To think Frugi has become the biggest con in the organic clothing market?

[MichaelAngeloScreamedAtMe]

Ever since the original owners sold out!

Once upon a time I would happily splash £20+ on a dress or one of their fleeces. The quality was amazing, the colours were beautiful and bright and never faded, and I knew the clothes were worth the hefty investment as you'd get multiple kids out of one outfit - winning!

Now I'm lucky to get one wash out of an item before it looks like it's been dragged through a hedge backwards. Covered in bobble, colour faded beyond recognition and don't even get me started on how thin and cheap the snuggle suits are. Any they're only getting more expensive.

I bought a pair of trousers last year and they lasted one wash before being totally faded out and covered in bobble. When I emailed customer services they tried to tell me this was 'normal for organic clothing' and is' because they don't use harsh chemicals to colourfast.' Do they think everyone who messages CS has only just started buying Frugi? Like we know exactly what the quality SHOULD be like?

I don't know. I just feel like they are conning people into believing they are buying quality organic items - when in reality you cant rely on any of their clothing to last past a single wash any more. I recognize this is totally a first world problem - but for those if us who like buying ethically and will spend good money in order to do so, I can't help but feel we're being sold short on the quality.

Thank god for the second hand groups.

I agree 100%! I do find it variable - some pieces do wash well, but others fade and hobble horrendously. I still buy it in the sale, but I wouldn't pay full-price, and tbh depending on how my latest purchases fare I may stop buying from their sale too.

I find Joules lasts really well, and the few Boden bits I've bought seem fine so far.

Agree with whoever recommended Next! It has a bad reputation for some reason, but plenty of their stuff is bright and colourful.

Bobble, not hobble!

I will say this - I like their adult leggings, and in the sale they're a reasonable price.

😂😂 an extra from Mr Tumble!

I promise the maternity things I had were totally inoffensive if a bit Londoner-getting-the-train-to-have-a-jolly-time-in-Falmouth.

One dress had quite an interesting sixties style print, however, and I have a picture of me holding up a pottery tray of my dear dead grandma that has pretty much the same pattern, that she used to eat her supper off while watching Love Thy Neighbour

Oh sorry to hear this. I too have fond memories of buying babygros from Cut4Cloth way back when. Having had two cloth nappied DC (Oldest now 16) had no alternative as couldn't get generic ones to cover their almighty cloth covered bums!

Strange how one can have nostalgia for such times. I seem to remember getting ridiculous amounts of money for them secondhand when I sold them on Ebay, much to my delight and amazement.

It's so sad when companies that you have valued in the past go downhill.

@TrickyD

I agree.

Frugi is sold by Babipur ,and the members of the cult post pictures on their site of adults wearing their unflattering dresses, generating a chorus of how lovely they look.

Just ghastly.

A lot of the scandi groups are weirdly obsessive. What I find quite sad is that these so called ethical brands fan the flames of these groups with new collections, limited runs of prints which invariably means many buy more than they need and sometimes can afford. Quite a few 'destash' posts are to raise money for new releases when the current clothes haven't been worn

Oh no! I've had good luck with their clothes so far. Just for a baby though, so maybe the clothes aren't being put through as much as those of an older child. I'll keep an eye on the quality as I love their designs and the fact that they fit cloth nappies. Their vests are such lovely heavy cotton and the only ones that really fit my long, skinny, cloth nappied son.

@WheelieBinPrincess

😂😂 an extra from Mr Tumble!

I promise the maternity things I had were totally inoffensive if a bit Londoner-getting-the-train-to-have-a-jolly-time-in-Falmouth.

One dress had quite an interesting sixties style print, however, and I have a picture of me holding up a pottery tray of my dear dead grandma that has pretty much the same pattern, that she used to eat her supper off while watching Love Thy Neighbour

Ah in fairness I noticed they toned down the wackiness of the adult stuff with the last two seasons- a lot of the maternity stuff was stuff you could reasonably wear to work, or somewhere that wasn’t a soft play centre

Quite a few 'destash' posts are to raise money for new releases when the current clothes haven't been worn

Yes, and a lot of “brand new with tags”, and people paying crazy money for particular patterns or for multiples sizes so their dc can match.

I felt like my children are wearing pyjamas when I bought them Frugi, I just didn’t like the brand. When I see kids in Frugi I alway think it’s how kids from a commune would dress

Have to admit I find M&S kids clothes as good as anything these days.

I haven't bought any from the latest season but I bought plenty last season and haven't had any issues with quality, bobbling or fading. I know a lot of people have though, but nobody I know in real life.

The prices hikes this season were laughable and I don't know anyone who has bought full price. However they had a super sale in October with skater dresses down to £12 so if they're going to reduce them so heavily then I'll just wait.
My older daughter is at school now and younger one in hand me downs so I'm not buying as much as I would have a few years ago anyway.

Posted too soon🤦 I used to buy Boden and a few Scandi brands - Katvig, Polarn, Smafolk...Given up on Boden and not sure about the other brands, DD is well out of their age range.

Kite clothing are still fab quality.

www.kite-clothing.co.uk/

[quote Haggisfish3]www.kite-clothing.co.uk/[/quote]
Actually… Kite was another where the print faded and bobbled almost instantly. Sorry.

Agree that Next stuff is surprisingly good and I still find Boden kids’ stuff generally good quality.

I’m so glad you posted this op. I thought maybe I was unlucky. I got some jeans from them and they lasted a few months, less than George and less than the primark jeans my son had! Waste of money and ghastly designs now to boot.

All the majors - frugi, joules, jo jo all not as good and mega money. I see people buying tons of it - ok their money etc but some coats are water resistant only and a lot of money.

Polarn fantastic real coats

Yes!! I get (?got) their trousers to fit my DS, who at 97th centile and a user of cloth nappies needs an…achem…roomy fit. The most recent stuff I have got has faded so much in the wash, after only a month or two. A T-shirt shrinks quite badly too. I’m not that impressed anymore, which is a shame as the stuff my SIL gifted me second hand was fab.

Are people washing on 60 or using harsh cleaners like vanish or something? I find it so weird that people have wash fade after just one wash as I've never had that issue and my kids wear frugi most of the time.

@DockOTheBay

Are people washing on 60 or using harsh cleaners like vanish or something? I find it so weird that people have wash fade after just one wash as I've never had that issue and my kids wear frugi most of the time.

Honestly, no. I wash at 30 for the most part, don’t tumble dry the new or patterned stuff.

Their appliqué tops have lasted brilliantly- it’s the printed stuff that I have the issues.

I dont find these brands wash badly.

However I think a lot of people use persil non bio these days (and wash on too hot a wash) and that stuff is harsh as fuck. It isn't really intended for coloured clothing - the lack of enzymes in it means it has strong brightening/whitening agents to remove food stains. These are brutal on colours. I can spot the kids at our schools who's parents use persil non bio, the red school jumpers are incredibly washed out

Totally agree with the Babipur cult - I swear those people aren’t aware it’s a shop. It’s basically a middle class Mrs Hinch for tat.

@Journeynotdestination

I find a lot of stores are like this now. It never used to be this way! Not sure whether it’s business rents going up or material prices. I buy seldom from the high street anymore even though I do at times have good cash to spend - the quality is just awful and the fabrics grim. Unless I’m prepared to pay £80+ for a top or £500 for a coat which I can’t afford. There’s very little good quality stuff at mid range prices. I look back 20-30 years ago and it was a totally different story. Natural, quality clothes for affordable prices. I tend to shop secondhand now on Vinted and charity shops to get decent things.

Absolutely - mid range stuff used to be decent quality: natural fabrics, decent shape and cut, washed well. As a grad student I would save up to buy one or two things from Jigsaw or Whistles which would last really well. Now all those stores are full of ugly polyester things that wash badly but are still £150, £200+! I find I can’t even find anything I want to buy even when I can afford to. I end up rewearing old clothes or buying from eBay.

I haven't bought frugi for 2 years now due to the quality and sizing issues. Since they sold out they are very very poor. I spend the most on Maxomorra now.