New children's boutique Petit at the Royal in Waikiki

Charm abounds at Petit at the Royal.

Above, Tiny Baubles: Snap-up felt crowns, tulle hair clips and handmade jewelry.

Above, Kid-Century Modern: The shop’s home finds include pillows, decorative bunting and charming wood figurines.

Though tiny in name, the newly opened children’s boutique Petit at the Royal is huge on style. With smaller stores, a single glance-over often tells the entire product story. Here, it’s the exact opposite. Every shelf, every row of hangers, every inch of tabletop, offers up ooh-and-aww-worthy whimsies to wonder at, to linger over.

The shop stocks fashion-forward apparel and extras for newborns through kids eight years old. Just how fashion forward? Let’s just say you won’t find any googly-eyed ladybug shirts. Instead, the racks are filled with minimal and edgy-meets-cute pieces. Nautical onesies and dotty chambray tunics rub shoulders with drop-crotch sweatpants and bloomers in lion prints, and the adorable accessory stash ranges from glittery crown headbands and graphic scarves to fish-shaped button covers and handmade bunny necklaces.

Good design was always at the forefront for owner Jin Park, who was a department store buyer in Korea before opening the shop with his wife. “We modeled the look after French children’s boutiques that inspired us,” says Park, gesturing to the shop’s Eames rocker and ethereal chandelier. “We tried to bring in really unique, one-of-a-kind items from all over the world.”

Petit’s global finds include cloth watches from France, graphic tees from Spain and dinosaur footprint geta from Japan. Some of Park’s favorite pieces are from Danish label Lucky Boy Sunday, whose knit playhouses, cloud pillows and quirky dolls you’ll be hard pressed to find anywhere else on the island. All of which confirm that sometimes the best designs come in the smallest packages.

Petit at the Royal, The Royal Hawaiian: A Luxury Collection Resort, 921-2125.

This article appears in the May 2013 issue of HONOLULU Magazine.