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If you are looking for some trendy and cool clothes for kids that are ethically made with a socially and environmentally conscious mission, then you'll be helping more than just your child. You'll be helping people here and around the world when you buy eco-friendly and ethically made children's clothing.
There are two brands I recommend in this field: Cotton On Kids and Tentree. As you'll see, they have some pretty big differences to each other.
Cotton On Kids
Cotton On Kids is part of the Cotton On brand, an Australian brand originally which now has a strong US presence. The styles are on-trend, bold, and exciting. This is not a preppy look or even what you might normally envisage from an "organic look" but rather a super-trendy upbeat style that'll have other kids jealous.
You get to help the environment and make a difference to supply chain workers all around the world if you shop at Cotton On Kids. The price point is similar to that of Old Navy - a little less than that of Gymboree, but higher than The Children's Place.
The sizing for Cotton On Kids covers all ages of kids - which is fantastic news! Their clothing is available for babies starting at size 0-3 months and going all the way up through girls (size 2-10), boys (size 2-14), youth girls (size 11-16) and youth boys (11-20).
Cotton On's ethically sourced supply chain and socially conscious mission
I was glad to learn that Cotton On benefits the environment and others. This is starts at the beginning of when a garment is made and all the way through to the end upon purchase.
Cotton On sources their materials sustainably from ethical suppliers. They also ensure they offer good workplace conditions and a living wage to their workers (reference 1). The items from Cotton On are made primarily of sustainably sourced cotton (reference 2). Some of their cotton, but not all of it, is organic. They're also moving into recycled polyester from water bottles (reference 3) - now that's good news! Cotton On Kids helps support the Cotton On Foundation, which contributes to socially and environmentally conscious charities around the world.
tentree
tentree is an organic kids clothing brand, so if organic clothing is a must (not just sustainable like Cotton On, but actually organic) then you'll love tentree. Tentree's clothing has a quieter look than Cotton On kids with softer colors and less-busy patterns. To take a look at tentree's styles, you may like to see my review with pics of tentree kids clothing.
tentree is a little different to the average kids clothing store because all items are gender-neutral. On the one hand, this is a genius move - it makes it so much easier to hand on the item in a socially responsible way afterward, since hand-me-downs can go to a girl or a boy. On the other hand, it takes a bit of getting used to the idea of gender-neutral clothing beyond the baby years. But the colors and styles are carefully designed to work that way.
The only downside of tentree is that their kids like is only available in toddler sizes, i.e. 1T to 5T. So it's quite a narrow size range.
tentree's organic cotton and environmentally conscious mission
tentree stands out from other sustainable children's clothing brands because for every tentree item you buy, they plant ten trees - hence the name (see reference 4).
tentree partners with manufacturers and suppliers which guarantee ethical treatment and fair wages to employees (reference 5). In addition, to be able to work with tentree these partners also must be sustainable and eco-friendly. Partner facilities are audited regularly to ensure compliance with tentree's requirements and with international labor standards.
And tentree has been carbon neutral since 2020 (reference 6), unlike Cotton On which at the time of writing was still working towards being carbon neutral.
Conclusion
Cotton On Kids has original styles in kids clothes for all ages at a surprisingly affordable price point. The cool looks and neat attitude will ensure your child looks awesome.
tentree has high quality organic cotton toddler clothes in muted colors that pair well with other items.
Both Cotton on and tentree also have men's and women's clothing in addition to kids clothes, so you can get items that you might need too.
It's wonderful to know that with your purchase from either of these brands, you're helping the environment and making a difference to others in the world, helping more than just your child. If you happen to be looking for new clothes for your kids, it's well worth taking a look at both of these brands.
Cited sources
- Cotton On Group: Sourcing ethically
- Cotton On Group: Sustainability
- Cotton On Group: Doing good
- tentree: Tree planting FAQ's
- tentree: Ethical manufacturing
- tentree: Sustainability
You heard it first at GoodKidsClothes.com - where children's clothes shouldn't cost the earth!