Shop Local, Eat Fresh at the Saratoga Farmers' Market | Food, Crafts, Music in Saratoga Springs

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Trendy Empress brings fun and functional kid’s clothes to the farmers’ market

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By Julia Howard

 

Parents know that every stitch matters when it comes to clothing for children and babies. Trendy Empress Boutique, a new children’s clothing company based in Fort Edward, introduces a clothing line focusing on functional, wearable goods made with high-quality fabrics with fun prints.

Jessica Gerber, owner and creator of Trendy Empress Boutique, started the business one year ago when she received a sewing machine as a Christmas present. “I sewed so much that the machine broke in two months,” Gerber laughs. This happening did not deter Gerber from her love of creating clothes.

“Ever since I was little, I have always loved fashion,” explains Gerber. A busy mother of two young boys and an engineer by day, Gerber works at designing and creating clothes in her free time. 

Trendy Empress, photo provided

“I wanted to make comfortable and sturdy clothes for my kids because there isn’t very much variety for boys in stores,” says Gerber. Even though she is new to sewing, she dedicates herself to the task. Gerber enjoys the process so much that she brings her handmade creations to the community as a new vendor at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market.

  Gerber primarily makes kid’s clothing, hats, scarves, and hair accessories for newborn to teen sizes. Her designs include dresses, rompers, shirt and pants sets, toddler underwear, boxers, and briefs. 

Her styles vary; some are simple, classic pieces, while others have fun character prints like Bluey. Gerber also makes gender-neutral clothes with charming patterns and prints for babies and toddlers.

Trendy Empress Boutique offers festive children’s holiday outfits emphasizing wearability, function, and comfort. The holiday line includes red velvet dresses with faux fur trim, Santa shirt and pants sets, and dresses and tops made with festive Santa and reindeer patterns paired with black pants.

Trendy Empress, photo by Graciela Colston

For Gerber, the quality of the material she works with is crucial to the integrity of Trendy Empress clothing. “I try to source most of the material from small, women-owned businesses,” says Gerber. She works with cotton, bamboo cotton, and some cotton-poly blends – all breathable, soft materials that wash and wear well. “It’s important that my clothes are functional for parents, too,” Gerber says.

You can find Trendy Empress Boutique on Saturdays at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, and Gerber accepts custom and upcycle orders by email at trendyempress@gmail.com. Trendy Empress Boutique’s website is under construction, but you can find the company on Facebook and Instagram @TrendyEmpress. 

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open on Saturdays from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. in the Wilton Mall Food Court. Find us online at www.saratogafarmersmarket.org, where you can sign up for our weekly newsletter, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SaratogaFarmersMarket.

Quarantine Cooking with Kids

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By Julia Howard

With schools closed and many of us working from home, parents are desperately looking for ways to keep their children occupied. Food provides many opportunities for learning and play as well as nourishing our bodies and teaching important life skills. Here are 5 simple ways to use food and our local food system as learning tools for young children:

1. Cooking and Baking
Cooking and baking offer many learning opportunities for children; organizational skills, counting, measuring ingredients, team work, even writing out a grocery list. Cooking can be as simple as a smoothie, a salad, no-bake cookies, or assembling a picnic. Offering choices and presenting the activity as a game can be helpful in keeping the attention of your little ones.

2. Crafts and Games
The internet is peppered with DIY crafts and games to keep kids entertained, but look no farther than your fridge for real fun. Making fruit and vegetable prints with discarded stalks, cores, and stems is a creative, no-waste activity for little ones. Building constructions or creating a piece of art from cut fruit and vegetable pieces can make a tasty snack much more entertaining.

3. Planting Activities
If you want to garden with your kids but you’re not quite ready to dig out a space in your yard, here are some ideas that provide opportunities to grow on a small scale. Herbs, leafy vegetables, and celery may simply grow in water by cutting the plant at its base and placing it in water. An indoor herb garden or an outdoor container garden offers the full gardening experience. If you don’t have time to plant seeds, contact your local nursery as many are offering curbside pickup for plants.

4. STEM Activities
Whether your child is learning about taste vs. smell or the phases of the moon, food can be used for countless STEM experiments to stimulate higher thinking and problem solving. Try shaking heavy cream to make butter, experiment with the many ways to bake a potato, or make ice cream with salt, ice, and cream.

5. Driving Farm Tour or Virtual Tour
For families itching to get out of the house, a short drive through farm country can lift spirits during this difficult time. Make a map of your local producers, roll down the car windows, and take in the beauty that the area has to offer. Nettle Meadow and the Kemp Sanctuary even offer a virtual tour of their farm with opportunities to meet their famous rescue animals.

This week’s recipe: Apple & Carrot “Superhero” Muffins