For the past two weeks, life has gotten more than a little crazy. I have heard from more retailers than I can count, television producers, magazines, etc. It turns out, the world is actually paying very close attention to Mommy Bloggers. Who knew? When I pulled out my phone and started snapping pictures, I certainly never expected that blog post to become international news, but it did. So here we are.
I am still dealing with my own health issues on top of everyday life. As you know, being a mom of three is no small task in itself.
In the midst of all of the crazy, I feel very fortunate to have been able to make some connections with other moms who share my concern about providing our girls with better clothing options. One of those moms was Sharon, a founding member and mom behind the clothing company Girls Will Be. Girls Will Be is a family-owned company that Sharon founded with her own siblings when they noticed the same problems with shorts manufactured for girls that I did. They wanted to offer girls shorts that were not overly baggy, like the ones in the boy’s department, but that did have a longer inseam, functioning pockets, and some cool other features I will tell you about in a minute. Sharon was kind enough to send two pairs of shorts and two t-shirts for my girls to test. This is not a sponsored post because, other than the clothing you see here, I received no monetary compensation. Sharon just wanted to let her clothes speak for themselves.
We received the Be Bold Tee in a size 2T (infant/toddler size). We also received the Be Unique Tee, the Perfect Play Shorts, and the Casual Cargo Shorts. All of the clothes Abby is wearing are a size 6/7.
What I loved:
- Although I have two super girly girls, it was nice to see some variety besides pink and purple. Actually, that was the very first thing my husband noted that he was relieved to see when we opened the package.
- The big girl t-shirt was tagless, which is a big deal around here.
- The clothes are made in the US
- I have to confess, I thought the shorts were going to be too big. Abby is a tall and skinny kid. When we first put them on, it looked like she would swim in them. But because of the drawstring on the Perfect Play Shorts and the adjustable waist on the cargo shorts, both pairs fit her perfectly. And since there is plenty of room to grow, I think she will easily be able to wear them again next year. After that they can be passed on to Penny, so we might get 4 years in a row out of these shorts.
- They sure must be comfy. The shirts are 100% cotton and pre-washed to minimize shrinkage. Abby actually insisted on sleeping in her Perfect Play Shorts and her new t-shirt instead of regular pajamas.
- Although there appears to be a button on the front of the cargo shorts, it is actually a slide, so Abby is easily able to get them on and off herself to use the bathroom.
- The length is perfect on her.
- I loved the idea of a Designer of the Month. Right now it is Zoe, who is 10 and designed the Be Mighty shirt.
- They seem to wear well. I squirted a good deal of mustard on the Perfect Play Shorts to test for stain removal. All of it came out in one wash.
What Abby loved:
- Abby, who is in kindergarten, loved the idea of getting a package in the mail.
- She also loved how comfortable the clothes were, and would not take them off, even insisting on sleeping in them.
- She was very excited to see that the cargo shorts had real, functioning belt loops. This never even crossed my mind until she squealed, “I can wear a real belt if I want to?!” and I realized that most of her pants actually do not have belt loops, or they have a decorative belt sewn in.
- Pockets. Real, actual pockets that are large enough to put things in.
Cons:
- Most sizing options currently only range from 4-14, although there are a few onesies for infants.
- Because Girls Will Be is a small family-owned company and they produce their clothes here in the USA, the price point is a little higher than you will find at a large retail store. Right now the clothes range in price from $18-$34.
But, because Sharon over at Girls Will Be is so stinkin’ nice, she has offered all Binkies and Briefcases readers 10% off your purchases through 10/22. Just use the code BINKIES10 at checkout.
If you want to support small, family-owned business that manufacture their products in the USA and get some seriously adorable and modest options for your girls, definitely check out this company!
And don’t forget to hop over and like the Girls Will Be Facebook page.
Congratulations to Girls Will Be for receiving the first ever #ModestMavens stamp of approval!
My hope is to continue working with both large and small scale manufacturers to test clothing and offer honest feedback, so that when I tell you that something has been #ModestMaven approved and you see the dragonfly, you know my girls have tested it themselves and it passed with flying colors!
In addition to fighting for more comfortable clothing for our girls, we should do educational blogs for mothers: don’t buy super short shorts, skirts for themselves. So not put t-shirts what show belly button and cover only half of their breasts. Women: you are adults, you are pretty when you dress appropriately. Ask men around, they will admit that they will respect women more when they dress appropriately, without their butts hanging out from the top and bottom of their shorts or breast sweeping the sidewalk because they are that much exposed. In my opinion (and other people that respect themselves), clothes that open body too much looks very very trashy and low class. Just because you don’t have money to shop or whatever your excuse is not to ware appropriate clothing know this: you can shop second hand stores, and what you pick from there is your choice and your choice only. Women please do not look trashy, and then your girls will follow your example. If you are overweight, please dress so we don’t need to see your fat butts, hanging arms, and naked bellies. You can look nice and pretty, just choose appropriate clothing. This choice is in your hands!
Wow what if someone told you to cover your skinny legs, rib bones, and bony elbows? That no one whats to see all of that. Being a larger woman I dress as well as I can living from payday to payday. If you buy a shirt wide enough to fit it is usually to short in the waist, If you buy jeans they are so low that they cause a muffin top so combine the two pieces of clothing and you are bound to see some flesh. I have had to resort to buying elderly jeans the kind with no zippers or buttons just an elastic waist to try to combat the muffintop hang out of the bottom of my fat shirt. Oh and sorry its to hot here in the south to wear big baggy teeshirts with sleeves that come down to my elbows so you will have to put up with my fat saggy arms flopping like a dead fish!!!
Cute!! Heading over to Girls Will Be now to check it out. So excited to discover more Modest Mavens-approved brands. Thank you! (And I hope you are feeling well today) ?
Thank you for addressing the trending clothing issues seen in kids clothing. I have been noticing the differences as my son is 4 and my daughter is 2. I look forward to your future posts! đŸ™‚
I would also like to raise the concern of little girls underware. Why do 2,3, or 4 year olds need bikini underware or other kinds that little girls don’t need ware.
I don’t understand why these companies are even making bikini or low rise underware for little girls. I think it would be great to bring awareness to that along with the clothing.
Because they have to make something for them to wear under the lowrise jeans and pants they sale. I think they like to force us to buy one thing then have to buy another to go under it making 2 sales for the store.
Not to overly complicate the issue. My daughter is now too tall for girls clothing (at age 11) but won’t wear anything I can find in the store because she feels it is too revealing (i.e. tight) in the butt. If anyone knows of active wear or jeans that aren’t cut this way please let me know. I am beginning to think I need to pay someone to alter a larger size.