The seasonal hair bows that sell best in children's boutiques follow the same calendar as your clothing: back-to-school and school colors, fall and pumpkin patch, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter and patriotic summer bows. Bring each season in before families need it for photos and events, and buy deepest in seasonal colors that keep selling after the holiday is over.
We've been designing seasonal bows since 2008, and every year we see the same thing: the holiday itself is never the busy part. Families shop weeks ahead for photo sessions, school parties and trips. Here's how to plan your seasonal bows so they're on your shelf when your customers are ready to buy.
Why seasonal bows work so well for boutiques
- They finish a holiday outfit, so they're an easy add-on.
- They make your existing displays feel new without a whole new clothing order.
- They give returning customers something fresh to find.
- They give you something new to post on social media, email and Pinterest.
A mom buying a Thanksgiving dress probably needs a bow for the family gathering, too. If the matching bow is sitting right next to the dress, that second sale almost makes itself.
Back-to-school and school spirit bows
Back-to-school kicks off the seasonal bow calendar, often before fall weather even shows up. Good options include:
- Solid bows in your local school colors
- Two-color spirit bows
- Apple and school-themed designs
- Cheer and game-day bows
School colors sell longer than almost any other seasonal bow. Families keep buying them for spirit days, games, cheer competitions and community events all year. Display them next to first-day outfits, spirit wear and the register. Our school spirit hair bows and cheer bows are an easy way to test local demand.
Fall and pumpkin patch bows
Fall bows go with pumpkin patch outfits, family photos, school events and Thanksgiving clothing. Look for:
- Orange, mustard and brown solids
- Ivory and oatmeal neutrals
- Pumpkin prints and embroidery
- Fall florals, plaid and gingham
- Long tail bows for statement outfits
Fall colors work hard. An orange or oatmeal bow can sell with pumpkin outfits in September and Thanksgiving outfits in November, so you're not stuck with stock after one short event.
Halloween bows
Halloween bows are fun, bold and great for themed displays and social posts. Think orange and black, purple and lime green, and ghosts, bats, pumpkins and candy prints. Bring them in when families start shopping for school parties, trunk-or-treats and October outfits, and put them right next to your Halloween clothing.
Thanksgiving bows
Thanksgiving bows should go easily with dresses, rompers and outfit sets for family gatherings and school celebrations:
- Turkey prints or embroidery
- Orange, brown, mustard, ivory and oatmeal
- Fall florals, plaid and gingham
- Solids that pull an accent color out of a printed outfit
Since Thanksgiving and fall overlap so much, many of the same bows can work in both displays.
Christmas bows
Christmas is the biggest seasonal bow opportunity of the year. Families need bows for photos, school programs, parties, church, travel and Christmas morning. A well-rounded Christmas selection includes:
- Red, white, emerald and hunter green
- Pink Christmas designs
- Plaid and gingham
- Santa, Christmas tree and candy cane designs
- Classic bows for dressy outfits
- Oversized or long tail bows for statement looks
Mix traditional red and green with a few colors that match the Christmas clothing in your store. The best Christmas bow isn't always the most obviously Christmas one. A solid red classic bow often matches more holiday outfits than any themed design. Start planning with our Christmas hair bows.
Valentine's Day bows
Bring Valentine's bows in right after Christmas and sell them through school parties and February celebrations. Red, light pink, hot pink and white are the core colors, along with heart prints, gingham, polka dots and smaller bows for pigtails. The bonus is that solid pink, red and white bows keep selling long after February.
Easter and spring bows
Easter shoppers are buying for church, family photos, egg hunts and spring events. Stock:
- Light pink, lavender, sky blue, yellow and mint
- White and ivory
- Bunnies, florals and gingham
- Dressier bow styles for Easter dresses
- Headbands for baby rompers and dresses
Show Easter bows with both dressy and casual spring outfits. Pastel solids keep selling all spring after the bunny designs come down.
Patriotic and summer bows
Red, white and blue bows cover Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, parades and summer vacations. Think red, white, royal blue and navy solids, stars and stripes, patriotic embroidery, pigtail pairs and lightweight headbands. Since those colors double as school and team colors for lots of towns, many patriotic bows have a longer selling window than you'd expect.
When should boutiques stock seasonal bows?
Have seasonal bows in your store before customers need the finished outfit, not just before the holiday. Families shop early for photo sessions, school programs and trips, and popular styles can sell out before the holiday arrives.
A simple plan for each season:
- Look at your upcoming clothing collection.
- Note its main colors and accent colors.
- Pick bows that finish several outfits.
- Place your wholesale order before the clothing launches.
- Photograph the clothing and bows together.
- Launch the collection early.
- Reorder quickly once you see what's selling.
How many seasonal bows should you buy?
Use last year's sales if you have them. If a theme is new to you, test a small selection instead of buying every design.
Buy deeper in bows that:
- Match several outfits
- Come in a color that works past one holiday
- Fit more than one event
- Sold well last season
- Match strong local demand, like school colors
Be more careful with bows that match only one outfit or have a very short selling window. Solids and gingham carry over much more easily than a design tied to one exact date. For more on balancing everyday and seasonal colors, see our guide to how many hair bow colors a boutique should stock.
Show seasonal bows with the full outfit
Keep your main bow wall organized, but put a few seasonal bows right next to the clothing they match. Small bow stands by the racks, styled mannequins, flat-lay photos, "complete the look" suggestions online and a little seasonal basket at the register all answer the question "What bow goes with this?" before the customer has to ask. Our children's boutique merchandising tips have more display ideas.
Stock seasonal bows for your boutique
Our wholesale line includes solid grosgrain bows, seasonal printed and embroidered designs, moonstitch bows, long tail bows and bow headbands, all on retail-ready bow cards. Seasonal styles are available while supplies last, so order early for your busiest seasons.
Wholesale orders are placed through Faire, with no annual purchase requirement. Visit our wholesale page to learn more, or read our full guide to choosing wholesale hair bows for your boutique.
Seasonal hair bow FAQs
What seasonal hair bows should a boutique carry?
Back-to-school and school colors, fall and pumpkin patch, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter and patriotic summer bows cover the biggest children's boutique shopping seasons.
When should boutiques start selling holiday hair bows?
Bring them in before families start booking photo sessions and going to seasonal events, which is usually several weeks before the holiday. Order early enough to photograph and display the bows with your matching clothing.
Do seasonal bows need to match the clothing exactly?
No. A bow can match the outfit's main color, pull out an accent color from a print or just fit the overall theme.
How can a boutique avoid leftover seasonal bows?
Pair a small number of holiday-specific designs with solid colors and patterns that work for several events. Start with smaller quantities and reorder the styles that sell.
Where should seasonal bows be displayed?
Next to the matching clothing, on seasonal displays, near baby gifts and at the register. Online, show them in your outfit photos and suggest them as add-ons.