There are certain places in a community that quietly mark time for us.
Parks. Schools. Buildings. Businesses. And some places where babies become toddlers, toddlers become kids, and familiar faces greet us through every stage in between.
For Boca Raton families, Elegant Child has been one of those places for 20 years.
Recently, the East Boca children’s boutique celebrated its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of welcoming new parents, grandparents, and longtime locals through its doors. In a community filled with growth and change, Elegant Child has remained a familiar constant.
It started with Rene Barth, who opened Elegant Child in December 2006 after decades in the children’s retail world, including time in Florida and New York. Upon returning to Boca Raton, Rene saw a need for a traditional, elegant children’s boutique.
Today, she runs the store alongside her daughter Rebecca D’Emic, continuing a family legacy centered on community and care.
“I think the secret to the success of the store is the foundation she has laid,” Rebecca shares. “We want to create a warm, welcoming environment. She always puts people over business. She taught me to honor God in all we do and to always choose the right thing over what might make you money in the moment.”
There’s history here, not just in the families it serves, but in the building itself.
“The building that housed Zim’s and now Elegant Child was built in the early 1920s and was originally located at the corner of Palmetto Park Road and Dixie Highway. In 1934, it was renovated and moved to its current location on Federal Highway [just south of Flanigan’s]. In 1948, it moved back seven feet for the widening of Federal Highway,” explains Amanda Capote, assistant curator at the Boca Raton Historical Society.
Today, the storefront tells a new chapter of that story.
As the Elegant Child team reflects on 20 years in Boca Raton, the gratitude is heartfelt.
“We are so thankful to have been a part of the Boca Raton community for the last 20 years,” shares Rene Barth and Rebecca D’Emic. “We thank all of the customers who have shopped with us. We hope to bring value to our city and add to the culture that makes Boca such a special place to live.”
Elegant Child offers clothing, shoes, toys, and books for infants and children, along with beautiful finds for moms and the home. Sizes range from newborn through big kids. From sizing guidance to gift wrapping, monogramming, shipping, special orders, and baby registries, Elegant Child is designed to support families through life’s moments…big and small.
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