This post is part of the eco-friendly winter clothing series. Clothing and accessories that keep your child warm during the cold winter months can be natural and eco-friendly! This series is focused on handmade products sold on Etsy. Etsy is a great marketplace for finding eco-friendly, natural, handmade products that are going to last a long time. Belly Bear Baby Gear focuses on using what is available to make what is needed. Most of the products are made from repurposed/upcycled materials, including wool, cotton, fleece, leather, etc. Upcycled wool longies and wool soft soled shoes are a must for cold winter months.
($20.00)Wool Soft Soled Shoes
($15.00)
Rating: total green check marks out of 5.
The Good
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The Not So Good
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Made from 100% wool
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Made from upcycled/recycled fabrics
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High quality stitching
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Wool is my favorite fabric for staying warm in the winter months. After researching warm clothing for my toddler, I realized that almost all warm items are made with polyester fleece. While polyester fleece is great for staying warm, there are many downsides to using fleece. Polyester fleece is synthetic (petroleum based). While it can be made from recycled plastic, most of the time it is not. Polyester fleece is treated with chemicals to make it flame retardant. This is often done for baby and kids clothing. Fleece can cause overheating in babies. Wool is the best option for staying warm and reducing the amount of chemicals our family is exposed to.
Christine at Belly Bear Baby Gear has the most adorable and functional wool clothing for children. I received the Upcycled Wool Longies and Wool Soft Soles Shoes.
The Wool Longies are custom made to fit your child. Sizes are available from newborn to 3/4T. You can choose between wool and cashmere. Christine upcycles sweaters to create Wool Longies. I was very impressed with the softness of the pants. Lanolization and appliques can also be attached. The Wool Longies have a cuff at the bottom, which can be rolled to make the Longies shorter or longer. This feature allows the pants to be worn for several seasons. The top of the pants has a wide band. The band can be folded over to adjust for length.
If you plan on using the Wool Longies over cloth diapers, Christine can lanolize the Wool Longies for you. I opted for no lanolization. I use waterproof diaper covers under the Wool Longies. There is plenty of room for a cloth diaper.
The Wool Soft Soled Shoes are also custom made to fit your child's foot. Sizes are available from newborn to adult. They are made from upcycled wood, upcycled suede, upcycled denim or fleece. Christine uses scraps from her other creations to create the soft soles shoes. The shoes fit my 21 month old very well. He can wear them with socks or without socks. There is a hidden elastic that makes putting the shoes on and removing them easy. I loved that the Wool Longies and the Wool Soft Soles Shoes matched in fabric and color. My little guy is so adorable running around in this outfit.
Washing Instructions: Hand washing is recommended for wool. My preferred method for cleaning wool is to soak it overnight (12-24) in warm water with a mild natural soap (Dr. Bronner's Soap), rinse with cold water until water runs clear, ring out by rolling in a towel and lay out or hang to dry. Some people do wash wool in the washer on cold water. Remember, do not dry wool in the dryer on any heat.
I am very impressed with the high quality (fabric, design, stitching). With appropriate care, these two items will last for a long time and can be handed down. I love that the Wool Longies and the Wool Soft Soled Shoes can be worn by themselves or layered. The outfit, alone, has kept my son very warm. We have been spending more time in our cold basement. I do not have to worry about him becoming cold.
The Verdict: I would highly recommend Belly Bear Baby Gear to any mother and would purchase Christine's upcycled creations for a baby shower or a baby gift.
Christine at Belly Bear Baby Gear has the most adorable and functional wool clothing for children. I received the Upcycled Wool Longies and Wool Soft Soles Shoes.
If you plan on using the Wool Longies over cloth diapers, Christine can lanolize the Wool Longies for you. I opted for no lanolization. I use waterproof diaper covers under the Wool Longies. There is plenty of room for a cloth diaper.
Washing Instructions: Hand washing is recommended for wool. My preferred method for cleaning wool is to soak it overnight (12-24) in warm water with a mild natural soap (Dr. Bronner's Soap), rinse with cold water until water runs clear, ring out by rolling in a towel and lay out or hang to dry. Some people do wash wool in the washer on cold water. Remember, do not dry wool in the dryer on any heat.I am very impressed with the high quality (fabric, design, stitching). With appropriate care, these two items will last for a long time and can be handed down. I love that the Wool Longies and the Wool Soft Soled Shoes can be worn by themselves or layered. The outfit, alone, has kept my son very warm. We have been spending more time in our cold basement. I do not have to worry about him becoming cold.
The Verdict: I would highly recommend Belly Bear Baby Gear to any mother and would purchase Christine's upcycled creations for a baby shower or a baby gift.
Disclosure: I received the above products to facilitate this review. No other compensation was received. This post may contain Affiliate links. You do not pay more by clicking and purchasing through the link. I recently a small amount of compensation to support this blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. All opinions are my own.
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