Back in 2005, when Pea was just a couple of months old, I opened up the latest issue of “D” magazine and became instantly hooked. Hooked on what, you might ask? Baby Bean Vintage Daywear. It was late summer of 2005, I believe. And Pea was barely two months old. She was living in onesies from Target. Practical, but not terribly stylish. I was literally aching to dress her in chic little baby clothing. I had lists of all of the items that I was going to purchase, just as soon as she turned one. For some reason, one was the magic number for me. And although I couldn’t even begin to comprehend how different life would be with a one-year old, I knew one thing for certain: she was going to be the best-dressed one-year old around.

Baby Bean Vintage Daywear was local to us. Dallas. And as a newly-arrived East Coaster, I was having a hard time adjusting to life in Texas. My childhood images (stereotypical as they might have been at the time) of Texas were sure to prove reality, right? Because it was my understanding that everyone in Texas was a cattle rancher. They all rode horses, lived in chaps and spoke with a distinctive George Bush-ish twang. Right? Wrong.

Dallas turned out to be pretty sophisticated. Yes, my husband’s family actually were cattle ranchers in East Texas, but there were no chaps to speak of. Chic little boutique hotels (like Hotel Zaza), fantastic dining and local clothing labels to make your heart skip a beat did abound, however. And among those lines? Baby Bean Vintage Daywear.

So, like I said, I added them to my list. And then, Pea turned one. And the child was quite literally growing at warp speed. Some items of clothing? She wore only once. And that one time she wore it? She wore it without the buttons buttoned. Let’s just say that she’s always been well ahead of the curve when it came to size. And so it became my duty to dress her reasonably in inexpensive “throw-away” clothing. Boring.

And while Pea was still growing like a weed, along came little Coco. Oh, petite little Coco. The child is still wearing a 6-12 month dress and her shoes? Don’t even get me started. She’s still in soft-soled baby shoes because there are no “big-girl” shoes for such a tiny foot. And so? Baby Bean, lookout! I was going to get her one of their adorably chic little baby dresses. And I did. And Coco has literally been living in this little halter dress all summer.

Here she is, two Sundays ago, at the local Farmer’s Market. Tough to get a picture of a munchkin who is constantly in motion, but here it is. I adore this dress. It’s the most adorable cut, a halter with the most gorgeous ribbon trim at the hem, and it has a substantial amount of stretch to it, so I know that it’s a dress that’s going to grow with her for a season or two. In fact, I’ve already picked out several tee-shirts that we can layer it over for the coming cooler months. The color, the cut, the trim – it’s all so well thought out and I’m so glad that I finally bought a Baby Bean. I just wish they made this in my size.