I wanted to share with you a quick post about these beautiful snow suits I got for both boys from our beloved Lea and Jojo. You might have seen this blog post on a rain jacket we have that is made from recycled plastic bottles. And just like their wonderful rain jackets the snowsuits are also made from 100% recycled plastic bottles as well as being certified non-tofus, thus free of formaldehyde and other harmful chemicals.
I highly recommend their products, and here few reasons what makes them so special.
Certified non-toxic
Why this is important
Did you know that typical synthetic textile often contains a number of harmful chemicals, such as formaldehyde or pentachlorophenol? More harmful chemicals, such as fluorocarbons, are added when an item needs to be made water-repellent or stain-proof or wrinkle-resistant.
From everything I’ve read over the past few years I discovered that the fashion industry throughout all of its stages — from manufacturing of textile to production of final goods — is rather irresponsible. I also learned that in Europe a number of sustainable standards were developed to ensure that clothing is made in a sustainable and non-toxic manner. One of them is OEKO-Tex 100 which checks for presence of banned AZO dies, formaldehyde, pentachlorophenol, cadmium, nickel as well as numerous harmful chemicals even if they aren’t legally regulated yet.
But when it came to finding such clothes — I had no luck, till I came across Lea and Jojo through Instagram. Every item in Lea & Jojo production is certified with OEKO Tex 100 or GOTS or Bluedisgn System. Everything they make is very beautiful and exceptionally well made.
Lightweight, soft and great for layering
Unlike typical snow suits that I found to be bulky and somewhat stiff, Lea and Jojo fabrics are very lightweight and soft. The craftsmanship is truly exceptional and every little detail is beautifully made.
I also love that the suits are made with fleece lining on the inside, making them great for layering. This way we can use it not only on cold snowy days, but on warmer days when snow is melting and everything is so wet, yet it isn’t that cold anymore. So it makes it a very flexible wardrobe piece. And for colder days I layer it with organic wool underneath. Check out this blog post on where to buy beautiful, organic children’s wool clothes.
Lastly, the zipper goes all the way down one leg, making the opening large and easy to get in and out of.
Sustainably made
Why this is important
Conventional textile is considered only second to Big Oil in terms of environmental pollution it produces. I pinned some images to give you an idea of just how bad it is. Another grave problem we face today is plastic pollution. Plastic trash is found covering once pristine beaches, floating all around even in the most remote areas of the oceans and found to fill marine bird and mammals intestines causing their death. And according to Greenpeace latest environmental audit plastic bottles are the most common type of plastic trash found throughout the world (thank you Coco Cola, PepsiCo and Nestle).
Having a fabric made from used plastic bottles takes those bottles out of environmental circulation, turning them into something positive. Technology is truly amazing when we use it for the good, isn’t it?
Another aspect of synthetic textile that most of us never even heard of is the use of fluorocarbons on textile to make it water-resistant. Fluorocarbons are toxic and non-biodegradabl, yet their small particles wash off from garments making their way into our waterways. Lea and Jojo use RUDOLF BIONIC ECO FINISH instead. You can read more about it here on their Sustainability page.
Lea and Jojo also personally inspect all the factories where their materials are produced to ensure sustainability of the production. They go as far as ensuring that not only the fabrics are certified and sustainably made, but also zippers, threads, mental fittings, cords and even labels and hangtags.
Support small and sustainable business
And the last reason I advocate for is to support a small business that goes out of their way to care for our environment and the workers while providing our children with highest quality beautiful clothing.
