5 ways to dress your kids for less (money and impact)
1. Buy less, buy better.
Buying ethically produced, organic clothing for children is more expensive. But it has so many upsides. Firstly the conditions in which the producers of the cotton and the manufacturers work are regulated, and the pay they receive is fair. So you can feel assured that you are not inadvertently causing hardship for a garment worker in another part of the world. Secondly you are more likely to love the clothes, as their superior design and quality means they’ll always look amazing. They get more wear and you are less likely to end up buying more than you need. Which, in turn, brings down their relative cost. And finally, their quality will be significantly better meaning they have the potential to be handed on, or resold, several times. Brands we love (and stock for their amazing quality) include Frugi, Kite, Little Green Radicals, Boden, Grass and Air, and Jujuni.
2. Take care (not washing, washing, teaching children to look after their own).
Making clothes last longer is not only about how they are made, but how you treat them. Here are our top tips for longer life.
Firstly, don’t wash their clothes. Yep, that's right. You don't need to wash your kids clothes after every single wear. Try getting two wears each time instead. Not only will you reduce the cost and environmental impact of your washing, you'll halve the laundry wear and tear on the clothes too.
This will be far easier if you stop the clothes getting as dirty in the first place so try using bibs for meals and crafts (the long sleeved smock variety), have children sit down when eating, and have a supply of (washable) wipes to hand to swipe away spills before they sink in.
When you do wash make sure you do it properly with a cold prewash, the correct detergent dose, plenty of water and 40’. Get a free download of our washing and stain removal guide here. And never, ever tumble dry. Not only is it an environmental disaster, but it damages clothing fibres, causes clothes to lose their shape, and sets stains permanently into the clothes.
3. Repair.
Minor tears, worn out knees, lost buttons and moth holes can all be easily repaired. And it doesn't require beautiful sewing skills, or even a sewing machine to make it work. Here are some of the top methods: Patches are where it's at for worn out bits or holes in leggings. Holes in knitwear can be fixed beautifully with a spot of darning in a contrast wool which is far easier than you'd think to do! Tears and small holes can be turned into a fun feature when hand stitched with an overlock stitch in silk embroidery thread. Turn them into a caterpillar, ladybird or something of your child's choice. There are tons of experts online with handy tutorials and idiot proof books. Some of our favourites can be found here:
https://www.erinlewisfitzgerald.com/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/modernmendingclub/
4. Hand me down / Resell.
Good old fashioned hand-me-downs can’t be beaten. Our kids live in them and they really do maximise the use of those clothes which are grown out not worn out.
But for those who don’t have a child of the right age and gender to hand down to, or just want to make a bit of money back on their clothes, there are an ever increasing number of ways in which you can sell them on. For those with the time to list them there’s a high demand in Facebook BST groups for amazing ethical brands. For those with less time, but equally beautiful clothes, try a service like Pure Bundle, Loopster or Eco Mama and Babe where you can send in your excellent condition, branded clothes. They will then resell them for you and give you cash or credit towards items on their site.
And for the clothes which are less covetable there is a roaring trade in ebay bundles where you sell a mixed bundle of clothes in a variety of conditions and brands. Sadly there will be a percentage of the clothes which people don’t really want so don’t get any further wear. But you never know what someone else might love, especially when it’s a bargain.
5. Rent.
Our favourite option for obvious reasons. Renting is the only method guaranteed to give the clothes their maximum lifespan and so has the biggest environmental benefits of any other source of clothing. And renting with thelittleloop gives you the best of all worlds.
You can access all the clothes which you might otherwise buy, from the top ethical and sustainable brands, at a fraction of their purchase price.
You can keep them as long as you need them and then swap them for new ones when you’re done. Letting someone else take responsibility for laundering, repairing and recirculating the clothes.
For busy parents it saves time and space, with no need to sort, store or sell clothes on. Plus you have a quality guarantee as all clothes go through a strict QA and laundry process.
Next week we’ll write more about the end of ownership and why it makes so much sense. Do sign up to our newsletter to receive all our blogs, hints, tips and guides to living more sustainably with kids.