Ethical Outdoor Gear for Kids from Faire Child |

As soon as I heard about the new Nova Scotian kids outerwear brand Faire Child I was hooked. It was not because the company designs and assembles their garments in Canada or because the style is incredibly hip. Of course that is awesome, but I was most interested when I learnt that Tabitha Osler, the founder of Faire Child, chose to tackle the childrens outerwear industry head on. She is revolutionizing children’s outerwear by challenging current practices related to waste production, and exposure to harmful chemicals. Faire Child is perfect for your kids as they head back to school.

Full Disclosure: I was compensated for this post but all views remain 100 % my own.

It was important to me that I considered the whole life cycle of the garment and took responsibility for it. The material we use diverts waste from landfills and never has to end up in a landfill. It was my mission to do more good, not just less bad. That’s also why we’ve developed a garment that is made without any harmful chemicals. I think brands are eventually going to transform in this direction – being eco-friendly and taking full responsibility for the lifecycle of their garments and I want to be a part of that change and be a part of that growth. – Tabitha Osler (Founder and Designer of Faire Child)

Free of Harmful Chemicals

Faire Child launched in September 2017 as a childrens outerwear company that creates eco-innovative alternatives to non-breathable, plasticy rain gear. Most importantly each piece is 100% free of the chemical PFC. This may not seem like a big deal but if you look into current outerwear production you will often find that even 100% recycled rain gear can still be coated with PFC. The chemical PFC is extremely harmful to the environment and has been found in the livers of polar bears and has been found to make its way into the livers of humans. According to studies, it can cause harm to reproduction, promote the growth of tumours and affect the hormone system.¹ In 2017, Green Peace wrote an article bringing attention to the harmful effects of the chemical PFC in outdoor clothing called “PFC Revolution in the Outdoor Sector”.

Each Faire Child garment is not only free of PFC but also made from 100% recycled materials. Even the snaps are made from 100% recycled brass. In fact, exactly 19 recycled plastic bottles go into the size 5/6 packable rain jacket. The material created is called recycled PET (rPET) which is made of 3 familiar molecules that are safe against the skin; hydrogen, oxygen and carbon.

Faire Child truly believes in creating a community that works together for the environment. They want their products to last and be handed down, since reusing is truly best for the environment. When your Faire Child gear has reached the end of it’s life, they offer a take-back program, by sending the garment back to them you receive a 15% discount on your next order, and they responsibly recycle each component of your piece into something useable once again.

I made your clothes

Faire Child aims to present complete transparency as to where each and every piece of their garments come from. They work hard to ensure that you can find out where everything is sourced, including the thread they use to sew the pieces together.

The clothing does not only tick off all the environmental boxes but each piece is thoughtfully designed and assembled in Canada. Based in Halifax, Tabitha Osler drew inspiration for the unique style of each piece from Heritage work wear of the 20^th century. The design of those pieces focused on functionality and long lasting styles. By creating outerwear that has a deep history and focus on functionality, Faire Child puts itself in the “Slow Fashion” category, a global response to the epidemic of fast fashion. As a fun add-on each garment comes with an info book that is also an activity book for your kids!

Tested in Torrential Downpour

Functionality was not compromised for fashion or for the environment. Each style has been thoroughly tested to ensure it is 100% waterproof. Before a style is approved it is sent back to the German company Sympatex where Faire Child sources their waterproof fabric. There the piece is tested on a dummy in a rain chamber that is put through a torrential downpour. To ensure it is indeed 100% waterproof, the dummy has sensors on it to detect any sort of leakage. The fabric along with the taped seams passed the rigorous testing.

Our Experience

We love our Faire Child rain gear and it has proven to stand up to the rugged play of our two littles. That being said we have only been using the pieces for a couple of months. I will be providing a full review in December after we have a chance to put them through a full 8 months of wear.

In case you are hooked just like I was then here is a brief “low down” on the gear we received. Our kids have been wearing The Anorak and The Rain Pants. If our kids were younger I probably would have gone with the one piece. We chose a two piece since we wanted them to be able to wear the jacket on its own when necessary. I also love that The Anorak is packable into its own little pouch!

Our kids are average sized children. We chose the 5/6 for our newly turned 5 year old and the size 2/4 for our 3 year old. I am happy with the sizes I chose as there is room to grow but they do not seem too large for either of our littles. Their newest styles allow you to roll up the sleeves up to 10 cm without losing any of the waterproof capabilities.