My first child is a boy, and while I’ve been frustrated with the selection boy clothes over the past years, I was not prepared for the overwhelming sense of disappointment and anguish at the clothing selection for little girls. More often than not, I leave a store empty-handed and figure, well, she can just be naked all summer. As we transition from winter to summer, this experience becomes even more paramount as little girl clothing continues to shrink in what feels like the over-sexualisation of little girl clothing. Big box retailers (and small boutiques too) set out to make babies into little women, and I’m just not comfortable with that. If I wouldn’t wear it as an adult, for sure she won’t be.
So yes, this post is sponsored in that I got this totally awesome outfit gifted to us and Modern Rascals is hosting the giveaway. I also ordered more clothing from Modern Rascals within a week of my order because I LOVE IT so much. #truestory. This is my disclosure statement.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then maybe this isn’t the article for you. Shopping for little girls and dressing them like kids not women is a challenging and daunting task for some families. Step inside any big box store and you are staring down racks of mini shorts, sleeve-less thin onesies, never-ending ribbons, and a strange obsession to put a bow on it. Also, can we talk about the fact that a girl shirt is like 25% thinner* than a boys shirt? Are girls not allowed to be warm? *speculation, not a statistic. Rant aside, this dilemma connected me up with an amazing Canadian online retailer – Modern Rascals. Like many of us, it’s hard to know where to buy baby’s clothing outside of the brick and mortar shops we know. I often find myself on the web and overwhelmed with what’s legit and what to expect for quality. I’m here today to help fill that gap.
Modern Rascals 101
Modern Rascals is an online retailer owned and operated by Jana in Toronto, Ontario. She curates a collection of clothing, and more (check out her amazing toy collection #musthave), with a focus in sustainable fashion. This means the brands she carries have an emphasis in providing people with livable wages, sourced with organic material, and just general good quality. You’ll find a variety of brands, styles, and options online at Modern Rascals. There’s something for everyone whether your wild and crazy in bold prints and patterns or slightly more conservative (like myself) and prefer classics and solids. Don’t be thrown off by the weird European sizing because there’s tons of helpful advice in the description to help you out. Don’t be intimidated by the collection of clothing because it’s just clothing for kids and deserves to be comfortable, fun and exciting to wear.
Use the promo code SIMPLYMOM to save 10% on your next purchase with Modern Rascals.
Curious about her sweater? That’s mine, it’s a handme down from when I was I kid. My grandmother made it and all of the kids have since worn it.
What Did I Get?
We got a set of Little Green Radicals shorts because we wanted shorts longer than her butt cheeks! These are delightfully long, and perhaps a little big (size 12-18 month). Hopefully, by the time summer actually rolls around, they’ll fit just right. Inside is handy elastic for adjusting the waist and this does give us the perfect fit. To match is a set of Little Green Radicals onesies which absolutely amazing quality. These will be the only onesies I ever buy again because they are thick and comfortable. The thin-ness of girls clothing is one of my biggest challenges with dressing her this past winter.
Yes, I was anxious about light green shorts on a wild muddy toddler, but have no fear, it washed out fine in the wash. Afterall, as a cloth diaper mama, my laundry skills are on point.
We also got a onesie from Dunns, a Swedish brand, with the purple pansies on it and I’m obsessed with it. First of all, pansies, second of all its amazing quality and the organic cotton brings it up a notch. Zero complaints. At 23lbs, 85% percent, she’s wearing 12-18 months and it fits perfect. She’s slower to grow, compared to my beast of a toddler who looks like he’s 4-5, so I’m less anxious about it not fitting, and look forward to comforting all summer long.
Use the promo code SIMPLYMOM to save 10% on your next purchase with Modern Rascals.
But Bailey, it is expensive!
I’m not going to forget about the elephant in the room, shopping organic and ethical children’s clothing is not cheap. This isn’t your Carters/Oshkosh Clearance Rack (something, I’m very familiar with). But, if its important to you, you make it work. Do I cringe at ordering my daughter a $25 shirt, yes? But, I refuse to let her walk around in a crop top from the big box store I bought for $7.50. It just means she’ll have fewer shirts and that’s okay. A child’s wardrobe doesn’t need to be 26 shirts, and 14 pairs of paints. Embrace minimalism and keep the bare necessities; after all, for many of us cloth diapering mama’s we have this crunchy mama ambition to do more for the environment and create less waste. This also needs to include choosing quality, organic, ethically sourced clothing. 
You also don’t have to buy it all new. I know this is all about Modern Rascals but the awesome thing about these brands is the quality is there to ensure clothes can be passed down from one child to the next. This isn’t just a onesie for one, it’s a onesie that’ll stand the test of time and beloved time and time again. I have been known to toss baby clothing with the first child because snaps tore, the fabric was already stretched/ripped, and seams burst all because the quality of manufacture wasn’t there. That $5 shirt isn’t worth the waste (at least to me). This is a time where need to change our ideas of consumption. It’s not about having it all, but about making smart choices that will benefit our family today, and the Earth tomorrow. It’s not easy, and I’m no perfect peach, but I’m trying and I’m making it the forefront of my conversations to remind me to think twice.
It’s Worth It.
When we think about all the things we do to contribute to the environmental impact of the Earth, we often forget about the textiles industry. Sure, we can reduce the number of resources in the diapering process by using cloth diapers and we limit our contributions to the landfill this way. We can cut back on our consumption of plastics with reusable bags, stainless steel straws, and washable to-go cups. But, what about the clothes our kids wear, and we wear?
Have you taken a moment to think about that?
I know I have, but the scary thought of spending money felt greater than the unseen impact of the textile industry. Switching up my attitude, and changing the choices I make means I’m just making smarter choices with the budget I have. I choose to buy second hand when I can, and the pieces I can’t find, or I fall in love with I purchase brand new. I also look for a deal and a coupon code and save shipping with purchases of over $100. #CanadianLife
Use the promo code SIMPLYMOM to save 10% on your next purchase with Modern Rascals.
The kids now have about 10 outfits total in their wardrobe for the year. That’s probably more than enough clothing for both of them. It lasts a week, and I’m doing laundry in between. I make the clothes last longer by tossing them on a drying rack (and saves energy) and then I sell them second hand to another mama to love and cherish. The cycle continues. The great thing about Modern Rascals is there is no boy clothing or girl clothing. So, the pieces I pick for my toddler son will be a great hand me downs for daughter. I’m not sure if you’ve ever noticed, but if you compare a boy shirt and girl shirt in the store, you’ll notice a size difference despite the fact that a boy child and a girl child both have the same kid shaped body. 
I’m excited for this new journey in clothing and embracing another facet of my life to be just a little more sustainable. It’s a tough mindset to shift after working in cheap clothing retail for 5 years, and decades of bargain bin shopping. The quality is there and it makes a difference for children and adults both in the now and in the future. And let me know about other great shops – not that my kids need more clothes now, but because they grow like weeds and I’m already building a size 6Y stash for my toddler son, and 2-3-4T for my daughter for next winter.
Use the promo code SIMPLYMOM to save 10% on your next purchase with Modern Rascals.
To help kick-start your sustainable wardrobe, Modern Rascals is offering a $100 CDN store credit to shop the online store in Canada. This giveaway is open to Canada and the USA and will run for 2 weeks from April 24, 2018 until May 9, 2018. a Rafflecopter giveaway
I went to school in PG and love Modern Rascals! Thank you for your post drawing attention to the sad state that is fast fashion and the waste associated with it.
I think it’s very important to support companies that create kids’ clothing from sustainable materials and uses ethical labour practices. I especially like clothes upcycled from old materials.
I love the idea that it’s KIDS clothing and not gender specific! Will definately head over to check them out
Thank you for your excellent review! I am a Mama to boys and find it difficult to find quality clothing. The quality of boys’ clothing has most definitely gone downhill since my oldest was a baby. Unless shopping at a boutique, it’s is not easy to purchase quality apparel anymore. I totally agree with you in regard to the over sexualization of young girls’ clothing selections. I have neices and have a hard time finding clothing that is decent, well made, and cute. I do buy secondhand clothing from thrift stores, and am able to find European high quality clothing brands. I have recently been able to find brand name clothing new with tags at these types of retailers.
I’m loving what I read about this company! I’m definitely going to look more into it and see what I can find for the munchkins. I especially love that it’s all based on sustainability 🙂
I also had a boy then girl and have also discovered the difference in clothing. So far I am finding that swimsuits are so different but they should not be. They both need full sleeve and leg protection from the sun. Glad that I m not the only one finding the difference in the clothing a bit odd. Kids are kids
Just getting into it with my beans! Was talking to Kim today about how easy it is to spend $25 on a short for the kids but we never do on clothes for us.
Thanks for spreading the word on a good option for little girls clothes! I share your frustrations, and make 90% of my girl’s clothes because of this!
I dislike kids clothes sometimes. I think they make girls clothes too much like adult women clothes sometimes. Boys only get dinos, cars, dogs etc. I love companies that are starting erase the gender stereotypes to an extent.
I appreciate sustainable clothing that is also affordable so I feel like it’s something my family can do to help our environment. I’m happy more companies are starting to take sustainability more seriously. Thanks!
Love the focus on sustainability and conservation! Looking forward to checking out their selection.
I really like the idea of kids clothing that is quality and will last through multiple children. It is hard for me to change my thinking and think of a clothing purchase as an investment (that will last for multiple kids or I am able to resell) versus getting a deal on clothing (that doesn’t fit well, wears out quickly and is garbage after one child).
I think its great the kids clothing will last a long time , with kids they grow so fast and don’t get to wear them very long and i can pass them down to family and friends 🙂 i am def gonna check them out thanks !
Love the idea! Being a frugal mommy Im always looking to shop wisely and keep in mind how long will my child benefit from this piece of clothing as kids just grow at an insane rate 😉 thank you for writing and hosting such a great giveaway👍
This is an amazing product line, wish it had been around when my daughter was little, but can now use for granddaughter-to-be!
I love your blogpost! Its so true, we are all guilty of buying cheap and toxic clothing from big stores when we can do so much better for our children and the environment. I have a almost 2 year old and a 4 year old and I am planning on making better choices when buying clothing and passing the clothes onto my little one. That way I can afford sustainable clothing. I buy everything else organic, so why not clothing!
With the changing seasons, it’s the perfect time to check out Modern Rascals. It’d be great to find some pieces to take us into summer.
It always astounds me how many clothes people buy for kids. I get it; it’s fun to shop for them and they look super cute, but really, they grow so quickly when they’re little that it can feel like a big waste! I love hard-wearing, classic basics.
I am trying really hard to make informed and sustainable choices when purchasing clothing and Modern Rascals makes the list for kids’ clothes! Love this review!
I love that the clothing can be worn on a boy or girl. Clothing can be expensive bought new. We do try and buy second hand because it costs less and when little they outgrow them so fast. There are also too many clothes filling up our landfills.
I love that the clothes actually fit her! I hate when shirts are short on my tall babies
Thanks for review of this company. Their cloth looks great with awesome prints. I can’t agree more with you on getting fewer but good quality items!!!
I am one of those mums who spends ridiculous amounts on kids clothes that they wear twice so I’m glad I found an alternative! Thanks for sharing X
I love the idea of sustainable clothing! Anything that helps the environment sounds great to me!
I have been looking at this shop. They have some amazing collections that I love for my girl.
It’s such a good point that our children don’t need tons of clothes, just a small group of sturdy, versatile items that you can mix and match. I’m so glad there are companies who are taking a more sustainable approach. Hopefully more follow suit.
I am so happy I came across this post and found out about them! sustainable clothing is absolutely amazing and I love the prints. The clothes are super cute
I really love supporting small businesses that take a sting stance for the environment. Although I cannot afford to have my kids entire wardrobe from sustainable shops, I buy their other clothing second hand. This saves textile waste from hitting the landfill and also keeps my dollars out of the hands of big box stores.
It’s not easy finding great quality items for an affordable price, especially boys ! Definitely will be checking then out !
I think it’s AMAZING. the kind of thing you FEEL GOOD about.
I am slowly trying to switch our wardrobes to more sustainable heirloom quality clothing as my children are growing out of smaller sizes. It’s pretty difficult to do so when everything is so expensive. It’s so sad in order to be good to our planet and people that we have to put out a fortune. Should be the other way around, penalizing companies for using harmful chemicals, extra taxes on things not made to this standard, etc. Hard to save our planet when most people can’t even afford to do so on a budget.
I do look for sustainable clothing for my granddaughter. It is often softer and more comfortable to wear.
I love the idea of sustainable clothing. I think that is the way to go these days.
Comfort, longevity and gosh they only wear them for such a shirt period of time so it’s very important to me! I’m more conscious now with baby on the way!
I love this idea. I especially like cotton.
I have always worried about the chemical treatments on my kids clothing. My daughters were young when they came out with the flame retardants used on kids PJ’s. I used to have them where their dad’s tshirt as nightgowns.
Everybody needs to do everything they can to help preserve the planet.
I love sustainability in clothing , not just kids !
I love that it works for both boys and girls and will last long enough to hand down to the next baby in the family !
Fantastic ideas !
I am all for this type of clothing. I like to be environmentally aware and as chemical free as possible. Modern Rascals makes some adorable clothing for sure.
My thoughts on sustainable fashion and kids clothing are it’s great and we really need to support those Companies!.
I agree we all probably own too many clothes! I am trying to limit how much we bring in and own these days. We participate in a kids clothing swap. They grow so fast and wear a size for such a short time, so we just trade out which saves the environment and money!
My son has way too much clothing. I know I am always better off out of the department stores for myself. However, I usually shop at yard sales for my son. He grows so fast! Love to do a little shopping.
I think its great. Great for the kids and the environment!
I am all about sustainability in clothing! I want to pass on clothes for many kids! I have a few dresses for my toddler that I know are old because they’re from zellers… all 4 of my daughters wore them ( for a couple seasons each and they played hard in them as they weren’t fancy dresses). I will be passing them on. Modern chain store clothing just isn’t made like that so it’s great to discover places like Modern Rascals that make it!
I would love to be able to delve into enjoying these beautiful children’s clothes!