In light of Billie Eilish’s recent sustainable clothing colab with H&M, I wanted to shine a bit of light on my own favorite H&M sustainable finds—specifically the clothes from the company’s toddler line.

Late last fall, I started working on Odin’s (my rough-n-tumble toddler) winter wardrobe and I decided to give H&M’s “Conscious” line a try.

What I grabbed:

• Jeans: I grabbed some two-packs of H&M’s super-stretch toddler jeans. They are perfect for my mover-n-groover Odin.

• Knits: Things get real cold where we live. I love a good knit to keep my toddler warm.

• Socks: This neutral five-pack of organic cotton socks is complete with some non-slip stickies on the soles.

• Jumpsuits: I loved the earth-toned colors and how soft the fabric felt.

It’s Been Nearly 5 Months. How Are The Clothes Holding Up?

The jeans and knits have lasted through countless stains, skids and even a few diaper blow outs #MomLife. Although, the jumpsuits definitely started pilling up three washes-in.

I feel comfortable giving Lemon’s little girl almost all of these as hand-me-downs (now that Odin has outgrown them) but the jumpsuits definitely aren’t making the cut. I’ll drop them off at a clothing recycling center instead.

How to find H&M “conscious” toddler clothes

When you are searching for H&M’s conscious line in-store, just look for the green hangtag. On smaller items (like socks) you can also look for a bright green “Conscious” word on the label.

What does the “conscious” tag mean?

To qualify for for one those nifty green hangtags, it means the article of clothing is made from at least 50% sustainable materials. In my experience, a lot of the knits you’ll find are usually made from 100% organic cotton.

What I Like About H&M’s Conscious Line | If your budget is ultra tight, but you still want affordable organic/sustainable clothing, then H&M is a fabulous place to start. The company sells some really lovely basics that hold up to the test of time and toddlerhood.

What To Get | To avoid a “fast fashion” faux pas, opt for toddler apparel that is more timeless in style and color-neutral (whites, tans, browns, grays and blacks). That’ll give you plenty of room to reuse, gift to a friend, or donate the clothes after your little one has outgrown them. HINT: Shopping in the “boys” section at H&M almost always has more neutral & timeless style then the “girls” section.

Good To Knows | There has definitely been some recent (and well-deserved) criticism about H&M’s ethics (I cover more of that below). Also, the jumpsuits did get those oh-so-annoying pills after a bit of washing/drying (so I suggest steering clear of those jumpsuits).

Ideal For | Your first foray into eco-conscious clothing.

Price Range | $6 - $25

Ethics | Back in 2013, H&M made some pretty solid commitments to pay all their workers living-wage—the company also made some fairly impressive policy changes and recently received ethical accolades from both the Ethical Fashion Report and Ethisphere Institute.

While I love that the company was having these crucial conversations and setting goals about wages (hurray!) it looks like the company still hasn’t reached these seven-year goals according to this report from Clean Clothes Campaign. Also, after more digging, it turns out that less than 25% of H&M’s traced facilities pay a living wage to their workers.

On another, not so positive note, in 2018 a Global Labor Justice report described how certain factory suppliers (associated with both H&M an Gap) were involved worker abuse scandals. Not cool.

I’ve got my fingers crossed that H&M’s recent hire, Christopher Wylie (the whisteblower who exposed the Cambridge Analytica crazyness) will help turn the company back around and help them refocus their ethical goals.

Sustainability | H&M has pledged to become 100% ‘climate positive’ by 2040. They aim to make the first two tires of their supply chain climate neutral by 2030 with a hope to transition to 100% recycled or sustainable materials.

H&M is also currently a member of the Better Cotton Initiative and the down they use is accredited by the Responsible Down Standard. I also appreciate the company’s growing transparency in their Sustainability Report. I also have to give the company props for experimenting with electric vans and package-free deliveries in India. Hopefully, they can incorporate what they learn and bring it to Europe and the USA.

I ordered a lot of Odin’s clothes online and I did appreciate the plastic shipper that some of the clothes were sent in was recyclable Polypropylene. Luckily, my local recycling center takes that 04 PE-LD. It’s a small detail, but it is one that matters.

Have you purchased anything from H&M’s Conscious line before? My sister and I would love to hear about it. DM us on Instagram and tell us about your experience!

Cheers,

Hazel