Jackalo || Strong Enough for Kids, Gentle on the Planet
Ah, children’s clothes. Although the vast majority of my kids’ clothing is secondhand or hand-me-downs, on the rare occasion that we buy a new piece for our girls, it usually lasts about as long as it takes for them to outgrow it or for them to rip a hole in it. Children’s apparel isn’t designed to last, because at the rate kids grow, why would it be? When you’re continually having to size up, wash away the ketchup stains, patch ripped knees, and wish for better options, it’s no wonder that shopping sustainably for your kids (at least for me) is one of the first things to go.
Aside from there being shockingly few options for ethically made kids clothes, when I have come across brands in the past I have a hard time justifying the price tag for the amount of wears my kids will get out of the item. If a piece lasts only one season before E & M outgrow or destroy it, what’s the point?
Luckily, "hard to find” doesn’t mean impossible and today’s brand goes above and beyond in terms of sustainability AND practicality for kids.
Marianna, the owner, designer, one-woman-show behind Jackalo, knows a thing or two about the struggle most parents face while looking for clothes that will last for children. A mother of two herself, she grew frustrated with the lack of sustainable options that wouldn’t cost her an arm and a leg, especially since her sons would play their way through each pair in no time.
She decided to take matters into her own hands and design a kid’s pant that could withstand normal rough and tumble and check all of the boxes in the sustainability field. Thus, Jackalo was born.
Their pants, the brand’s first product along with a coverall, are made from organic, fair trade cotton. The knees are doubled with a reinforced layer, to make them extra durable and rip free. To sweeten the deal, each pair comes in gender neutral colors and is able to be rolled up to save a bit of length until your child grows into them.
In this post, Evie is wearing the Ash Lined Engineer Stripe pant (paired with leopard print, of course) and Mara is wearing the Jax Berry pant, both in size 4 (they’re 3 and 5 but roughly the same size, so I went in the middle).
Circular Consumerism
One of my favorite things about Jackalo is their Trade Up program. Marianna knows how quickly kids grow and even though her pants are meant to accommodate a wider range than most, her Trade Up program takes over when time has done it’s work and the pants no longer fit. They will take back any Jackalo pant, to repair and resell at a discount, and give you a 20% discount towards your next pair. It keeps their pants out of landfill and ensures that each pair is truly getting the maximum wear.
Jackalo is refreshingly transparent about where and how their organic cotton is grown, and even share links for customers to learn more about the milling, weaving, and assembly process.
In my chats with Marianna (I also work with her on a freelance basis, so I’ve gotten a more in-depth look into her brand than most), she’s mentioned how much of a labor of love growing Jackalo has been. Sourcing organic and fair trade materials isn’t the convenient route by any means, and neither is accepting old product back for resale, but she’s so committed to bettering the world (and our children’s quality of play) through her pieces that each extra step is worth it.
Keep an eye out for new pieces from Jackalo soon — they’re truly doing their part to create conscious and practical clothes for kids who play hard.
*This piece was sponsored by Jackalo — thank you for supporting the brands that make SL&Co. possible.*
