Fast, fun fashion & throwaway ‘bargains’ are an easy shopping habit to form particularly when shopping for our kids. It’s also an easy habit to break. Yes, children can/do grow like weeds & inevitably their garments double up as splashbacks for all manner of stains, but a bit of clever consumption can go a long way & still be kind on your purse.

You don’t have to look further than the High Street to find truly lovely pieces that are going to be worn repeatedly then passed on to siblings & friends, re-sold, donated or recycled*.

Bless their little (Organic) cotton socks (£7.99 per box)

H&M (am I the only person that still calls it Hennes?) specifically the ‘Conscious’ & ‘Baby Exclusive’ collections are now a firm & tested favourite (read: wear & wash well). This isn’t a sponsored post just one to highlight how gorgeous & premium looking these more economical lines are for us &, specifically here, for our littles.

The H&M Group (including COS & &OtherStories amongst others) has some bold aims for Sustainability. The Fashion & Textile Industry is the World’s second biggest polluter, so I’m saluting the increasing eco efforts of the global Retail giant.

NB: If you missed my post on Organic Cotton you can have a peek here at why this stuff matters in more detail.

(Indie &) POP Picks

Here’s my edit of (mostly) Unisex stuff that’s in stores & online now for babies & toddlers from the #HMConscious & #BabyExclusive lines. My daughter already has several of these pieces & I’m just about to add some more from this selection.

I’ve also included some gorgeous gifts I’ve spotted, including from their mainline mix because they’re pretty irresistible (you’ll see why!) Cheap can be chic & conscious…

Unisex Gift Ideas

Whether you know someone who is expecting, have an upcoming celebration or simply just because, then I’ve found some affordable gifts that look more than a little bit luxe.

Is there anything sweeter than super soft baby socks wrapped around teeny, tiny toes? Adorable, almost-as-if-Nana-knitted-them socks in lovely muted colours (£2.99 each up to size 9)

Very Oeuf NYC-alike (well, essentially copied designs *ahem*) knitted crown (up to 1 year) & hat with bunny ears (up to 2 years) without the premium price tag (£7.99 each). Great for photo opportunities or the dressing-up box. No, they’re not made of Alpaca like the real thing but lovely all the same in their novelty if you’re on a budget. The crown, however, is made from Organic cotton.

If you can afford the genuine article then that’s what I’d recommend; Oeuf NYC really is exceptional quality & have great eco credentials: “…knits are made in Bolivia by a self-managed community of indigenous women. In line with fair trade principles, the artisans are paid a living wage, which enables them to afford healthcare and education for their children”. My daughter has a few special pieces which we will always treasure.

Hoodies are great for comfort & work particularly well as coat-igans for babies who don’t really need full coats as their usually covered in blankets & shielded from the weather by some form of cover/contraption. The cardigan with ears is in Organic cotton with a handy zip (£17.99 up to 3 years). The hooded cardigan with a can’t-resisit-a pom-pom detail is 100% cotton & though it’s listed in the mainline, is actually described as Conscious/Baby Exclusive (£17.99 up to 3 years).

Talking of blankets, these comfort blankets & this textured knit blanket would also make great gifts. Bundled with ribbons & adorned with ‘you are my happy – made in Stockholm with love’. If monochrome is more to your tastes than muted colours then check out (pun intended) this dress & dungarees which have *just* landed.

P.S. Poppy has outgrown almost all of her all-in-one pyjamas but I will continue to dress her like a baby for as long as possible because onesies are just so darn cute (& these ones are footless = more growing room)! Joining us at bedtime soon:

* If you take a bag of clothing (any condition) into a H&M store you’ll get a £5 (sometimes a 15% discount) voucher to spend. They’ve actually been doing this since 2013 but it’s not always obvious as the donation boxes are easily overlooked. It’s amazing how many textiles still end up in landfill when they could get another lease of life. 

Have you donated anything recently? I’m also going to be selling lots of P’s outgrown pieces so get in touch if you want to get first dibs!