her designs were iconic—pairing bold primary colors with whimsical appliqués that celebrated a playful, creative child. She chose high-quality imported fabrics and insisted on expert craftsmanship. Her commitment to durability in design is the reason Florence Eiseman garments are so often handed down, not just from sibling to sibling, but from generation to generation.

Florence's unique vision led her to the forefront of children's fashion. By 1955, she was awarded the prestigious Neiman Marcus Fashion Award, becoming the first children’s fashion designer ever to win and placing her in the company of style icons such as Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, and Princess Grace of Monaco.

Red Florence Eiseman dress red daisy appliqué detail

Florence designed clothing with a focus on family. Her coordinated brother-sister "go-togethers" were a favorite. Staying true to her aesthetic of clean lines, bold colors, and charming details, Florence designed matching sets for boys and girls that reflected sweetness, innocence, and whimsy that is unique to childhood. Believing childhood to be timeless, she took inspiration from traditional and historical designs, and translated works of art into her garments, from the impressionist masters to pop-art.

Designing stylish, practical clothing for ease and comfort was always Florence's ethos, and in 1963 she partnered with Helen Cookman of the Clothing Research and Development Foundation under her "Functional Fashions" line—a fashion line meant to provide quality, stylish, ready-to-wear clothing for people with disabilities. Under the Functional Fashions label, Florence Eiseman created the first commercially available, ready-to-wear high-end fashions for children with disabilities.

In 1964, Florence Eiseman became the first children's fashion designer ever honored in a major museum retrospective, when an exhibition of her career was hosted by the Denver Art Museum. In 2017, the Museum of Wisconsin Art hosted Florence Eiseman: Designing Childhood for the American Century, a cultural history of the Eiseman look from 1945 to the modern day. A video synopsis of the exhibit and the full exhibition catalogue, featuring iconic garments, are available here.

View the Exhibition Book

Florence Eiseman elevated childrenswear into the realm of high fashion through her focus on quality, comfort, and style. She dressed children to look like children, designing iconic pieces to be cherished and lived in. She redefined classic children's clothing with garments that embodied the charm of childhood, and she did it all by putting children first.

Florence Eiseman Today

Florence Eiseman has grown from a boutique brand of garments hand-sewn in Florence's own home to the longest-running children's fashion line in the United States. The line has been worn by the children of notables such as Elizabeth Taylor, John F. and Jacqueline Kennedy, Princess Grace of Monaco, and Beyoncé and Shawn "Jay Z" Carter. It was even our honor to provide custom-made clothing to be the official baby gifts from President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama during his presidency.

A family business from the start, Florence Eiseman has nurtured a legacy of quality, comfort, and style. To this day, we believe that children should look and feel like children in clothes that are made for them. Our designs follow the clean lines, bright colors, and simple, charming details that have defined the Florence Eiseman aesthetic for over seventy-five years. The finest fabrics, impeccable craftsmanship, and care for the littlest detail ensure our garments last till after they're outgrown. Our clothes are meant to be loved and lived in, from one generation to the next.

Florence Eiseman supplied the Obama Administration official baby gifts
brother and sister in Florence Eiseman sibling go-togethers