Fast fashion stands as one of the most polluting industries globally. It churns out cheap, trendy clothing that often ends up in landfills after just a few wears. The cycle of buy, wear, discard is even more pronounced with children, whose rapid growth demands constantly updated wardrobes. This cycle leads to excessive waste and significant resource consumption. Sustainable brands challenge this by producing eco-friendly, long-lasting garments that can be passed on or recycled.
Polarn O Pyret offers Swedish organic children’s clothes. As well as offering sustainable clothes for children, you can take advantage of the PO.P repairs service (just briefly say what the issue is with a photo and the label, and proof of purchase). Their Second Hand Main offers good trade-in prices for items that have grown out, with the ambition that each piece of their clothing is worn by three children.
A few items may contain synthetic fibres (launder in a microplastic catcher). For baby clothing, The Lullaby Trust has information on suitable clothing (and bedding) to help prevent crib death. Also read the post on renting children’s clothing.
The Importance of Sustainable Clothing
When it comes to our children’s skin, we want nothing but the safest materials. Sustainable clothing often uses organic, non-toxic materials that reduce exposure to harmful chemicals. Organic cotton, for example, is grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilisers, making it gentle on young skin and the environment.
Choosing ethically produced clothing ensures fair wages and safe working conditions for the people behind the seams. Many sustainable brands adhere to fair trade practices, which means your child’s garment isn’t just stylish but comes with a clean conscience.
Bright and Colourful Organic Children’s Clothing
Toby Tiger is instantly recognisable for its bright and colourful designs, from dribble bibs to dungarees and party dresses. The clothes feature colourful easy poppers, adjustable shoulder straps and super-soft reversible fabrics, with strips and appliques to tell a story for curious little imaginations. Bound to raise a smile on the faces of children and grownups everywhere.
Toby Tiger also offers a return & earn service, where you can send back outgrown clothes to add to their SuperLooper library, for others to borrow. And you get a voucher for your next purchase (the more clothes you send in, the bigger coupon you receive).
Unlike some clothing stores that ‘give you gifts’ for over-consumption, this is simply helping to reduce fashion waste (return labels are free) and you can send in any clothes, they don’t have to be from Toby Tiger. This helps to create a circular economy, and provide quality clothing for families on a budget, during turbulent financial times.
Organic and Upcycled Cotton Children’s Clothing
Piccalilly not only offers nice organic cotton clothing for children and mums, but also offers more affordable options from upcycled cotton (made from leftover fabric). Ideal for green families on a budget. The Chetna farmers own a 10% equity stake in the factory that makes the clothes, with cotton farmers pre-financed to guarantee stable cotton prices and a premium, to spend within their local community. This brand has an ‘upcycled’ range that makes new organic cotton clothing from items and materials that otherwise would go to landfill.
Organic Cotton Children’s Clothing from London
Turtle Dove London offers 95% organic cotton garments for children, but also for mothers like nice maternity dungarees. This company does not over-buy stock to prevent fashion waste. All dyes are azo-free and this is kinder to the skin and the planet. This company provides an alternative to cheap fast fashion, believing that good sustainable clothing should not cost the earth.
Super-Soft Organic Children’s Clothing
Little Green Radicals offers super-soft organic cotton clothing for children. Organic cotton is used most of the time and the company is also a Fair Trade pioneer. These are clothes designed to last, to pass onto your next child. You can return used clothing when your child grows out of it, to receive 15% discount on new items. You can trade in old clothes (each garment is worn by an average 3 children, due to their second-hand option).
We particularly like their range of organic cotton dungarees:
Organic Cotton Children’s Clothes from Cornwall
Frugi is a children’s organic clothing brand in Cornwall, which mostly produces in organic cotton. Everything is made ethically in India where the company supports an orphanage, and sent in biodegradable packaging, made from potatoes!)
The range is huge, so have a look around the site, as there are always new designs, but also lots of regular sale bargains. Mostly items are made from organic cotton, but the circular range often is made from recycled cotton, and many items are reversible to make two outfits from one, and some even expand with the children as they grow, to save money and materials.
The range includes lunch bags made from recycled plastic bottles with foil linings to keep food fresh, and themes (like clothing inspired by the National Trust’s conservation work).
