Summer Swimwear by Hartstrings

Like many of you, I've been shopping recently for my kids' summer clothing and swimwear. But I've had trouble finding stylish, comfortable, and age-appropriate apparel--especially for my eight-and-a-half-year-old daughter. So much of the summer clothing for girls that age/size (she is almost a size 10 now) is, in my opinion, not "right" for kids her age.

For this summer, R. needed a new coverup/romper (she wears these over her swimsuit when we go to the sprinklers at our local NYC playground). I was lucky to have the recent opportunity to participate in a shopping study for a company called Hartstrings. I've mentioned Hartstrings at this blog before--the company makes classic-styled, age-appropriate clothing for boys and girls ages 0-16. Within the company, there are 2 lines for girls--Hartstrings and KC Parker--and 1 line for boys--"Kitestrings".

I just purchased the following items for R. to wear this summer:

KC Parker White Halter Romper ($40, sizes 7-16). I knew as soon as I saw this terry romper that I loved it (and hoped that R. would too). Terry rompers remind me so much of my own childhood and summertime--they're the ultimate in cute comfort for girls of all ages.



Hartstrings White Dot Flip Flops (on sale for $9.99, originally $18; sizes toddler 4/5 to youth 3/4). R. loves to wear fun flip flops, and she badly needed a new pair (she now wears a size 4...she is almost ready for women's sizes but definitely not women's styles). And since she currently is eschewing anything "too pink" I was glad to find these navy-and-white flip flops at Hartstrings.

Also, while I didn't buy swimsuits this time, keep in mind that Hartstrings makes great swimwear for both boys and girls; I especially like this Tiki Print Rash Guard Set for boys and Pink Dot Bathing Suit for girls.

Here's R. modeling her new fashions, and her own opinions:

"I like that the romper has 2 pockets. But I don't like that you have to tie that thing (halter neck). That looks hard."

I asked her how she liked the fabric. "What's fabric?" she asked. "I don't know what that means. I'm not even a fashion person. Who even looks on your blog?" (Ahem). Later on: "I do like the fabric. It feels like a towel!"


"I like these flip flops!"


A few more points:

1) I am impressed with Hartstrings customer service. I placed my order on a Monday with expedited shipping (for purposes of this review) and received the order the very next day (it had been guaranteed within four days). No joke.

2) You can get even bigger discounts at Harstrings by visiting the sale sections. Also check the Hartstrings homepage for frequent coupon codes (today you can get an additional 25% of your order!) and its Twitter feed and Facebook Page for special deals and giveaways.

The only thing that could've been improved? I would have like to have seen more selection in boys' swimwear--right now there were just four rashguard/trunk sets available, and in limited sizes.

Go ahead and take a look at Hartstrings for your own kids' summer apparel!

Disclosure: This review has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias (#CBias). As always, all opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.