Clothes That Grow

Clothes That Grow

Children grow 7 sizes in their first 2 years. This causes a huge amount of waste per child, and contributes to the 30,000 tonnes of household clothing that is thrown away per year. The carbon footprint from producing a children’s jacket is around 10kg of CO2. But, the Waste & Resources Action Programme and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, have identified that extending the life and use of clothes is one of the most significant opportunities the fashion industry has to reduce carbon emissions, waste generation and water consumption. By extending the life of garments by an extra nine months; carbon, water and waste footprints can be reduced by around 20-30% and cut resource costs by £5 billion. 

Aeronautical Engineer Ryan Mario Yasin founded Petit Pli in 2017 while studying at the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London. He had a vision of designing innovative & sustainable garments for children. He drew inspiration from deployable nano-structure satellites he worked on while studying Aeronautical Engineering previously. 

Petit Pli reduces waste, costs & pollution in childrenswear. The garments are designed to grow through 7 children sizes through an unfolding mechanism found within the material. The manufacturing, material and longevity of the designs have been rigorously tested to ensure they can last for the amount of time needed. Each piece also features durable ripstop technical weaves, reinforced knee patches and stain repellent finishes.

The material is 100% recycled polyester, and has a mono-fibre construction – allowing them to be easily recycled at the end of their use. Each suit is sustainably made from 12 recycled bottles, and since 2017 they’ve up-cycled approximately 12,841 PET bottles through their manufacturing process. The renewable energy & recycled materials they use have allowed them to reduce ~69 kg of CO2 per set, as they have also partnered with a manufacturer in Portugal that derives 30% of their energy from solar panels.

Petit Pli have now started using their patent-pending technology to create reusable face masks. This comes as a response to the amount of waste generated from PPE, which is causing plastic pollution all over the world. The Beta (MSK) is made from the same recycled materials as their clothing. It also features their pleated structure which allows the mask to snuggly fit around every face. The fastening sits on the neck instead of around the ear for comfort, and the mask can easily be stretched up or down when needed. 

In terms of safety, a pocket between the face and neck can be used to insert an extra disposable filter.

While the mask can be machine washed at 30 degrees Celsius. But, it is important to remember that face masks do not prevent the wearer from catching coronavirus. Instead they should be used to catch droplets, thus protecting others around you, and help slow down the rate of transmission.

References:

Petit Pli