As Archie turns two, how to dress your child like the LA style set

He may be just two years old today, but young Archie Mountbatten-Windsor is already better dressed than many adults.

The soon-to-be big brother has been pictured in Bonpoint and H&M in the past, but as one of the newer residents of Montecito, California, the clothes he wears these days will be very different from those of his cousins Prince George, seven, Princess Charlotte, six, and Prince Louis, three.

Instead of buckled leather shoes from Start-Rite, well-heeled children in Los Angeles and the surrounding area are far more likely to wear skater style Vans, according to Katie Sharp-Mendes, a Beverly Hills resident and mother-of-two.

They’ll go to nursery or kindergarten in super-soft hoodies from Aviator Nation, recognisable for its rainbow stripes, and tie-dye tees from Sol Angeles. “It’s all about the Venice Beach vibes,” she says.

That certainly seems to be the case for the Duchess of Sussex, whose low-key take on the look has seen her dress Archie in toddler-sized beanies, cotton sweatshirts and velcro trainers.

For more of that aesthetic, Meghan should check out the offering at luxury childrenswear site Maisonette, a favourite with Sharp-Mendes and her friends, which was founded by two former assistants to Anna Wintour at American Vogue. Niche French brands such as The Animals Observatory or Brooklyn-based Oeuf are among its bestsellers.

With year-round sunshine, a decent pair of sunglasses is an essential accessory for any California resident, kids included. WeeFarers are popular as they provide UVA and UVB protection and have polarised lenses. Rash vests and sunsuits are also a worthwhile investment for sun protection at pool parties and on beach trips.

You don’t actually need to be based on the West Coast to get the California look though. There are pieces at Next, H&M and Tu at Sainsbury’s that take inspiration from LA surfer style, and they’re perfect for British summer weather too.

Luxury childrenswear website Smallable is also a great - if more expensive - source of that laid-back look. It stocks niche labels like Hundred Pieces, whose sweatshirts have a faded-in-the-sun vintage look, and Rylee + Cru, a California brand that makes rompers and playsuits in tasteful shades of cream, butterscotch and pistachio green.

Clockwise from top left: Myleene Klass kids' baseball cap, £10, Next; navy rainbow stripe hoodie, from £32, Boden; Vans trainers, £30, Schuh; Hundred Pieces gradient playsuit, £59, Smallable

There is one thing LA parents have in common with their British counterparts though: “They love the British brand Boden,” Sharp-Mendes reveals. “Also, Zara is very popular and anything French.”

Boden certainly nails that LA look - it even has Aviator Nation-esque zip-up hoodies - though Meghan will be able to buy the real deal from the brand’s Venice Beach store. And with a little girl set to join the family very soon, the Sussexes will have a brand new excuse to splash out on plenty more California chic babywear.

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