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ToggleThese are the premium nappies, both designed and made by the Upcycling Work-at-home-mum, or a small group of WAHMs.
Let’s consider the pros and cons of the WAHM designed and made non disposable nappy:
PROS: 3 reasons to favour a WAHM made nappy;
1. Buying a unique, 1OAK, custom nappy.
They can be personalised, have unique or be a limited edition of colours or prints, even be a custom, semi custom, embroidered or embellished nappy.
2. Fabrics and Materials to Suit You.
You can find all sorts of fabric combinations from all natural, organic, bamboo or hemp fabrics to pul lined, minky and recycled, upcycled or repurposed fabrics, the ultimate in extra ‘green’ nappies. They can be ethically found and even produced in more ethical ways. You want an all-organic bamboo and hemp nappy with a recycled cover and a hand knitted soaker with your baby’s initials included? You can get it…
3. Supporting Another Mum.
You know you are supporting an Aussie or Kiwi family, a mum with small children at home who has no doubt tried out many brands, and designed her nappy to be in some way better than those she has used, and wants to offer them to other families too.
CONS: 3 possible limitations of choosing a WAHM made nappy;
1. Waiting Time.
Demand is high, so you may need patience for quality if buying a custom, semi-custom or personalised nappy. Family life with small children puts up crazy barriers at times, and we all should agree that family comes first! Usually, though, the wahm will be in contact with you through the process of making your nappies.
2. Higher Cost:
These are handmade, labour intensive, with all stages of nappy construction done one at a time. Materials may be ethically sourced, locally favoured, hand prepped, all which contribute to a higher price. The quality is what mums favour in these nappies, not the cheapest price.
3. Limited Range or Supply
What is a ‘pro’ – the exclusivity of a limited fashion item can also be a drawback, when it is hard to get ‘enough’ of a design you love, or the nappy maker can’t get more of the fabric you wanted, or they are simply swamped with orders that they take orders in a lottery system (Yes, some are so exclusive and sought-after this is what happens!).
That’ll give you plenty of background to consider when exploring WAHM made, non disposable nappies. Is your budget too tight for all WAHM made? What if you invested in 3-5 of these premium, ‘show-off’ nappies? You can take your time in choosing the best customised, personalised nappy for your precious baby, knowing you are helping out a mum who has worked on your nappy herself. Then, you’ll have a unique, fashionable talking point for your baby to wear.
How Vintage Fashion Can Benefit Your Local Community
This social enterprise, based in Port Talbot, South Wales, combines a love of fashion and vintage, with a passion to tackle domestic abuse and empower women. Material Girls operates as part of the Port Talbot and Afan Women’s Aid, sourcing volunteers from the charity as the team behind the social enterprise. This means that all profits generated in the vintage shop would be put to good use and invested back into the charity.
Port Talbot and Afan
Women’s Aid (PTAWA) was founded in 1979, in order to provide support to women and children who have been affected by domestic abuse. They offer support, including emergency housing, to help them move on and enable them to rebuild their lives. However, they Upcycling Kleidung also offer support services that are preventative, in order to attempt to prevent the cycle of domestic abuse and challenge the current perceptions.
Since 1992, they have operated a 7-bed emergency safe house, which has accommodated approximately 900 women and 1200 children over the years. They also offer a 24-hour on-call service and drop-in advice for the community. Additionally, PTAWA offers services exclusively to aid children impacted by domestic abuse, as well as early intervention programmes for fathers and couples.
PTAWA are a charity
That has therefore created their own social enterprise in order to help them become more sustainable, and generate funds to help them provide full support for those affected by domestic abuse. They created Material Girls as a business with a social objective, as a vintage clothing store that makes money from repairing and selling donated clothes.