The name Anne Geddes once meant fanciful photos of infants snoozing on flower heads or peeking out of garden pots.

        Disney clothes meant Mickey Mouse ears and a Goofy face on a T-shirt.

        And washing children's clothes to extract the dirt meant furious scrubbing, bleaching and hot-water soaking, often times leading to shrinking, fading and life-with-stains.

        Kids' clothes have changed.

Geddes' bunny dress with bonnet, $59.50

        Baby photographer Anne Geddes has transferred the whimsy of her images to a line of snugly clothes.

        Disney and Kmart have partnered for a collection designed with a teaspoon of pixie dust and nary a Donald Duck in sight.

        And the lab wizards at Healthtex have whipped up a Kidproof fabric that resists shrinking, staining and fading.

Cute and practical

        Ms. Geddes, who admits she doesn't “even know how to sew on a button,” has a line of clothes — sizes newborn to 12 monthes — that has the same effect as her shots, highlighting sweet-faced, saggy-cheeked babies. Grandmas everywhere will empty their pocketbooks — but just the grannies who are computer-savvy. The whisper-soft pastel clothing, mostly in cotton and knits, is available only at www.annegeddes.com.

        With thousands of hours dressing and undressing babies under her belt, Ms. Geddes did a lot of research before jumping into retail. She says this is the first infant's clothing line designed around what a photographer's notion of what a baby is going to look like.

        “Knowing how things work was important,” she says on the Web site's video. “You need easy access — you know babies don't like things that go over the heads.”

        One example of the line's practicality is the little leather “carriage” wrap-around shoes.

        “I hate it when babies' shoes get lost. These won't come off,” Ms. Geddes says.

        Another is the sweater-and-cap set, cropped just above the tummy.

        “I don't think you should dress babies in clothing that covers up their best attributes,” she says. “Babies six to nine monthes have little, round tummies that poke out, and everyone thinks they are so adorable. We didn't want to cover that up.”

        There's a price for all this cuteness. A simple bunny bandana is $11.50; the wrap booties, $34.50, and the line's signature outfit — a bunny suit with padded bottom, tail and flop-earred cap — $69.60.

Enchanting prices

        The prices of the Kmart-Disney line for newborn-6X (to 8 for boys) will leave parents enchanted: $7.99 slacks, $9.99 skorts, $10.99 swimsuits, $12.99 suit and hat for baby.

        Winnie the Pooh and Mickey make appearances here and there, but in an understated way, along with the Disney logo that pops up tastefully on pant cuffs or shirt sleeves.

        Girls' clothes are sprinkled with flowers, fringe trim, glitter and butterflies in pinks, turquoise and lime palettes. Boys' styles sport lots of color blocking in navy, orange and red, and infants, newborn to 5T, bear sweet embroidered messages.

        The collections can be viewed at www.bluelight.com and at Kmart stores.

Durable materials

        Who cares what science lingo the lab folks at Healthtex attach to their new Kidproof fabric processing?

        If it means kids' fun-wear can be washed again and again without fading, shrinking and staining, moms will love it, even if it's officially described as “a new fabric processing technology that is a polymer-based process permanently bonding to the fabric.”

        In sizes newborn through 12 for girls and 7x for boys, the playwear with the non-toxic, odorless, non-allergic treatment is touted as feeling smoother and softer before and after washing and reducing pilling and color rub-off. The process doesn't wash out and it stands up to a kitchen full of stains, including ketchup, chocolate, grape juice, grass and dirt.

        Girls spring clothes are designed around a “blooming hearts and daisy showers” pastel theme, and boys have primary colors in the “salamanders and pond life” collection.

        Look for Healthtex Kidproof clothes at Kohl's, Sears and Kids R Us stores.

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