Aneby (stylish organic clothes for children)

Aneby (also sold on Etsy) is a clothing brand for children, producing stylish items made with organic cotton – good for the planet, and for a child’s delicate skin. Designed in the heart of Shropshire, all items are made ethically from premium fabrics.

This brand was founded by a fashion graduate and pattern stylist, who had worked for major companies. After gaining the technical knowledge, she used it to create more sustainable clothing for children.

Organic cotton is not just better for the planet, wildlife and water, but also better for the delicate children of skin (especially those with eczema). It also lasts longer, as fibres have not been treated with chemicals. And does not release microplastics in the washing machine.

For any synthetic fibres, launder in a microfiber filter.

It’s important that babies don’t overheat (remove hats, socks and cardigans in warmer temperatures and don’t let babies sleep in car seats). Aneby has excellent posts on dressing babies in layers and dressing babies for sleep. Also find safe sleeping advice at The Lullaby Trust.

On a Budget? Rent Children’s Clothing

Many of the brands below are rented out by companies that let you send back used clothing, to replace with bigger clothing as your child grows. This avoids fashion waste, and enables you to afford good brands, without the hefty price tag.

Bundlee and The Little Loop are two companies and My Wardrobe HQ is a peer-to-peer lending library run by parents and small boutiques. Some libraries, schools and churches may offer similar services.

You can donate clothing to help families in need (Stripey Stork has a nationwide list of clothing banks, to help families in need (read above for safety if donating baby clothing).

Aneby collections are not ‘fast-fashion, but in timeless styles that can be handed on to younger children, and transcend seasonal fads. Designed to last for years, each item is designed to be stylish, enduring, sustainable and to be joyful to wear.

Most items are in neutral colours, to enable easy mix-and-match outfits, and often designed to accompany slightly bigger cloth nappies for younger children.

The range includes:

• Dresses
• Tops
• T-shirts
• Dungarees
• Sweatshirts
• Jackets
• Hats

Aneby advises to avoid tumble-drying, to help clothes last longer.

Items are made in limited numbers, to avoid fabric waste. All clothing is sent in plastic-free packaging, from compostable bags made from sugar cane, to paper or cardboard packaging.

Aneby’s Take Back Scheme

Aneby’s Take Back Scheme is unique, in helping to reduce the 350,000 tonnes of clothing that goes to landfill each year in the UK, especially children’s clothes due to growing bodies. Once your child has outgrown an item, you can send a minimum of 3 items back to the company, and receive an email with a voucher valuer for future purchases.

Any condition is fine (items not good enough to reuse, can be recycled due to natural fabrics), just retain proof of postage.