Happy Green Bee outfits kids organically

Ah, the green Seattle baby: lovingly fed spoonfuls of mashed organic carrots purchased from a local farmer, clad in chlorine-free diapers and shuttled from P-Patch to PCC in a Prius. Add an outfit from Happy Green Bee clothing, and you've got a head-to-toe sustainable wee one.

Happy Green Bee, the Raleigh-based brainchild of Burt's Bees co-founder Roxanne Quimby, produces organic cotton clothes for infants and toddlers in vibrant colors that outshine the pastel palette popular with most baby clothiers. What's more, their environmental pedigree trumps that of most mass-produced baby clothes. Traditional cotton is one of the most pesticide-laden crops around, so going organic means Happy Green Bee gets points for eco-consciousness.

The collection ranges from $6 for socks to $36 for a petal-skirted dress, and it's available locally at Two Owls, Boston Street, Clover, Kids on 45th and Rising Stars. The clothing selection is simple: an array of mix-and-match long- and short-sleeved tops and onesies, kimono shirts, hats and leggings in bold stripes and solids. Among the color combinations: light blue with pink, brown with yellow and a seasonally appropriate red with green.

Happy Green Bee also conducts photo shoots at children's clothing stores around the country. During a 15-minute session with a stylist and professional photographer, kids get outfitted in a Happy Green Bee wardrobe (and take home a free pair of socks), and parents get to keep a photo of their wee ones. The company plans a round of shoots in Seattle later this winter or next spring.

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