Photo by Erin Nelson.
Customers shop at Little Buckhead Blue, a children’s clothing store, in Lane Parke.
Abby Ballinger said over the years, moms have grown to love the styles of the Beaufort Bonnet Co.
She knows because she’s one of those moms. She also knows because those moms come through the doors of her children’s clothing store, Little Buckhead Blue, six days a week.
“It’s a great place to find the perfect casualwear clothing for spring breaks and summer vacations,” Ballinger said of Little Buckhead Blue, which carries the Beaufort Bonnet line exclusively. “I dress my kids in Beaufort Bonnet all the time. It’s a great brand for boys and girls.”
And now Mountain Brook is home to the newest Little Buckhead Blue location. The Lane Parke shop held its grand opening in February.
“Beaufort Bonnet is a classic, Southern, traditional brand,” Ballinger said. “It really has swept away the children’s market.”
From baby clothes to boys’ polos and shorts to girls’ pima cotton dresses, the clothes are crowd pleasers, she said. “It’s a great brand for all seasons, whether that be Easter or Christmas, and a great brand for pictures. You can complement the whole family.”
She said with her three children — even with her oldest one, who’s 8 — “it’s fun to have them all coordinating.”
Ballinger said Beaufort Bonnet clothing is also perfect for the fast-approaching beach season.
“One of my favorite things about Beaufort Bonnet is their swimwear line,” she said. “It has a great texture to it, it’s a great quality and everyone loves the quality that goes with the price tag.”
Ballinger’s first dip into the children’s clothing industry came six years ago when she started a children’s boutique in the Atlanta area called King & Bear, named for her two sons, Kingston and Barron.
“I carried Beaufort Bonnet in that store, but what I ended up doing was taking Beaufort Bonnet out of that store and opening its own store, Little Buckhead Blue, two years ago,” she said.
The inspiration for the name came from two places — one, the store was in the Buckhead area of Atlanta, and two, Buckhead Blue was the name of Beaufort Bonnet’s light blue color.
“They have cute names for all their colors,” she said.
And now Lane Parke is home to the second store by the same name.
Ballinger said she chose that location “because it’s the perfect location for our clientele and will bring people from all over like our Atlanta store does.”
She said she loves going to Lane Parke.
“It’s such a walkable shopping center with good food, fun places for dessert, doughnuts, Jeni’s Ice Cream, Crumbl Cookies — all the things a child would want,” Ballinger said. “And for mom, there’s a Starbucks.”
Ballinger said she thinks the new store will be a hit, just like its neighbors.
“Birmingham has been a great market for Beaufort Bonnet,” Ballinger said. “It’s such a sought-after location to travel to, we think it’s a good spot for people to stop by on their way to the zoo and other places.”
For more information, visit @littlebuckheadbluemb on Instagram.
