I warn you, this is long. I can’t pretend it’s not. But I really hope, if you like clothes like I do, that it won’t be boring!

I can’t work out where to start with talking about scandi. I have bought most of ours preloved from eBay or Facebook so far, except for the gorgeously soft Maxomorra velour dungarees that Rory loves charging about in. I’m not even sure I have a favourite brand, which makes it even harder! I’ll try to start from the beginning.

Scandi refers to clothes from Scandinavian brands. They are pretty unique, often full of repeating patterns or block colour, and they definitely go for comfort for kids. I don’t think I’ve seen anything smart casual yet… It’s all for playing. Which, in my opinion, is exactly what kids clothes should be most of the time. And most of the scandi companies do organic too.

It’s hard to talk about because there are so many companies doing so many lovely and different things. Having said that, some of them do have drawbacks if it bothers you.

Let’s start with Maxomorra as a case in point. I’ve gone back to Maxomorra for some more velour dungarees from their old range. I’ve bought them from a website new, and brand new with tags (BNWT) from someone on Facebook. Rory has always looked so comfortable in them and they grow with him too. At first they were baggy over the cuffed ankles and that was fine. Now they fit the leg length perfectly, 6 months later and they are still ok.

The old range of Maxomorra, that the purple romper dungarees came from, has big jumps in sizing. It goes from 74/80 (9-12m) to 86/92 (18-24m). Rory has dungarees in both of these sizes (see photo below). Despite how well they “grow” with the child, there will definitely be a couple of months when Rory is out of the purple 74/80 (they do still fit at 13.5m) and not yet in the blue, which is the next size up, because the crotch would be around his knees! For the most recent season of clothes Maxomorra has moved to the more usual European sizing – and in comparison there are now clothes available in 74 (6-9m), 80 (9-12m), 86 (12-18m) and 92 (18-24m) etc. Four sizes instead of just two.

The velour has kept its colour beautifully, as have the trim and cuffs, and it’s still gorgeously soft. Sadly the same can’t be said for the Maxomorra jersey trousers I bought. These too lasted a long time and I loved the bright colours. I bought them new but they faded badly with every wash. The colour wore from the knees especially badly. The photos of Rory wearing them new and when I sold them on are an attempt to show you the change.

 

Having said that, I still sold them on for a few quid. They don’t hold their value brilliantly but they’re still worth something second hand. The velour stuff we’ve had from Maxomorra sells on much better because it lasts so well.

I am not a particular fan of the new Maxomorra designs but each to their own, lots of people do. I usually use http://www.juicytots.co.uk or http://www.littlesunflowers.com, but there are plenty of websites that sell it and you just have to do an Internet search to find them. I have also bought from eBay, and sold on the Facebook group ‘Maxomorra Addicts’.

Speaking of Facebook groups… ‘Love For The Scandi Clothes UK’ and ‘Scandi/European Clothes Buy and Sell’ are the places to browse lots of different brands and ages of scandi clothes. They are closed groups, you just have to search for them and request to join. Once you’ve been accepted you can buy and sell using PayPal, so long as you have read the group rules first.

Ok so I just spent aaaaaaages talking about one brand. I’ll try to be shorter with the rest!

Molo. Pretty much deserves its own post. I might do that next. It’s a unique, expensive brand with exciting photographic style patterns. They do plain and stripes too, but the patterns that make them stand out are those like in my picture.

The sizing is rather variable – Rory, at 13 months (bearing in mind that 12-18m is 86) is wearing the racing cars romper on the right of the picture comfortably as a shortie. It’s a size 68 (3-6m). Go figure. His size 86 teddies vest is big too and he can’t wear it yet. The 80 seaplanes outfit is perfectly comfy (see below). As far as I can tell you have to go at least one size down in baby sizes, but child sizes seem OK. Kaitlin’s polar bear long sleeved t shirt, and bird vest, are both 104 (3-4) and fine. But her safari dress (below) is a 110 and comes up small! So… It’s a bit of trial and error! You can always ask people to measure the clothes if you are buying preloved, to be sure before you commit.

Popupshop are another brand that use photographic images. I love these leggings of Rory’s – panda and tiger. I’m going to try making Kaitlin’s leopard jumpsuit into a short playsuit because it’s a second and the legs aren’t the same length (yes it was very cheap!)… They are pretty true to size, which means that so far I’ve personally been happy that the sizing seems accurate. The quality of them feels lovely. Rory hasn’t actually grown into them yet so I have no idea how well they wash but these are preloved and they look perfect. I am on the lookout for the camels print, it makes me chuckle!

But I personally feel I have to intersperse these quite grown up prints, particularly for Rory, with rather more fun patterns and colours. Or things that are especially soft and cosy. Or twirly or sparkly. These are kids after all, not pieces of art walking about. I don’t care if they ruin any of their clothes, fancy or not; it doesn’t matter to me if its Popupshop or Asda so long as they are happy and comfy. They are kids and their clothes are for playing in. And I want their clothes to make them smile, even more than they do me (if that is at all possible!).

My most recent discovery in that front is Me&I. Think lots of velour and soft animals. I like how soft the clothes are and that they don’t try to be too grown up. Rory has a colourful velour jacket and some grey velour rabbit trousers to grow into. Kaitlin has a lovely brown velour jumper. Very different from the last two brands.

Now you can see why my kids have so many clothes. I discover lots of different things and a lot of them don’t match!

Polarn O. Pyret. A fairly well known Scandinavian brand I would guess. You can buy it in House of Fraser here in the UK. They have a wonderful unisex range and regular sales online. Their socks stay up too! Must do a post about baby socks…

P.O.P. are colourful and fun. The quality and thickness of their clothing is lovely. They do a large unisex range, with jumpers too, in most colours of the rainbow.

The clothes do wash fade slightly, but not much considering the depths of the colours. They also make proper thermals, and outer wear such as 2 in 1 waterproof jackets with removable fleece liners, in beautiful bright colours. Rory was rocking one of his P.O.P. tops today, with some monster bum joggers from Next. This outfit just makes me smile!

What else is in my pictures? Me Too – the chequered romper for Rory. This is new to me and I like the fact that it’s a bit different.

I don’t have any more though, and it seems like it has disappeared out of the UK online scandi shops. I wonder if it has closed down. Something for me to research.

And Smafolk. How could I forget?! I love this gorgeous deer jumper. It’s a bit huge, it’s supposed to be 18-24m baggy jumper for Rory but I think it would fit Kaitlin as a 3/4 sleeved top!

I’m stashing it until the Autumn and I’ll see whether Rory can wear it. Smafolk tend to be recognised for their apple prints. They do lovely looking velour dungarees and lots of bright colours, in repeating prints a bit like Maxomorra but in a slightly less regular fashion.

There’s plenty more. Lots of people like Mini Rodini, which is a very expensive brand. I quite some of their prints, like the clouds print below, but it’s quite grown up in my opinion.

I like the pink T Rexes for a child Kaitlin’s age. But I haven’t loved any of it enough to pay the prices it commands – and have never come across the pink dinosaurs or the toucans print Kaitlin would like on the preloved sites yet. If you want to look on the Facebook groups, there’s a children’s designer brands group called ‘Albababy, Beau Loves, Nununu, Indikidual, Bobo Choses, Mini Rodini and more…’, and ‘Designer Baby and Kids Boutique’. Maybe I’ll get some one day but it’s not something I’m rushing to find.

I like Indikidual. But I don’t have any. This is something I am considering for my rations for the children this winter… It’s full of colours and zig zags and silly pictures. Like bananas.  Who makes a clothing pattern out of bananas?!

I don’t have any DUNS yet (except a sun hat!), Moromini (egg romper and vest below) or Ej Sikke Lej (though I’m bidding on eBay for some velour shorts for Kaitlin by the latter!). Again they both lean back towards the repeating patterns and bright colours and jersey print that the Scandinavians use.

The patterns remind me of JNY, of which we have had a few things.  The colour lasted pretty well throughout the washes and they held value fairly well too. I loved Rory’s unusual JNY snow scene vest and trousers, and his woodland vest too. He has some zebra striped trousers for this summer which are a bit different.

I’m going to stop writing now because I am probably boring you… I can’t believe how long this post has become, and there are loads more scandi brands if you look. But I’ll finish with Filemon Kid. I AM buying one or both of my kids an outfit from Filemon Kid this autumn/winter. I have my eye on the Tapir set here for Rory. I love it! If Kaitlin wants to choose her own then she can. I hope the quality is nice! 💜