An ethical children's wardrobe - Little kin journal

My 5-year-old daughter has dresses and sweaters in her closet, that she has had since she was 3. They still fit her and she gladly uses them. Where they used to be long and roomy when she first got them, they’re now shorter and with 3/4 length sleeves, but the wear hardly shows and the fit is still perfect. I’m often asked why I bother spending more money on my children’s clothes than just necessary, and this exactly is a big part of it.

I like quality that makes it possible to use clothing for years. I like the thought of a designer, who considers how she can make clothes that will fit a child for more than just one season. But most of all, I like to know where my children’s clothes are produced, that a little boy in Pakistan didn’t have to spend his childhood making cheap dresses for my girls or a pregnant woman in Bangladesh didn’t breath in toxic fumes while dying my their pants.

ethical_childrens_wardrobe_soor_ploom_3

Not to say that cheap children’s clothing (or clothing in general) is always made in an unethical or unsustainable way, but transparency of production is unfortunately not something all brands value, and the best way to make sure not to support an unethical production, is to choose to buy from brands who choose to be transparent about theirs. Even if you can only afford to buy just one ethically produced dress or jumpsuit for your child, it’s still better than not caring at all. And if you think I can’t be that bad, please watch this documentary (I found it on Netflix).

Spending more money on each garment for my children’s wardrobe also means that I pay more attention to what they actually wear, I spend more time planning it out before shopping and in the end a make less purchases.

I happily spot clean, hand wash and hang dry our favorite pieces instead of washing and drying in the machine, which means less wear and tear and I always try to mend and repair before getting rid of anything. I buy secondhand and I give away anything or sell any pieces that are still in a good condition when we’re done with them.

If you want some inspiration on how to mend your beloved wooly knit, then check out this tutorial from American brand Misha & Puff and if you need a bit of inspiration on ethically produced brands, here are some of our absolute favorites at the moment.