At some point, most of us just stopped expecting kids clothes to last.
You know the drill. Buy something cute in March. By June it's pilling. By August the colour's washed out and there's a hole near the knee that appeared from nowhere. You buy another one. Repeat.
It's not that you're doing anything wrong. It's just that most kids clothes aren't built to survive a kid.
I know because I was that mum. Buying cheap, replacing often, quietly resigning myself to the idea that this was just how it worked.
Then I started making things differently.
Not because I set out to solve a problem. Honestly, I just couldn't stomach putting my name on something that fell apart. When I started Sand + Salt Kids, I was making clothes I'd want my own boys to wear. That meant fabric that held up, stitching that didn't unravel, colours that didn't fade into a sad grey version of themselves.
So what does actually happen to Sand + Salt pieces after 20 washes?
Based on what our customers tell us, and what I've seen myself: not much.
The colours stay. The stitching holds. The shape doesn't drop. A few mums have come back to us saying their kid outgrew the piece before it showed any real wear. One told me her daughter wore the same tee on repeat for an entire summer, washed it constantly, and it still looked new enough to hand down to her little sister.
That's not an accident. That's just what happens when you make things properly.
I'm not going to give you a lecture on fast fashion. You already know. We all know.
What I will say is this. Buying one good thing costs more upfront. But doing the maths on cost-per-wear, per-wash, per-kid, it's rarely the expensive option.
And there's something else. When a piece of clothing lasts, kids actually get attached to it. My youngest has a tee he's been wearing for two years. It's his favourite. It's still going. That doesn't happen with throwaway stuff.
If you're curious about the fabrics and how we make things, you can read more about our process here. Or just start with something small and see for yourself.
Ash x