Fashion Mamas Members Share Their Favorite Ethical Kids Clothing Brands
Photo: Ultra Violet Kids
Given that this is the season of giving, we're looking for creative ways to give back to both our community and environment. While eating organic produce and buying natural beauty products are a great place to start, you can also promote sustainability by investing in conscious clothing for you and your little ones.
Lucky for us, there are tons of kids fashion brands out there that design organic and ethical clothing without sacrificing style — and we love that they all have their own unique flavor. Here are 20+ rad labels that get the FM seal of approval.
FMLA member and PR powerhouse Ashley Ross Kraus loves 12|12's "get|give" initiative: by donating an item for every purchase, they hope to provide as many children as possible with clothing made from the softest organic, toxic-free fabric. Learn more about their mission here.
One of our other PR star members, Priscilla Vega, appreciates that ARQ creates sustainable and beautiful pieces powered by a mama. ARQ's website notes that "producing high-quality, detailed garments in the USA is not always easy but we are grateful to have found suppliers who not only care about quality, but also care about ethical labor standards and cleaner manufacturing processes. We seek out sustainable fabrics, environmentally friendly dying processes for our custom dyed styles, and our clothes are designed to be versatile and durable. Fewer, better things for our children will help them to foster thoughtful habits toward a richer, more deliberate lifestyle." Yes to all of this.
FMLA member and Spool boutique owner Gina Lamanna is a big fan of Egg by Susan Lazar, a brand founded in 2003 that uses environmentally-friendly materials. Celebrity fans include Jessica Alba, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Amy Adams, and Jennifer Garner.
Fashion Mamas founder Natalie Alcala first discovered Gray Label via her favorite organic clothing e-tailer Noble Carriage and has been hooked on the brand's "organic apparel for the little minimalist."
FMLA member Mai Ann Nguyen-Miyoshi (she's also mama to one of our favorite #FashionMamasKids Zooey Miyoshi!) digs that organic fashion brand Hugo Loves Tiki also makes mommy-and-me pieces. We love the vibrant colors and playful prints.
Mai also loves Huxbaby, which uses super soft organic cotton to create minimalist fashion pieces for kids with adult-level style, aka the mini-malist!
FMLA members Natascha Snellman (founder, Hey Babe!) and Daisy O'Dell (celebrity DJ) love Ice Cream Castles. Their ethical connection is the fact that everything is locally designed.
Another brand loved by FMLA member Gina Lamanna is Kate Quinn Organics. Their website notes that they "use certified organic cotton on whatever elements possible, whenever possible, that is grown using sustainable farming practices which maintain and replenish soil fertility without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and fertilizers. Each certified organic cotton piece is made of ultra-soft, all-natural, organically produced cotton certified by GOTS and colored using low environmentally impact dyes. We also use fair trade practices under the global organic textile standards (GOTS)."
FMLA member Jennifer Pak of GJENMi Jewelry loves Kira Kids, a cool organic clothing brand that we've featured at our Kids Fashion Fair.
Another Kids Fashion Fair veteran (they were featured in our second-ever show!) is Little Minis, loved by members including Daisy O'Dell and Mai Ann Nguyen-Miyoshi. Not only does the brand use cotton vintage dead-stock fabric to reduce its environmental footprint, but it's also LA-made to the core: design, development, and production all take place locally.
FMLA member Jamie Menna of Mini Style discovered Milllk, a new line by two Australian mamas that produces essentials in practical shapes and soft, natural, versatile fabrics.
Jamie Menna also digs Minimalisma, a stylish essentials brand with a Nordic sensibility. They only use 100% certified organic cotton to create their garments.
FMSF member and Apple product management leader Talia Kennedy highly recommends Nature Baby: "My sister-in-law introduced me to Nature Baby during my first pregnancy. This New Zealand-based family-owned company has become my go-to for soft, organic cotton baby and toddler clothes and crib bedding. I've also bought new mama essentials and toys from them, all of which are made from chemical-free organic cotton."
Priscilla Vega also loves neve | hawk, a California-crafted clothing line that "designs each garment from scratch and works with manufacturing partners we know by name, treat fairly, and occasionally communicate with via strategically composed emojis." Perfection.
FMLA member Laurie Isabella picks POPUPSHOP for its cool prints and its use of certified organic cotton. All items are also dyed and printed without using any harmful chemicals.
If you love clothing with lots of color but minus the superhero characters, meet Primary, a "brilliant basics" brand beloved by FMLA member Carly Anderson. Their website notes that all of their factories "must be approved by a certified third party inspection company and compliant with ethical manufacturing processes. Additionally, all production lots are tested for product safety to ensure compliance with CPSC regulations."
Jennifer Pak and Natascha Snellman both love Roux, a beautiful LA-based brand that designs hand-dyed pieces using breezy fabrics like 100% lightweight cotton gauze.
Mai Ann Nguyen-Miyoshi also gives a thumbs up to Rylee and Cru, a brand that produces "quality basics that are each hand garment dyed, giving them a soft vintage feel right out of the box," as the website notes. "The shapes are comfortable and the fabrics are soft, making dressing easy for baby and mama."
FMLA member Katie Kay Mead digs Tiny Cottons, a stylishly modern clothing brand that uses 100% certified Pima cotton.
Daisy O'Dell and Jennifer Pak love the wonderful Ultra Violet Kids, another Kids Fashion Fair favorite and celebrity go-to that supports the local economy by ethically producing all of their clothing in Los Angeles.
Our final pick goes to Willaby, a gorgeous brand recommended by FMLA member Priscilla Vega that prides itself on its small and ethical production. As noted on their website: "we partner with skilled local artisans to make our clothing and accessories. Our heirloom blankets are sewn by owner Kim Woods's mother, in her Ohio childhood home. Whenever possible, we use ethically-made fabrics such as organic cotton woven in facilities where workers are paid a fair wage and receive fair benefits."