For our latest blog, we wanted to talk about something that India, or rather the whole world, faces. Making sure that rapidly expanding children always have something to wear without breaking the wallet is one of the numerous issues parents face.
That may entail purchasing an excessive amount of clothing, frequently at low cost, and rendering meaningless any notions of capsule wardrobes or making clothing last a year. What should you do with all of their outgrown clothing to prevent landfill waste? Childrenswear is the hidden fast fashion, filling landfills every year instead of only adult jeans, skirts, sweaters, and coats. Is it possible to purchase brand-new children's clothing in a way that is economical and sustainable?
Read on to discover the small things I believe we can all do, to master ethical children’s clothing.
Circulate what no longer fits
You can find a "Bonus for Parents" that will assist you in finding a new home for the clothing that no longer fits your child if you scroll down to the last portion of the article from which we recently covered some fantastic platforms to purchase and sell clothing (or make a bargain or two if you are looking for new ones).
Children grow up so quickly, making it difficult to practise sustainable fashion. Therefore, cheaper fashion does make sense, as the "make it last" argument doesn't apply in this case. Even when an object won't be used for the next five years by your own children, you can and should still make it last.
Make sure to mend, and take the best care of your children’s clothing, clean stains early when they’re fresh and unlikely to set - so you can then sell, swap or donate them for someone else to enjoy!
Save the best for the weekends
It can be difficult to resist the urge to dress up your children like fairy princes at times (-ses). I'm aware that I don't want to deprive myself of the enjoyment! The secret, in my opinion, is to wear more practical clothing on days that are likely to get dirty and save the really nice ones for special occasions (like weekends or days when you stay in). You won't have to worry about their (or your) favourite dress being brought home from the nursery with a large (irreparable) Maggi stain all over it.
Then, of course, it's acceptable to send your youngster to play football in mucky conditions while wearing worn-out shorts. You can extend the life of your child's nice clothes while giving the less "special" ones a lot more use to deal with the dangers of their dirty play. More enjoyment is certain!
Buy gender-neutral
A growing number of companies are making gender-neutral clothing that can be passed down from sibling to sibling in adorable and varied non-gender specific colours. Avoiding items that will obviously go out of style and won't be simple to pass on to a different brother or relative, much like with grownups. This is more economical and will bring delight to more people!
For the baby gifts
My next piece of advice is to never purchase garments in the size "one month" or even "three months" as birth presents for your friends because kids, especially infants and toddlers, quite literally grow like grass. Since everyone does this, your gift will blend in with the sea of onesies, sweaters, and slippers that are one month in size—some babies won't even get to wear them. Plus, because they will be worn so infrequently, new-borns typically outgrow them faster than it took me to spell "onesies."
If your friend or relative just had a baby, rather buy something special that is sized 18 months or higher- they may use it a little later, but they will think of you (and thank you) for much longer, when all the other presents have long been discarded and they have to start buying new clothes themselves!
Choose the right materials, and wash before wearing
If clothes had the same kind of nutrition labels as food did, your jaw might unfortunately drop... The process of manufacturing clothes is a rather dirty one and often includes the use of pesticides, preservatives and synthetic dyes. Since babies usually have very sensitive skin, this can, in turn, cause rashes or allergic reactions. Now, I’m not suggesting throwing out all synthetic clothes your children’s wardrobes may contain (that would probably mean quite a bit, and they would also just go straight to landfill…).
Whenever you’re shopping and it is possible, opt for natural fibres rather than synthetic ones, and the same goes for organic clothes. Take a look online at your favourite brand’s website to see what they are doing about the problem. Oh, and remember to wash everything before you put anything new onto any member of your family!
There are various causes for this.
First off, additional dye can bleed onto your skin or other clothing (most fabrics made from synthetic fibres like polyester or acrylic - are coloured with azo-aniline dyes, which can cause severe skin reactions in children).
Second, producers of new clothing frequently coat items with chemical finishes like formaldehyde to enhance colour or texture or with per fluorinated compounds (PFCs) like Teflon to make them more static- and stain-resistant, flame- and wrinkle-resistant, or both. Wash it off rather than taking the chance. I hope this gave you some ideas for eco-friendly updates to both your own and your kids' wardrobes.
Let us know what other sustainable options you have tried!