Ideal Bite

We recently returned from a big, fancy family wedding and Roxane, my 11-month-old daughter, looked like doll.  There’s not much more adorable than a big bow on the back of a little girl’s dress, but this confection was also sleeveless pink and white seersucker with a scallop-edged collar and tiny flowers on the gathered bodice.  Edible, right?

And the best part: free. The designer dress, which I understand cost a pretty penny at the store, was a hand-me-down from Roxie’s older cousin. 

Passing or swapping clothes through the chain of family and friends is nothing new, of course - kids grow out of stuff so fast and we’d all rather not fork over the cash, especially right now - but it’s also hugely planet-friendly.

Manufacturing new clothing sucks up resources and spews waste - consider the energy needed to process fabric, the chemicals leftover from dyeing it and the fuel required to ship the final product.  Carbon emissions galore.

Even if there’s no one to hand over spiffy designer duds for kids, you can make great budget discoveries at vintage stores and resale web sites, or pick up upcycled kids clothes, which are new items fashioned from vintage fabrics.

It’s stunning to think that there are tons - literal tons - of clothing that end up in landfills every day.  Each American tosses about 68 pounds of clothes every year.  We could stand to reuse a piece now and then.

And did I mention the free part?

-Mama Bite Editor Alison...off to shop in my sister's closet...
From Mama Bite