Ask a Shopkeeper: Psychobaby

We spoke with Psychobaby

What inspired you to start your shop?

We opened Psychobaby our brick and mortar store (in Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood) and then our online store (www.psychobabyonline.com) to give busy families a one-stop shop where they could purchase cool, crazy clothing, shoes, toys, books and accessories for their own children and others while having a blast. We think shopping should be filled with fun for everyone, and we have consciously chosen our products, staff and designed our website so that everyone with a cool, crazy ‘tude can express themselves with their unique choices! We wanted everyone to feel free as they shopped… there is no limit to the endless posibilities of pairings in our selections. We carefully selected our favorite brands from years of kid-testing, and then have discovered new lines that fit into our comfy, irreverant, practical and hip sensibility. We love the childlike way children are irreverant by wearing a superhero cape everyday to school, or deciding their rainboots go with everything– because why shouldn’t they? Kids are so multi-faceted, and we wanted them to have a comfortable place to go to express all the sides of their personalities. Families come hang out in our space and put together gifts from the categories, outfit their kids, or buy some new books for bedtime all in one swoop, and share jokes and stories about life with us on the site, and we couldn’t be happier. Our first branded tee- "Mommy Needs A Latte" says it all– we are right there with you, sleppy, happy parents with kids with busier social calendars than any of us, and we are lovin’ it. We thought very carefully about making the store and website accessible and fun for parents on a tight schedule, friennds who aren’t familiar with sizing, grandparents and, of course, the kids themselves, because their lively, quirky and fun personalities are a constant source of inspiration for us! The name came from the friendship we shared before the store was a twinkle in our eye! At the time, we had two children each (now 5 total!!!), and sometimes (believe it or not!) a tantrum would get in the way of plans to meet with each other for dinner or a playdate. Our code word for the screaming and purple face on our little one was always "I’ve got a Psychobaby." At the store’s inception, we thought this was a term other parents could relate to, and so we rolled wih it!

What categories do you cover?

We house clothing, shoes, toys, books, and accessories for ages newborn to age 8.

How long have you been in business?

Our aforementioned brick and mortar store opened on May 3, 2003 in Chicago’s bustling Bucktown shopping district, and our online followed a few years later.

Sum up your store’s style and sensibility in one sentence.

Cool, crazy kids’ stuff for hip kids that you would wear or use yourself (if you could fit in it!) Our ideals in terms clients and age ranges is exactly what our client base is— everyone (aunts, uncles, parents, friends, kids and grandparents) of every age range, locale and sensibility who wants some of our cool, crazy kids’ stuff.

What are the hot trends this season you’re excited about? Which trends are a hit with your customers?

For the upcoming season, we are thrilled with the return of the animal print, the love of pirates and the mixing of high and low fashion in a child’s way of looking turned out. Across the board, our clients (and us!) believe in mixing up the fashion so the child can express their own individual personality. We love a pair of Earnest Sewn’s rolled at the cuff with a Cotton Caboodle crew tee for that 50’s rockabilly look, or a baby gal in a Psychobaby skull and bones top, tutu and Converse. Anything that the little Psychobaby is comfy in and makes them feel good about themselves rocks in our book. For fall, we are jazzed about the new designs from our own Psychobaby brand, Kidcosmic, HiHo Batik, Joe’s Jeans, the new Micralite and EasyWalker strollers, Me in Minds, Sourpuss, Cotton Caboodle, Melissa and Doug, Baby Rock Records, Puma and Converse.

What products do you carry that celebrity babies and parents have/use? Can you tell us about any celebrity clients and what they have ordered?

We carry Appaman ( a wonderful day to day brands for girls and boys) and Lucky Jade (beautiful nature-inspired knitwear for babies), favorites of Angelina Jolie. Julia Roberts’ and Heidi Klum’s children have all been seen with Jellycat, one of our favorite brands of plush learning toys for babies. Kingsley, Converse, and Crocs seem to be very popular with every type of Mommy, celeb or not, ’cause everyone is a star in our book!

Can you offer a coupon code to our readers?

Log onto www.psychobabyonline.com and type in CBB10 in the coupon code section for 10% off your entire order. (The offer will be valid for a month from your posting date.)

Attached are the images, and I’ll list the prices below: Earnest Sewn Jeans, $126.00 Psychobaby Skull Tee, $26.00 Pamela Tutu, $37.00 Me In Mind Guitar Booties, $26.00 Jellycat Shoe Shufflin Sam, $26.00 Baby Rock Records, $16.98 Diaper Dude Plaid Messenger Bag, $92.00 Sourpuss Rocker Tee, $20.00