I find that Tween girls are the most difficult to shop for. A tween--a child between the ages of 9-12--is not quite a teen, but not a little kid anymore, either.
Tweens know what's "in." And what's "out." They know what they like. And dislike. Especially dislike. That makes it hard to know what to buy.
Adults just don't "get it." Although they... that is "we" mean well. I know, because I remember some of the gifts I received at that time. Gifts that weren't quite right. In fact, thumbs-down awful.
Fortunately I discovered Hip Chic, a funky clothing and accessories shop in Upper Montclair, NJ. Hip Chic specializes in cool products for tweens, teens and college students. When I was poking around, the place was swarming with tweens. A good sign. The owner definitely knows what tween girls love. Thank god. And she made some great gift suggestions.
"These initial pendants are very popular," the owner showed me the display of gold-plated necklaces. The letter necklaces are nickel-free. I like their modern look. Sure to make a tween happy.
Initial pendants: $20.00
The owner indicated a basket overflowing with cell phone holders and change purses. They’re really cute and come in a variety of colors and styles. The snowman is perfect for the holidays. But ya gotta love the perky red terrier. Hmm. I wonder if I'm too old to own one.
Change Purse: $7.00
Cell Phone Holder: $15.00
"Peace bags are doing very well with the Tweens," the owner points out an assortment of fabric bags that the store sells.
I like this hippy-luxe look with its pink peace sign and fashionable zebra stripes.
Peace tote bag: $18.00
You really can’t go wrong buying here for tween girls.
As I’m getting ready to leave I notice the adorable Kimmidolls.
"They just came in,” the owner said. “They're key chains. They all have different names."
Three of the sweet dolls/keychains are featured in the above photo (L to R): Etsumi, her spirit is joyful and playful and expresses "Delight"; Kioko brings fulfillment and pleasure and expresses "Happiness"; and Emi connects and cheers and means "Smile." Awww!
The delightful dolls are based on the traditional Japanese Kokeshi Doll. Kokeshi Dolls were hand-made by peasant farmers and given away as gifts of love and friendship.
Hip Chic carries a large selection of Kimmidoll key-ring characters sure to delight any tween.
Kimmidoll keychains: $10/each
With possibilities like this you might even receive a text from your tween: Thank U for da gift. I rilly luv it!
In the following month, I plan to single out some unique items from Montclair shops that would make fabulous gifts. And lucky you, you won’t even have to leave home as you can order everything on-line. You can check out a previous blog post where I highlighted festive dog accessories at The Banyan Tree.
photo credit for change purse/cell phone holder: hip chic
