The rental revolution continues, and kids’ clothes are quickly becoming a part of the mix.
On Wednesday, H&M-owned lifestyle and children’s wear brand Arket announced the debut of a new partnership with Amsterdam-based web shop and clothing subscription service Circos to encourage the reuse of their tiny, trend-forward duds.
Beginning Jan. 28, a broad selection of the Nordic retailer’s designs will be available to rent individually or as part of a curated wardrobe bundle via Circos.co. The designs are delivered directly to the renter’s doorstep for 19.50 euros per month (about $23).
According to Arket, a child typically cycles through eight different sizes of clothing during their first two years of life alone, and parents buy an average of 280 pieces to accommodate their rapid shape-shifting. Renting, rather than buying, saves money, it says, while allowing shoppers to share the carbon cost of the garments with other families.
The Circos subscription allows parents to keep the garments for as long as they fit their growing little ones, and then return them when it’s time to size up or bring in a new seasonal wardrobe. Arket deals in casual staples for girls and boys like jumpsuits, dungarees, leggings, T-shirts, and loungewear, as well as occasion-ready dresses and polished button-downs. One garment will cycle between about 8-10 families before being retired, the company said, and once it has passed its prime, it is upcycled to make new products.
“Children’s clothes need to be designed with a longer-term horizon in mind, and all our garments are consciously intended to be handed down when outgrown,” Pernilla Wohlfahrt, managing director Arket, said in a statement. Arket is eager to facilitate cross-family sharing with the help of Circos’ subscription infrastructure, and promote the circular economy through garment reuse and recycling, Wohlfahrt added.
“I am very excited about the journey ahead of us, making fashion more sustainable and simplifying good choices,” Erick Bouwer, founder and CEO of Circos, added. The partnership brings “a valuable and much-needed service to a growing market of environmentally-conscious parents and caretakers,” he said.
Amid the pandemic’s continued influence, H&M Group has been exploring new subscription-based business models across its brands. In December, the fashion firm announced the soft launch of members-only brand Singular Society, which trades in high-quality, responsibly made wardrobe essentials and products for the home. European shoppers pay monthly or annual rates to access the brand’s evolving assortment of goods, which are priced at what they cost to make.
