What does ‘made-to-order’ even mean in the world of kids’ clothing?
In short, made to order clothing means that items or garments are only made once a new order is placed and paid for.
It’s the total opposite of producing clothes in bulk (mass production), which is what the majority of high street stores, designer brands, and supermarkets do in order to sell at scale to every consumer who walks in through their doors. Thanks to that mass production, those retailers are able to sell these items at a relatively lower price than a bespoke or one-off item, because the production prices are lower per piece. As a result, the pieces are attractive because they are ‘cheap’ and ready to buy.
That’s great for convenience, of course, but have you ever wondered what happens to the stock that doesn’t sell? We’re talking about the sizes that weren’t relevant, and the designs that weren’t as popular as first thought. Well, you might not want to accept this, but all that stock gets incinerated or sent to landfills. In other words, mass production of clothes is pretty terrible for our planet and causes pollution on many levels.
It’s even worse when outlets and brands are led by trends, meaning that what’s popular today is replaceable tomorrow. Fast fashion maybe cheap, but it comes at a cost.
Here at Nori Loves, we only offer made to order items, which means we only produce the quantities that you request (even if it’s just one item – though we’re sure you’ll want to fill your basket with more). This means we’re not buying, holding ,or transporting stock, or going through the printing process for anything that hasn’t already been specifically requested by you as our lovely customers.
Although this made to order process means it might take a little longer for your product to get to you, there are lots of benefits in creating and buying your kids clothing from us in this way.
Reducing waste
Made-to-order clothing reduces not only textile waste but also the pollution created from the production process. Did you know, "fast fashion" generates 92 million tonnes of textile waste per year?
Conscious purchases
Nori Loves is just that. Conscious. We are conscious of our environment not only because we care, but because our kids will grow up to deal with whatever we leave behind. Of all the things we worry about with our kids, this is yet another one!
Fewer Returns
We have all been guilty of ordering the same item online in multiple sizes, and utilising those attractive free returns options to return the items we were unlikely to even keep in the first place. When you order something which is made to order, you are patient in waiting for your item to be ready, and so have likely thought out your purchase and are therefore more likely to keep it.
What’s more, at Nori Loves, we are so confident in the quality of our clothes and the creativity of our designs, that once your little one grows out of it, it will serve as a super hand-me-down to friends and family who will be delighted to keep the Nori Love going.
Of course, the other huge benefit of made to order designs, is that you’re free to create a product that’s perfect for you – your choice of design, on your choice of item, in your choice of colour.
But that’s a story for another blog!