Was anyone else... a Clothkits child? Do you think...

[MeAndMyMonkey]

...it was the Boden of its day, or something altogether much nicer?
Do you remember that there were no normal colours like 'red' and 'blue', but instead things like 'tomato' and 'teal'?
Was it just for lazy mums who couldn't be arsed to sew from scratch, or what?
And finally, is it still availaible, I am feeling rather nostalgic for my three-tiered, elephant print dress.

Or was it really just me and my sis who were forced to dress this way? Up until the age of 12, if I remember correctly!
And finally, sorry if this is wrongly placed in style; i have never started a thread before

I loved those catalogues, used to pore over them... pooka, i think Clothkits was pretty high end for my family - most stuff was homemade, guernsey sweaters knitted by gran etc, hence my excitement at NEW clothes!

what era was this then have never heard of clothkids.

I think it was mainly 70's. Clothes came as a kit ready to be sewn. I think it was a mail order catalogue, and apparently a shop in Lewes too. I thought perhaps I was the only one dressed in it, but it seems not!

My sister and I had dresses like this but in blue.
I loved clothkits. I'd buy them again but I'd rather someone did the sewing first.

Was just reminiscing about Clothkits with friends the other day and wondering whether it was the Boden of its time....

Sis and I too were Clothkids girls. Early '80s vintage though. Seem to remember a few patterned skirts and matching waistcoats (eek!) and patterned jersey dresses. As pooka said, quirky patterns and colours. I hated them and just wanted wear pastel pink ra-ra skirts like all the other girls!

Spidermama,

Like I said, the wine. i meant to say that dress was gorgeous and my sis had the very same...
poppysocks, I know the feeling. Am a bit older than you, I think, but at the time (70's) all I wanted to wear was white nylon socks and a blinking white fox fur coat .

i was born 71 and i know my mum used to make some of our clothes so will have to ask her about clothkids.

I loved CLothkits too - 70s (and early 80s) vintage.

My mum was a good swer, but used to love their kits. Faboulous patterns, with outfits that made you feel special.

I made my best friend their changing bag kit for her PFB - he is going off to uni on Friday

I had cloth kits clothes as my foster mother didn't want to buy anything ready done for me. She hated spending money on me and would claim for things and then not buy them. evil cow.

Oh those lovely pinafores . I did have a doll as well but I think she was put out to pasture. I remember well a purple pinafore dress with pockets.

My mum used to dress me (and sometimes herself - I'm sure they did adult clothes to match the children's ones) in Clothkits. I used to hate them because none of my friends wore clothkits.

Oh, although I did have a clothkits doll and a v cool brown corduroy pinafore dress.

oh yes, me too. My brother had a fine pair of flared rust coloured dungarees with red indians on them.

And my mum used to spend hours pinning out and cutting patterns on the floor and saying rude words as she messed it up.

Yes, they did adult clothes. my mum had a lovely long dress that I liked to borrow.

They also did great padded jackets that I loved - and wore through Uni.

I remember my mum having a red and blue striped long sleeved top from there. Lots of their stuff was striped, I think? And they had dolly clothes to match the children's clothes.

Ooooh yes. We were Clothkits children. I think their clothes were made of special indestructible stuff as they used to be handed down via complicated friends-and-relations chains of at least half a dozen children (hence reducing the overall cost per child).

We had a lot of the ready-made sweaters and (in my sister's case) the knitted dresses.

useless mother

she saw an ad for Cut4Cloth, didn't read it properly and thought they were clothes you cut out yourself...

sorry to have got your hopes up

I can't remember if we had clothkits or not (if we had then they would have been the clothes equivalent of ready meals for my mum who made all our clothes. Including being very resourceful and making dresses out of old curtains).

Ah, well thanks anyway Mrs Badger. I guess Clothkits must remain a dim and distant, rust and kingfisher coloured memory!
I think on balance it's nicer than Boden, no?

Reading this thread, the nearest I can compare it to is Seesaw clothing. I'm an agent for them and have loads of stock in my dining room atm - all reversible and gorgeous all over prints - strawberries/tractors/pirates etc.

But as very few of you are local to me, then I'll never squeeze any commission out of you anyway, so I might as well...

www.seesaw.uk.com

And if any of you are in Scotland then CAT me for more info

I don't think the making-it-yourself element is likely to return. The best thing we can hope for is if someone in China gets a factory to start making cheap imitations (any takers?)

Message withdrawn

No, but DS was he has never forgiven me.

Were they really for people who couldn't sew ?? I was dressed in them but my Mum certainly could sew (made her own wedding dress etc etc) whereas I REALLY cannot sew (my mum is coming up to sew name labels on dd's clothes because I am THAT inept) and therefore could not sew a clothkits kit I am sure.

Maybe that was the idea but then they got cool