clothes

Daily laundry quickly becomes a way of life with babies and children, and it's important to buy clothes for them that will withstand this wear and tear. We personally go for quality over quantity - clothes that will last, can be passed down to subsequent children, and withhold their value and quality for on-sell or donation.

If you are shopping on a budget, have a look at our top tips for great ideas for buying quality clothes at affordable prices.

It's also important for the health and safety of your child that you dress them in natural, breathable fabrics. The fabrics we like to promote and feature are merino and cotton.

To see all of the clothes we have featured, have a look at our wear archives.

To find out more about the benefits and advantages of dressing your baby/child in merino please read the article below.

Information from NZ Merino

Children's Sleepwear and Apparel

New Zealand Merino, January 2009

For a pdf version of this article, please click here

The suitability of New Zealand Merino fibre for children’s wear and bedding lies in Merino’s unique ability to manage key factors such as temperature and moisture that contribute to comfort and health.

KEY POINTS

COMFORT

Merino fibres are so fine that when pressed against the skin they simply bend, meaning there is no sensation of prickle, only softness. Merino children’s wear is primarily of knitted construction that is comfortable and resilient year round. Merino fabrics are comfortable in both warm and cool conditions due to the air pockets created within the material by the natural crimp of the Merino fibre. Air is a poor conductor of heat, and the more air trapped in the fabric the more warmth it will offer your child.

HEAT AND MOISTURE MANAGEMENT

New Zealand Merino is a naturally smart fibre. Merino fibres and fabrics have the ability to absorb and release large amounts of moisture (up to 35% of its own weight). As it absorbs moisture the Merino fibre releases a small but noticeable amount of heat, preventing your child from chilling in cool conditions.

FIRE SAFETY

Another way in which Merino helps safeguard children’s health is through its fire resistant properties. An extremely high temperature is necessary before Merino will ignite. Additionally, it will not melt which means it will not adhere to the skin in the way many synthetics can. Even if it does catch fire Merino tends to be naturally self-extinguishing.

IMPROVED SLEEP PATTERNS

Some medical studies have shown that wool improves the sleep patterns of babies resulting in creased weight gain and generally improved levels of contentment. This is largely attributed to Merino’s previously noted ability to regulate heat and humidity.

HEALTH AND EASY CARE

The easy care nature of Merino fabrics means they are able to be readily laundered, affording a means of removing allergens or other pollutants that might accumulate in children’s wear and bedding.

UV PROTECTION

Merino fabric is a very efficient absorber of potentially harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun, giving children and infants a much higher degree of protection than from similar fabrics constructed of competing materials.