Green Nippers were asked on many occasions if we could provide a range of organic cotton underwear and pyjama’s for their babies and children … so let us introduce our fabulous range.

We conducted extensive market research into what organic children’s underwear and sleepwear was available (or lack of it)! It was clear what little found was not fashionable, pretty, trendy for the little ones. There is no need for organic not to be as pretty and cute as non-organic!

Organic cotton clothing is very important for your baby or child, especially those suffering from eczema. Organic cotton doesn’t have the nasty chemicals & pesticides which are found in conventional cotton. So underwear and sleepwear (which is closest to your little ones delicate skin) is especially important for them to wear.

Organic baby underwear
We have designed some very cute baby bodysuits, which can either be worn as an undergarment, simply on their own, or with a pair of trousers, leggings or a skirt. The bodysuits are available in 3 sleeve lengths: sleeveless, short sleeve and long sleeve. They are also available in 3 colours: white, pink stripe and toffee stripe.
The organic cotton baby bodysuits are available in sizes new born to 2 years.

Organic cotton children’s underwear sets for girls & boys
The girls organic cotton underwear is available in 3 pretty pastel shades: vanilla, rose and apple green. The fabric is simply gorgeous too; it’s made from 100% organic cotton jacquard interlock with an all-over hearts. It’s so cute. The girls underwear is available from ages 12 months – 5 years. Perfect for when you little one starts potty training or for the younger worn the knickers can be worn over a nappy.

The boy’s organic underwear sets are available in white a navy blue. Both colours are proving to very popular! The sets include a sleeveless vest and pants. The boy’s underwear is made from super soft 100% organic cotton jersey. They are also available from 12 months to 5 years.

Organic cotton boys and girls pyjama’s
Green Nippers boys and girls pyjama’s, available from newborn months to 5 years, have been really popular!
We have 2 all-in-one pyjamas which are available in toffee stripe and pink stripe (new born to 5 years). These are great for little ones suffering from eczema or chicken pox. They have fold over scratch mittens and feet, perfect to stop them from scratching!

We also have some 2 piece pyjama’s sets available in long sleeve and short sleeve, in toffee stripe and pink stripe:

Organic Cotton Nighties
The girls organic nighties have been very well received. Our customers have liked them so much that they have bought them for a summers dress! The nighties are available in 3 pretty pastel shades: vanilla, rose and apple green. The fabric is 100% organic cotton jacquard interlock with an all-over hearts. The girls nighties are available from ages 12 months – 5 years.

Green Nippers is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Part of the This Stuff Matters Campaign by ethicTrade

What is a sweatshop?

A sweatshop is a term with strong negative connotations for a place of production, usually a factory, where employees work for very low wages and for very long hours. Minimum wage laws are usually ignored and child labour often utilised.

Aren’t sweatshops a thing of the past?

Unfortunately not. Whilst there was a sharp decline in sweatshops during the 1950s, they are now more prevalent than ever and are still on the increase. This is largely because many companies – and not just the large multi-nationals – are manufacturing their products in less economically developed countries where they can ‘employ’ very cheap labour with minimal fear of reprisals. By lowering manufacturing costs they are able to market their end-products to consumers at more competitive retail prices whilst simultaneously increasing their profit margins.

Who are the workers?

According to feminist.org, 90% of people who work in sweatshops are women, and most of these are between the ages of 15 and 22. Their wages of the equivalent of 7-25 pence per hour are nowhere near enough to meet the cost of living. There has been a lot of evidence that suggests women in sweatshops are often subjected to sexual harassment and corporal punishment by their male bosses. Very often they are not even allowed to take toilet breaks few breaks during the 10, 12 or even 14 hour shift. Unpaid overtime, unsafe working conditions, no annual holiday and no maternity leave completes the picture.

Why do they work there?

Frequently these women have been tempted in to signing working contracts with the company in return for promises of a better life in a foreign country like the USA. They are even so convinced that working for this company will improve their lives that they pay the company initial fees to be allowed to work for them! Because they earn so little money it can often take years of working for zero pay to settle this debt with the company.

What must we do?

Buy fair trade. Fair trade products are not limited to just coffee and bananas, though obviously these are good too. With a tiny bit of effort, you can buy your clothing, toys, gifts and home furnishings all from companies that have proven themselves to have an ethical supply chain. This will leave you free to boycott those companies that still use sweatshop production.

Ethictrade LLP is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

By supporting small scale farming, traditional weaving and natural dyeing, fair trade scarves are making a real difference to the lives of women and rural communities in Laos.

From The Source specialise in quality handmade scarves made from natural fabrics, and in an age of fast fashion and faceless high street shops, aim to connect consumers with the people that make the products they buy. The latest range of handwoven cotton scarves by From The Source are truly unique and have a lovely handmade feel, and making them is offering new opportunties for women in Laos and helping to provide sustainable rural development.

In Laos there are great traditions of raising cotton and silk on small scale farms, and using locally available plants to produce natural dyes for fabrics. However, some agricultural development in Laos is threatening this small scale farming and local biodiversity, as commercial crops such as corn and rubber are being promoted as a way to generate more income from farming. This is completely changing local agriculture patterns and livelihoods, and threatening to wipe out many of the raw materials for Lao handicrafts. In some areas it is increasingly difficult to find villages that are raising silk and growing cotton, and there is evidence that new industrial crops are causing environmental problems like landslides and flashfloods because of clear cutting and the use of tractors to plough hillsides.

By increasing the demand for Lao handicrafts and textiles, From The Source enable more people to earn an income in rural Laos from textile production, and offer opportunities for skilled paid employment, especially for women. By supporting the traditional crafts of weaving and natural dyeing, the negative impacts of the introduction of large scale commercial crops in Laos may be limited.

From The Source encourage organic farming practices and are working towards organic certification for cotton products from Laos. By supporting small scale farming, traditional weaving and natural dyes fair trade scarves are making a real difference to the lives of people in Laos. However, none of this is possible unless the designs are what people want to wear – Check out the current range online:

organic cotton scarves for women and men

From The Source is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Celebrating one year of successful trading on 9^th March, fashion brand Boys&Girls, known for their vibrant and urban range of children’s clothing, have announced their involvement in 2012 Fairtrade Fortnight, running from 27^th February to 11^th March.

Boys&Girls have provided outfits from their Fairtrade range to the local Crystal Palace, London Fairtrade, and Belmont Junior School in Durham, both staging fashion shows for Fairtrade Fortnight. Outfits have been provided for six models of each show and include the iconic Star T-Shirts and vests from their Fairtrade range.

The theme of this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight’s campaign – Take a Step – aims to encourage the public to think about the little things they could do on a daily basis to improve the lives of workers in the developing world who produce the goods they buy. From tea parties and food tastings to fashion shows, talks and films, nearly 8,000 steps have been registered so far, against a target of 1.5 million steps by the end of 2012.

Kati Martin, brand director at Boys&Girls, comments: “Getting involved in Fairtrade in Schools is a wonderful opportunity to show kids and parents alike that doing the right thing doesn’t have to be dry and boring, nor take a lot of efforts. We all can contribute to build a fairer world, and this should be learnt from an early age.”

Boys&Girls pride themselves to only use 100% GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) and FLO (Fairtrade Labelling Organisations) certified cottons for their collections, and to display the Fairtrade Mark on an increasing part of their range. They aim to only sell fairtrade clothes as soon as their order quantities are large enough to get them through FLO Certified dye houses.

Kati adds: “We really hope this year will be a success. We are extremely keen to become a fully Fairtrade certified business, and only the public’s demand can help us achieve this.”

Boys&Girls is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

With the sudden drop in temperature over the weekend, hope that most of winter might be behind us has been abandoned, and the fight to keep warm is back on.

Here at Boys&Girls, we thought we’d put together a brief guide to help you keep your kids warm this winter, the ethical way.

1- Layer up

Dressing your children with several layers instead of just a thick one is the key to keep them warm. Layers help trap warm air between each item, which acts as further insulation from the outside cold. Wearing layers will also help them regulate their body temperature better, by opening or taking off one layer when overheating, and putting it back when they’ve stopped running around. Tuck vests into trousers rather than pulling over the outside, and make sure that the layers are not too tight and don’t restrict movement so blood flow is not impeded.

2- Prefer natural fibres

Layering is even more effective if the layers are made of natural fibres, like cotton, silk or wool. Because natural fibres let the skin breathe better, if your kids work up a sweat, they won’t be cold later on.

It is even better if you go for organic clothes: with no harsh chemicals used in the production process, their skin won’t get irritated, which is especially important in the winter when they will be wearing more layers for several months.

3- Don’t forget their extremities

Remember that up to 40% of body heat is lost through the head, and that feet and toes usually get cold quicker than the rest of the body. Gloves, a hat and thicker socks are therefore indispensable in colder weather, and also allow you to add splashes of colours to outfits that tend to get a bit dark in winter.

At Boys&Girls, we createcool clothes for kidsthat are bright and cheerful, but also made of 100% organic and fairly traded cotton. With our range of colourful long-sleeved t-shirts, hoodies, leggings and sweatpants available on sale, you will be able to keep your kids warm with an on-trend, funky look that doesn’t cost the earth. And for extra coziness, all our Autumn/Winter hoodies and sweat pants are made in our SuperSoft fabric, a brushed sweat providing ultimate comfort.

Boys&Girls is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

The Perfect Girls Red Christmas Dress

If you are looking for the perfect dress for your little girl to wear this Christmas or even just throughout the Autumn/Winter season, Green Nippers organic red girls dress is a perfect choice! The dress is made from soft and comfortable organic cotton in a gorgeous warm rustic red colour with little cream pockets.

The girls red dress is very versatile and can be dressed up or down! For example, it can be worn with cream tights and little party shoes for a party or special occasion, alternatively if your little girl wants to go for a more casual look – how about wearing it with a pair of leggings or tights and ankle boots?

The long sleeve cotton dress forms part of Green Nippers Junior Collection, which consists of dresses, tops and leggings for the girls. For the boys there is a wonderful range of trousers, dungarees and t-shirts. We have extended our age range of organic clothing collections, so therefore this dress and the rest of the Junior Collection can be purchased in a range of sizes from 0 to 5 years.

If you have purchased one of the Green Nippers garments or baby grows before, you will appreciate the luxuriously soft organic cotton fabric. Not only that, they are made to an exceptionally high quality and are very durable so can be worn over and over again and can even be passed down to younger sisters or friends!

Green Nippers have recently exhibited at a few retail shows: The Organic Food Festival in Bristol (where the Junior Collection was launched), The Baby Show at Earls Court in London and The Living North Christmas Fair in Newcastle. Green Nippers Junior Collection, in particular the girls red dress, was a very popular choice by parents, grandparents and other relatives. We find it very beneficial to exhibit at retail shows as it is lovely to meet our customers and hear their wonderful feedback.

Our full range of organic baby and children’s clothes including the little girls red dress is available on our website: www.greennippers.co.uk.

Girls long sleeve red dress – 0-2 years is just £17.99, and 2-5 years is only £19.99

We also have free UK delivery and can ship anywhere in the world for only £4.95!

Green Nippers is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

We launched our brand new Junior Collection in August 2011. Green Nippers Junior Collection consists of colourful organic clothes for boys and girls aged 0 to 5 years. The range includes smart and practical dresses, smock tops, t-shirts and leggings for girls. For the boys there are a wonderful range of t-shirts, stylish trousers and dungarees.

Green Nippers have proven that been organic does not mean that you have to limit the colours to cream and brown. We have carried on our ethos of been bright and colourful for our Junior collection, using a great range of warm and rich colours such as rustic red, chocolate brown, navy, marmalade and forest green.

Since launching our Junior range, it has proven to be very popular. Especially our boys dungarees! Our customers have been drawn the fabric initially as they are not made from the usual denim. One of the unique selling points of Green Nippers dungarees is that they are actually made from a high quality organic cotton sweater fabric (similar to jogging bottoms) which is much softer and more comfortable than denim. However they do have the smart ‘denim look’ with the colour and contrasting top stitching. Our dungaree/pinafore dress and boys trousers are also made from the same fabric.

Green Nippers boys dungarees have been that popular that our cotton dungarees have been bought for girls too – so they are in fact unisex J They are so practical and durable, allowing little children to play comfortable all day long.
Here are some of the key features:
- The legs turn up and the straps have 2 fastening options allowing your little one room to grow
- They are made from soft 100% organic cotton sweater fabric and organic cotton jersey (pockets)
- They contain no nasty chemicals or pesticides, so are therefore eczema friendly
- The buttons are made from coconut shell
- There are nickel free popper fastenings around the inside leg (for easy nappy changing)
- Ethically made in Turkey
- High quality and hard wearing
- Easy to wear, smart, practical and comfortable
- Ideal for babies suffering from reflux as they are not tight fitting around the stomach

Green Nippers blue dungarees are available to purchase from our website (www.greennippers.co.uk). They are very reasonably priced at £19.99, and are available from ages 0 to 3 years.

Green Nippers is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

A recent report by Ipsos MORI for UNICEF UK has highlighted that children in the UK are being drawn into a materialistic culture because they don’t spend enough time with their families.

According to a recent research, although parents in the UK are committed to their children, they don’t have enough time to spend with them due to long working hours. To make up for this, they end up treating them to new clothes and toys, which the charity claims affects their relationship with material items.

For online retailer Boys&Girls, treating your children to new clothes could be turned into a more meaningful experience. Instead of buying into labels, try buying fair trade clothing. This will give you the opportunity to teach your kids about where their clothes come from and how they are produced, giving them a greater understanding of the world they live in. This will help them be kinder to their peers, and could also positively affect their buying choices in the future.

Buying organic children clothes will also give you the chance to make your children aware of serious issues whilst treating them. You could explain the impact of chemicals on the environment but also on the workers who make their clothes, or teach them about ecosystems and global warming too.

And to make more free time for your little ones, why not try online shopping rather than dragging them round the shops? You can fit it in after they’ve gone to bed, and to make it even easier, most retailers can deliver to the address of your choice, like an office, so you don’t have to be at home to receive them.

If you would like to treat your children to organic and fairly traded cool children clothes, visit Boys&Girls online today.

Boys&Girls is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

We all know that buying ethical clothing is the responsible thing to do; it’s better for the environment and protects producers in the developing world.  But are they cool and comfortable enough so your children will want to wear them every day?

At Boys&Girls, our range of children’s clothes is quirky as well as fairly traded, organic and ethical.

When we set the company up, we wanted everything to be “created with care”, so the production process had to be safe and fair for everyone involved – including your kids.

We’ve stuck to that mantra and only use 100% organic GOTS and fairly traded FLO certified cotton for the whole range, which allows your child’s skin to breathe in summer and winter and is perfect when  running around at the rate of knots.

No nasty chemicals, pesticides or genetically modified organisms are used in the process, which means your little one’s sensitive skin is unlikely to react to the dyes we use.

But organic clothing doesn’t have to mean boring clothing either! We believe that our strapline “more parks & playgrounds than paddocks & ponies” really reflects our range of easy to live in, vibrant and funky kids clothes. All of our clothes come in bright colours and bold patterns your kids will love – so they can feel confident all the time. Even our organic baby clothing comes in brilliant colours!

Thankfully, our clothes are good for you too. All of Boys&Girls clothes are hard wearing and can be machine washed, so you won’t end up with mountains of hand washing.

Visit Boys&Girls to check our full range of ethical kids clothes.

Boys&Girls is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

This Bank Holiday Bourgeois Boheme is offering free exclusive belts to the first 20 customers who order from our website using the code “bankholiday“.

Bourgeois Boheme is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more