JUNE 2023
The holiday season is coming up and what better time to dress your baby in style with our beautiful premium clothes. Check out our holiday shop – it’s packed with juicy summer colours and gorgeous neutrals. We’ve got this season covered! If you’re looking for practical clothes our fabulous fun dungarees, yoga pants and reversible trousers are just the thing to make dressing your little one that little bit easier!
Last month we added our newest brand LittleLeaf Organic. We’ve already had such lovely feedback on the quality! Their babygrows really do have such a cosy feel, perfect for little ones to snuggle up in and their camper van leggings and top make a great outfit. This brand also has a real focus on sustainability which we love and want to support, it’s rare to find a small brand with such strong ethics! You can find out more about in our exclusive interview with their founder Lisa.
MARCH 2023
Ah Spring is finally here! Whether it’s sunny, rainy, cold or wet you can find something to dress your baby in with our selection of Spring baby clothes. Not sure where to start? Check out out latest blog post on how to dress your baby for Spring.
One of the biggest worry parents have about renting baby clothes is stains – ‘what happens if my baby stains the clothes?’ Our rental customers are so good at keeping our baby clothes in really good condition but we know that stains are just a part of daily life with a little one! We don’t charge for damage or stains and most of the time our clothes are returned looking great. And we rely on our sustainable laundry partner to keep them beautiful. Occasionally, we get to really put our laundry partner to the test!
Last month, when one of our lovely customers emailed and apologised for the stains on her return, we braced ourselves! It arrived with lots of stains splattered all over. We can never know for sure what caused the stains, so it was always going to be a challenge for our laundry partner to clean it. Apart from the stains, the item itself was in great condition.
When the package arrived back from the laundry, it was the first item we looked at and what a lovely surprise to see all the stains gone and the item looking as good as new. ‘Excellent’ in fact! The popular sleepsuit has already been rented to another family! We love that you love our baby clothes! So now you know when we say ‘no damage fees,’ we don’t worry too much. With the right technology it’s amazing what can be achieved!
Our latest blog post lists out the benefits of renting baby clothes and we couldn’t believe it when we finished up with 41! Read the full post here, to find out why renting baby clothes is so cool.
Next month we’re expecting a delivery from the first of our new small, slow fashion brand partners. And we’re looking forward to sharing a unique insight into the brand with an interview with the founder.
FEBRUARY 2023
It’s lovely that February has kicked off with some sunshine, which makes me feel hopeful that spring is just round the corner! Don’t know about you but I’ve had way too many hot chocolates this winter, and need some sun to help me transition to healthier smoothies! I was actually gifted the Hotel Chocolat Velvetiser and now I can’t get enough of them!
But it is still winter and those hot chocolates have helped me write some useful (so I’ve been told) blog posts. One of the most expensive items of clothing for babies is winter outerwear, and when the weather’s chucking it down, or it’s freezing outside, it’s helpful to know what’s best to dress your baby in when you need to get out and about. Check out our handy guide which goes through all those clever fastenings and styling details on baby coats that keep little ones warm and toasty!
We’re really chuffed that last month we were approved by ReLondon, who recognise businesses that support the circular economy. It’s so humbling to be listed alongside so many great companies helping to change how we do things to secure the future of our planet.
This year we’re excited about moving our focus to small, slow fashion brands because there’s something rewarding about supporting other small businesses. Not only do you get a more personal service but also the baby clothes designs are quite unique. So watch this space!
We’ve also started to go deeper with our buys, instead of getting one of each size which is what we did when we started. By having more in each size, we can offer our twin babies matching outfits, and as we’ve been supporting the Twins Trust since 2021 this feels like a good move.
NOVEMBER 2022
With the cost of living crisis growing we have been looking at how we can make our baby clothing rental service more accessible while maintaining our service level. We are pleased to announce that we have reduced our minimum monthly subscription to just £10 a month, which includes a free delivery and return. This is a great opportunity to rent high quality baby clothes which are only needed for a short period of time, from capsules to more expensive items like outerwear and baby sleep bags, and of course you can create your own unique baby bundle made up of whatever you like!
OCTOBER 2022
We’re excited to receive our first collection of gorgeous organic baby clothes from new sustainable brand winner Little Green Radicals and there’s no doubt about it the clothes are really lovely and so well made. This fabulous brand is GOTS and Fairtrade certified which is a great achievement!
Find out how to identify organic cotton.
We’ve also heard that another brand we stock, The Bonnie Mob, is now certified by The Soil Association and GOTS. And the amazing childrens outerwear and swimwear brand Muddy Puddles is now B Corps certified! It’s great to see brands investing in their sustainable credentials when there is so much ‘greenwashing’ in the fashion industry.
Last month we introduced a small selection of Newborn baby clothes to rent, which we’ll grow over the next few months. Clothes for small babies are especially expensive because they grow out of them so quickly. After a month you can find yourself having to get a whole new wardrobe in the next size!
Qookeee is proud to feature as part of the London Borough of Merton’s initiative, The Wheel, an online hub which aims to link existing circular enterprises with residents and businesses to build the capacity to reduce waste, reuse and recycle what we can locally.
Sustainability often takes a back seat when there are other expenses to consider and the current cost of living crisis impacts us all. But by renting your baby clothes you’re still able to look after the planet, while dressing your baby in good quality, sustainable baby clothes. With every rental reducing the amount of clothing going to landfill.
JULY 2022
July 1st 2022 – our second birthday! Its been an interesting two years with lots of lessons learnt about baby clothing rental. We’ve been constantly reviewing ourselves, introducing new categories and generally trying to improve our product offer. All the while staying true to our values of sustainability, longevity and circularity.
When we started two years ago most people hadn’t heard of baby clothing rental. While adult rental services are becoming more common place, rental for baby clothes is still not as well known as we might have expected. Last weekend we did our very first summer fair and even hired the gazebo from Morden Library of Things! It was lovely to chat to mums and dads and answer their questions about how Qookeee works. What an eye opener it was to find that 99% of people we spoke to hadn’t heard of baby clothes rental! It’s easy to get caught up in an online world but nothing beats getting out and talking to parents, and we’ll definitely be doing more fairs in the future.
We’re excited about the year ahead! More baby brands are looking at their supply chain and tightening up on their sustainable credentials. Designing and producing clothes that consider the environment isn’t easy. We are passionate about supporting brands that are serious about making a difference. This year we’ll be introducing new brand partners and can’t wait to show you their beautiful baby clothes.