Our thinking

A growing concern

21 January, 2021

Did you know that five months after being born, the average baby will have doubled in weight? That’s a lot of growing – and a lot of new clothes. 

Enter: Petit Pli, the ‘babygrows’ that grow with your baby. Inspired by origami, the material is pleated in such a way that it can expand into seven sizes, therefore saving six sizes’ worth of clothes in the interim. Not to mention that the suits are also made from recycled fabrics and use a single fibre, so that they are easily recyclable.  

Petit Pli is just the latest in a series of ‘growable’ clothing tech innovations. Just look at ‘The Shoe that Grows’: a shoe designed to expand up to five sizes. ‘The Shoe that Grows’ was created for children living in poverty and at risk of soil-transmitted diseases. But with recent estimates suggesting that the fashion industry will miss the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C. target by 50%, Petit Pli acknowledges that we’re all in dire need of some longer-lasting clothes.  

And as today’s babies grow into tomorrow’s clothing consumers, it’s never too early to ignite a passion for slow fashion. 

By Sarah Howden