(Children) Buy clothes: pleasure or ecological challenge?

Clothing is just fun. Or? Yes. And yet I sometimes struggle with it as a fashion expert and end user.

I love fashion. Less the industry (especially the dark and not sustainable sides), but still beautiful products. For years I have been buying less clothing for myself – partly consciously, partly unconsciously. I try to build a more timeless wardrobe and take part in less trends.

I don’t “need” that much anymore. As one of my best friends always says with a smile, it’s all or nothing. I go to the office in a minimalist-sending fashion outfit, but at least half of the week you can find me in sports clothing where I buy the household and work from home.

And the things I buy: prefer a more expensive, high -quality fashion article or luxury clothing second -hand, for example via Vestiaire Collective. I also prefer to spend my money for vacations and excursions, good food, interior design and books.

In the meantime, however, I spend more money on clothing for someone else, our now 4.5 year old son. It started with beautiful baby clothes from Dilling (the favorite), Konges Sløjd, +1 in the Family, Play Up, Lil ‘Atelier, Hvid Schüchchen, a wool jacket by Engel Nature and the bamboo body from Hema.

When he got bigger, it sometimes made a little more difficult because at 1.5 years he suddenly had a very pronounced opinion about what he wanted to wear – the apple does not fall far from the trunk. Fortunately, today we are more on a wavelength again and I can deal with fashionable looks a little more loosely again.

Sustainable consumption and fashionable clothing: does that fit together?

In my job I regularly speak with sustainability expert: inside: if you want to build a greener wardrobeabove all you should wear and maintain what you have. In addition, rents or second-hand purchases are considered, do not buy too much new (because the production of new clothes is the most strain on the environment).

At the same time, as a fashion expert, I am very important to the independent retailers: inside who earn their livelihood with the sale of (child) clothing. And also some manufacturers. They have it between the power of the fast fashion actor: inside and the large retail chains are not always easy.

A look at his wardrobe

What exactly is our son’s wardrobe from? I buy shoes from competent shoe shops nearby: like Bremmer in Waddinxveen and Van Keeken in Alphen aan den Rijn. Underwear and socks at Zeeman and Hema. Beautiful children’s clothing shops are less in the immediate vicinity (the village of Boskoop). In Gouda, a city away 15 minutes, Onze Nieuwe Winkel has a nice range of new clothing from the well-known children’s labels and Studio Kiewie is a second-hand children’s fashion business that is Resale operates – a nice address, even if I haven’t bought anything there yet.

I buy most of it online: I consciously choose and rely on quality. At the beautiful fashion brand American Vintage, for example or well-known children’s online shops such as Labels for Little Ones, Smallable, Spruit Kids Concept Store and Wonder for Kids. In addition, I sometimes buy something from Omoda, Weidwinkel van Tilburg and Zalando – mainly because of their broad range.

I find it pleasant to try it out at home. Not least because the sizes of children’s clothing – just like with regular fashion – vary depending on the brand and sometimes even depending on the model within a collection. Pants are the most difficult here.

I got clever due to damage. So now I know that the French Petit Bateau is almost two sizes smaller than the German size. Adidas, Scotch & Soda, Zara, Bobo Choses and Ralph Lauren usually (almost) a size of smaller, children’s fashion from H&M and Hema is size or slightly larger. One label uses conventional sizes such as 122 and 128, the other uses age groups as a clue, such as 5 years to 7 years or 6 years to 8 years.

Vinted: Beautiful, cheap and a little addictive

Buying second-hand children’s clothing is also popular. Vinted can be found on a huge amount of children’s clothing from designers: inner brands such as Ralph Lauren and Lacoste. They are particularly popular in France and Italy, which makes the offer larger than in German shops. And the nice thing about it? You often sell these items at an affordable price.

The range of sounding names is also large on the “Modemarktplatz”, think of Donsje, Bobo Choses, Maed for Mini, Sproet & Sprout, Mini Rodini, Nixnut, Gray Label and Emile et Ida.

I have recently been selling Vinted. But I have hardly transferred the money to my bank account. I often buy beautiful, new things there – even in the next sizes. By paying the “Vinted credit” earned within the platform with one click, it seems hardly or nothing to cost – classic Girls’ mathematicsas my friend recently noted: “You could simply transfer it to your bank account.”

On the homepage I am constantly displayed new recommendations, tailored to my taste and previous purchases. And who wants to find the real treasures and bargains? He has to log in regularly to see the latest ads that fit the stored search queries – which can be set for your favorite brands of the required size – I have about fifteen.

If you are not careful, you quickly become the victim of the so -called Rebound effect. That means: second-hand purchases can be more sustainable, but sometimes lead to more Consumption. The folk croter wrote about it in 2021 in Buy and sell on Vinted: “The other day, twelve packages arrived for us in one day. Every day is unboxing day” (Evelien van Veen, March 10, 2021).

Vinted earns a small amount at every transaction, and the company does not put any stones in the way. In 2024 the parent company of Vinted achieved one Sales of 813.4 million euros and a profit of 76.7 million euroshow it became known last week.

Despite the conscious selection, the conclusion is: more than necessary

You need a lot for a child: think of a summer and winter jacket, sandals, sports shoes, rubber boots and maybe a rain jacket, ski overall and snow boots. Bathing clothes, jeans, sweaters, T-shirts and west.

The clothes are dirty every day and pants wear out quickly through playing. You also need a few replacement outfits for the backpack to school, kindergarten and grandma.

But honestly: our son could certainly do it with less clothes. I console myself a little with the thought that the branded clothing keeps their value and that I give most of the clothes a second life by selling them when he no longer fits, passes on to friends or sister for our new nephew.

The right balance is important

The search for the right balance remains a challenge. I want to buy more consciously for my child. Especially not too much – considering a more sustainable future.

But putting on and creating outfits is also fun – above all, I find it important that my son feels comfortable in what he wears. This morning when he put his white shoes on to go to grandma, he said: “That looks good, mom.. “

“Do you know the balancing act between the desire to dress your child fashionably and the conscious decision for more sustainability?”

I asked other fashion experts about their buying behavior and their motivations related to children’s clothing:

“I know your dilemma to a certain extent, but I think I found a good balance,” said me Fashion journalist and author Natasja Admiraal Out of hair. “I am not so susceptible to brands or the latest trends and consciously buy clothes that my daughters (5 and 7 years old) really wear to avoid that half of the clothing lies in the cabinet. Your wardrobe is largely made of second-hand clothing and passed out articles, supplemented by basics from Hema and from time to time I use Zara or Zalando. Vinted. I prefer to go into beautiful vintage shops nearby, such as grandpa drop (where I recently bought beautiful summer dresses from sustainable brands such as Lil’atelier, Marlot Paris and Bread) or Terre des Hommes. ”

Your practical tip for mothers who want to buy more sustainably: “Buy second -hand in larger sizes so that you can” shop ‘from your own closet later, “says Admiraal.

Philippine Kaiser, founder of the shoe and pocket brand 5pm From Eindhoven, said: “Since the birth of Alix (almost 3) I have been buying most of her clothing. Your first items of clothing were handwritten and I found them via Vinted. Since I know the production page of the fashion industry well, I am critical of brands that present themselves as sustainable. It is such a complex question? Under what conditions? From what materials? With what chemicals? treated?

“For me, sustainability is mainly in quality. Clothing that you can pass for a long time that can be passed on or sell again. I do not buy excessively on Vinted, but select articles from brands that I know that they stay beautiful, even after a lot of wash. Bought something from large chains, but found that the colors quickly fade.

Colleague and senior editor of Fashionunited France, Julia Garel from Utrecht, indicated that there was no field of tension between style and sustainability. “I don’t actually get tempted to buy branded clothing for my one-year-old daughter. I guess that I only bought about five percent of their wardrobe-only things that were really necessary. The rest, about 95 percent, consists of gifted pieces or second-hand finds from shops. For myself, I like to browse on Vinted after which one unique fashion articles, but I actually never buy it there.”

This article previously appeared on Fashionunited.nl and was used with digital tools translated.

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