Finn’s Western Shirt – One Year Later

So, you know how we’re always banging on about how well made our clothes are? How they’re made tough and built to last? Ready for any action your children can throw their way?

Last week we received the photo above; our Western Shirt – one year on. As you can see, it looks slightly different to the original (below)

It’s faded and has a few tears but it still looks awesome!

This well-worn shirt is the one that was given to skateboarding prodigy Finn, who appeared in our brand film.

It has been put through some serious wear and has come out looking great. It’s still one of his favourites, so we’ve sent him a new one. We’re looking forward to seeing what he does with the next one!

Order one here and let us know what you get up to in yours!

Weekend Sale at The Fableists to Welcome the Sunshine: 50% off!

Celebrate the sunshine with a whopping 50% off at The Fableists this weekend.

Visit www.TheFableists.com and use the code fableistsfifty in your shopping bag to claim this amazing discount.

Don’t delay! Sale ends Sunday March 15th. Happy Shopping!!

‘Not On The High Street’ to Surprise Mum on March 15th (and spot our Breton in the adverts!!)

Not on the High Street has created some television adverts with loads of brilliant ideas for celebrating Mother’s Day this March 15th (in the UK, anyway!). Look closely and you will spot The Fableists gorgeous Breton Top.

In ‘Tasteful Tea Party’, it’s on the little boy who runs in and out of the scene.

And in ‘The Secret Garden’, the gardener herself wears it.

Don’t forget Mother’s Day on March 15th and while you’re at it, pick up one of our Bretons for your Fableists. They are made from organic cotton and ethically and sustainably produced. And they’re unisex to help you to pass on the top when one child has outgrown it!

Grab one of the Last Few ‘Chore Coats’!

Some of the sizes have sold out and we only have a handful left in the others, so grab one of these beautiful items before they go! We’ve reduced them from £35 to £15 – so they won’t last long.

Find it in our web store here.

The Chore Coat is ethically produced in organic cotton. It is based on vintage workwear and prison uniforms. It’s got lots of tough pockets for collecting stones and shells and it’s built for action but very sharp!

With spring around the corner, the Chore Coat will soon be an indispensible bit of clobber for your Fableist.

Sizing is generous. My 6 year old daughter is still in her 4-5 and my tall 7 year old is in a 6-7! So please consult the measurements of the item below.

Patch it Up!

It’s unlikely that The Fableists jeans will wear through at the knees too quickly. They are pretty thick and rugged and definitely meant to last a kid or three!

But what can be done with them if they do start to wear in the knees? Before you grab the scissors and start cutting them down in to shorts (seriously – what childhood is complete without a pair of cut downs?) patch them up.

Old pieces of denim, or other fabrics make great patches but a lot of designers are making beautiful and original patches that can make your child’s jeans in to wearable art. Etsy is a great place to find all sorts of new and vintage patches that can be sewn on or (bonus points) ironed on.

A friend recently shared the gorgeous patches displayed below on The Fableists’ Facebook page and I couldn’t resist sharing them with you.

www.bellemine.ca

 

They are from Bellemine, a Montreal based operation set up by two women; illustrator Isabelle Arsenault, known for her children’s books and her childhood friend Jasmine Evangeliste.

www.bellemine.ca

www.bellemine.ca

www.bellemine.ca

Each design is a limited edition, with only 100 of each produced. Bellemine aims to reduce the amount of textiles that end up in landfills by offering a beautiful and original way to keep your clothes in action.

Their patches can be ironed on and used on a variety of materials, including denim, jersey, cotton and fine knits and they are machine washable in a cold cycle. What’s not to love?

 

Make Art Not War

The Fableists’ ‘Make Art Not War’ t-shirt, designed by Anthony Peters has an important message for children that is more timely now that ever. Three soldiers, in a classic stance, which echoes the monument to peacekeeping in Ottawa, Canada are armed with artists’ tools.

This is one of our most popular t-shirts – as chosen by the kids themselves – and we now have just a few left in size 3-4. Size 9-10 is also running low. You can find it at our web shop. 

The Chore Coat – Grab one of the Last Few!

The chore coat is ideal for autumn and spring. It’s just warm enough to keep the chill out and cool enough that it doesn’t get taken off and left behind! Great, big side pockets for collecting conkers and other autumnal delights. Superb tailoring makes this jacket look smart. It’s durable and versatile and great on both girls and boys.

There are only a handful of chore coats left! We have a few in each size in both blue and taupe. Grab one here before they’re all gone.

How to Care for Your Clothes from The Fableists

The more you wash cloth, the shorter the life cycle of the item will be. The United Nations Environment programme found that if you wear your jeans at least three times before washing them, wash in cold water and hang dry without ironing you consume five times less energy. We encourage you to wipe away dirt and grime as a first resort. If washing is necessary, The Fableists clothes are made to survive a 30° C wash but please wash on the coldest setting you feel comfortable with, with a minimal amount of detergent on as gentle a cycle as possible and hang dry to save the clothes, your electricity bill and the planet. We recommend eco-friendly detergents, which have minimal aquatic toxicity and will biodegrade quickly and completely.

If you are concerned about bacteria that might survive a cold water wash, try a naturally antibacterial essential oil such as tea tree oil, peppermint, oregano, lavender, lemon, thyme or eucalyptus. This will not kill 100% of bacteria but will be very effective and will also give your washing a lovely, fresh scent. Hydrogen peroxide is a naturally occurring chemical and it is very effective at killing bacteria. It is safe on skin but does have a bleaching effect and should be used carefully. A top all round disinfecting product is plain old white vinegar. It will remove bacteria and stains and it also removes the build-up of soap scum and softens the water, leaving your washing soft and fluffy. All anti-bacterial products should be used in moderation so that they will remain effective.

We understand that you might need to use your tumble dryer – but do so wisely. Try to shorten the time of your load. Taking clothes out slightly damp and folding them immediately will reduce the need to iron (always a bonus!). You can also hang your load and then put it through the dryer on a quick cycle to soften them. Avoid dryer sheets, which are full of chemicals and break down organic fibres, which will shorten the life span of your clothes.

And now for the best news: Limit your ironing. This will preserve your sanity but ironing also uses energy (not just yours!) and deteriorates fabric. Obviously, some of your clothes require ironing but make the time to take your line-dried clothes down while still slightly damp, fold them promptly along the creases and pile them up. The folding and the weight will remove wrinkles.

#TheFableists Hall of Fame. Check out our Growing Tribe

Every kid who wears our clothes is one of The Fableists. They are part of a movement to break the cycle of kids making clothes for kids; of poisoning the Earth so that we can have more. They will grow up wiser than their parents and buy less to wear more. They will care for their clothes and pass them on to someone else when they are finished with them. They don’t bow down to the latest fashion trends.

They are powerful and free. They are amazing. They are themselves.

Play hard. Live forever.

Send your images to sarah@thefableists and we’ll post them here and in our FB Wall of Fableists.

Are You Interested in Stocking The Fableists in Your Shop?

We have a couple of stockists at the moment and we’ll be letting you know all about them as they’ll soon feature on our blog!

We love to tell our story and show the clothes off. We know that they speak for themselves when seen in person. Not only do the clothes look great, they are well made – sustainably. That means that ethical production and care for the environment are just as important to us as profit is.

Our goal is to change the way that people buy, care for and dispose of their clothes. We don’t want you to put your kids in clothes that still contain harmful toxic chemicals and we don’t want to sell you clothes that are made by children, or anyone who isn’t paid and treated fairly.

Big companies that mass produce clothing for a pittance simply are not taking the environment, or the workers they hire in to consideration. They are completely motivated by profit and by buying their clothes, you are contributing to a global problem. These same corporations have had to adapt ‘sustainability policies’ and are required to change the way they make their clothes in order to adhere to new legislation. They have been given deadlines for this but we don’t understand why it takes a decade to start doing business in an ethical way.

Missy is in the Classic Jeans and Western Shirt

It’s simple: We want The Fableists to grow up with an awareness of where their clothes come from. We want them to learn to make the right choices early. We want them to be comfortable in their clothes and play hard in them. We don’t want harmful chemicals in their clothes that could contribute to asthma or eczema.

Do you share our passion for style and sustainability? Would you like to offer your customers some great looking children’s clothes that you can have no qualms about selling? If you are interested in stocking our clothes, please do get in touch with Sarah Cooper at sarah@thefableists.com.

The Fableists

The Gang of Fableists