Parents and guardians everywhere are all too familiar with the struggle of clothing a growing infant. New parents hurry to buy brand new baby clothes for their newborn but are then disappointed to find that once they dress their infants, many of the newborn clothes only fit for a couple of weeks. This unfortunate cycle continues throughout childhood as kids seem to grow out of clothes as quickly as we buy them.
This is why many parents are choosing to subscribe to clothing rental services that target parents of young children. Thrifted clothes and hand-me-downs are also a great eco-friendly (and wallet-friendly) option for purchasing children’s clothes, however, children’s wear hasn’t been widely available online until recently, and if they are available, they tend to focus on formal wear rather than clothing suitable for everyday use.
For green-minded parents, rental services are a convenient approach to clothes shopping that will keep clothes in circulation for longer and help them save money through selling clothes that their children have outgrown. You can also look around your city for local stores that offer these programs or create a parent group with children of all ages to meet and swap goods.
Children grow so quickly that most go through at least ten sizes before the age of three, so there is a great potential to reduce the environmental impact of clothing with these services. Reselling children’s clothes can save up to 75 percent of the carbon footprint linked to manufacturing an item of clothing.
If you’re interested, here are some online consignment and thrift stores that focus on children’s ware:
Circos is a European company that specializes in clothing for infants and pregnant mothers on a pay-by-month basis. The clothes are used by eight to ten families on average, which considerably stretches the typical two-to-three-month lifespan of babywear. This company ships internationally.
Kids O’Clock sells kid’s clothes at 60 to 70 percent less than the new retail value. Plus, you don’t need to be a subscriber if you only want to make a purchase. This company is based in the UK but will ship to Europe and the US.
Bundlee is another children’s clothing rental subscription service based in the UK. Bundlee focuses on clothing for kids aged zero to four, and there is no time limit on the swaps, so the clothes you select can be used by your child until they are ready for a new size. All items are used by around three families.
Rent the Runway Kids is the kids’ version of the popular adult clothing rental platform. They offer one-time rentals or monthly subscriptions.
Rent-A-Romper is a US-based children’s clothing rental company with subscriptions as low as $24 a month. They’ll even buy back old clothing that your little ones have outgrown.
Everlasting Wardrobe is exactly what it sounds like: a sustainable subscription service that delivers high-quality used clothing to your door and accepts it back when your child outgrows it.
