HE'S THE WORLD'S "most eligible infant" in the words of Vanity Fair. But for all of Prince George's product-placement opportunities — and his close connection to the globe's reigning style icon, Kate Middleton — after a year of prancing around in Peter Pan collars and hand-smocked rompers, the young heir to the British throne has yet to ignite the passions of budding American fashionistos and the parents who shop for them.
The question is why. It's not for a lack of attention. After all, how many people without a Vogue subscription have entire websites devoted to their look? And yet, the more-than-slightly obsessive sites — whatprincegeorgewore.com is just one example — seem to be thriving. There, royal scholars can learn that the crab-motif sweater he wore while kicking a ball (as seen on the cover of Women's Day New Zealand) was by The Little White Company. And that an Easter visit to Sydney's Taronga Zoo found George in separates from the British luxury brand Rachel Riley.
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It's not that George isn't cute. And sometimes his appearances do trigger a run on his outfits. But unlike his mom — who made it OK to wear stockings again, and set off a nude-pumps mania — his look doesn't speak to the masses.
Suzy O'Brien, the owner of The Red Wagon boutique on Charles Street, thinks that his traditional clothing appeals more to grandmothers than to today's parents. "Younger customers lean more toward the hipster look," she says. Think graphic T-shirts, slim jeans, pacifiers with mustaches.
She's right. It's hard to imagine George rocking a "mustachifier."
Maybe his future younger sibling will be hipper—Kate's pregnant again. Or maybe not. As Lauren Westgate, an East Walpole mom of boys ages 1 and 3 says: "Who knows what George wears when we don't see him. He could be walking around in diapers and a T-shirt."
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We can only hope.
Beth Teitell writes for the Globe's Living section. E-mail comments to magazine@globe.com.
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