Children put on Sunday best for Easter

One lyricist said he could write a sonnet about the Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it. It's a sight as associated with Easter as chocolate bunnies and white lilies - boys and girls in their Easter finest.

The Easter outfit is a lasting tradition, though the fashions change, says Dani Nelson, assistant manager of The Children's Place clothing store in West Acres Regional Shopping Center.

"You dress your kids up and take them to church. A lot of people do Easter photos. ... 'Let's dress the kids up and match them, coordinate them,' " Nelson says.

"We get the stuff in really early. When Easter rolls around, it's sold out," she says.

Kris Noonan, co-owner of Pout Baby Boutique in Fargo, points out that the Easter holiday coincides with the start of the spring season. Everyone is eager to wear a new, fun, bright spring outfit, she says.

Noonan says some parents veer toward a standard Easter look - frilly and lacy dresses topped with a bonnet. "What our parents put us in," as she describes it. "We tend to carry a more updated look," she says about her south Fargo store.

Instead of Easter bonnets, Pout Baby Boutique stocks funky headbands and flower hair clips for girls, and fedora hats for boys. The dresses are streamlined, fashioned more similarly to mom's attire. The boys may still sport a tie, but in an edgy fabric.

Nelson says Easter fashions have grown more casual over the years. Her store is carrying a lot of separates for girls - tutu skirts, cropped sweaters and leggings. For boys, it's blazers, argyle vests, linen pants, fun ties and newsboy hats.

There's also some traditional Easter accessories: patent leather purses and Mary Jane shoes.

Nelson and Noonan both say Easter fashions can be a challenge to pull off in our climate. Most spring dresses are sleeveless, inappropriate for chilly weather, especially when Easter is early in the season. They recommend pairing a dress with a cardigan or shrug.

Some stores still cater to that traditional Easter look, and for less. Target currently has a selection of ribbon-adorned Easter hats and gloves for girls in its dollar aisle.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Sherri Richards at (701) 241-5556

1/2: Bret and Brie Gilmour, ages 8 and 9, of Fargo wear coordinating turquoise and yellow polka-dotted dresses with ribbon sashes. They will wear them to church Easter morning, as well as to a Mother's Day tea. Dave Wallis / The Forum

2/2: Instead of Easter bonnets, many parents are turning toward funky hair accessories, like the flower clip worn by Edda Ulven, age 4 months. Her brother, Beck, 3, wears an argyle vest with matching socks. David Samson / The Forum