In a time when clothing is increasingly discarded, childrenswear is a segment that must not be overlooked. Children reportedly outgrow their clothes every six months, with babies typically going through about seven to eight clothing sizes within their first two years. On average, some estimates suggest that parents use 280 items of clothing for their child before their second birthday and items are typically worn for around two or three months.

While we are all acutely aware of the problems perpetuated by the micro trend cycle, the issue of children’s clothing waste differs in that the rapid growth of children necessitates the introduction of new clothes on a regular basis. This area demands innovation and fresh approaches. How then, can we consolidate this need for newness with an environmentally and socially just fashion industry?

Resale — Second-hand Solutions

The secondhand market offers perhaps the most accessible entry point for families seeking more sustainable childrenswear solutions.

Childrenswear is a fast growing resale category, projected to increase by over 80% by 2030. Buying more secondhand clothes is not only often more cost effective, but a way to contribute to the circular economy and prolong the life of garments.

The appeal of childrenswear resale becomes clear when considering the sheer volume of barely worn garments that accumulate in family homes. With reportedly over 183 million pieces of outgrown children’s clothing going to waste, there is an enormous opportunity to redirect these items towards families who can use them. The beauty of the resale model lies in how it transforms the fleeting nature of childrenswear into an advantage — those tiny jumpers worn for just a few weeks often retain their quality, making them perfect candidates for a second life with another child.

This shift towards secondhand childrenswear represents more than mere economic pragmatism. It challenges the notion that newness is synonymous with quality or care, which is especially relevant in children’s fashion, where items are outgrown long before they show signs of wear that might affect adult clothing.

Rental — Temporary Wardrobes

For families seeking access to quality childrenswear without the commitment of ownership, rental platforms are reshaping how we think about temporary wardrobes.

The rental model addresses perhaps the most pressing paradox of childrenswear: the simultaneous need for quality garments and their inevitable obsolescence. Platforms such as Bundlee, Manymoons, Little Renters, and Lullaloop are pioneering this approach, offering subscription-based access to children’s wardrobes.

The rental model proves particularly astute for special occasionwear—those party dresses and formal outfits that command premium prices yet see minimal use. Many parents find themselves drawn to rental services precisely because they recognise the futility of purchasing items their children will outgrow within weeks. The rental approach most importantly acknowledges the reality we’ve established: with children outgrowing clothes every six months on average, traditional ownership models become increasingly untenable from both financial and environmental perspectives.

Beyond the practical considerations, rental services represent a shift towards viewing children’s clothing as a service rather than a possession. Given that extending the life of clothes by just nine months can reduce their carbon, water, and waste footprints by around 20%, maximising the use of each garment across multiple children becomes an environmental imperative.

Adaptive Clothing — Grow-with-Me Design

Rather than working around the challenge of rapid child growth, innovative designers are creating garments that grow alongside the child.

Innovation in design represents perhaps the most direct response to the growth challenge inherent in childrenswear. Brands like PetitPli are reimagining how children’s clothing can adapt to rapid physical development, with their “MiniHuman” size designed for children ranging from 9 months old to 4 years old.

This approach to adaptive design reimagines the very foundations of how children’s clothing should fit and function. Rather than producing multiple sizes to accommodate growth, adaptive clothing employs pleating, adjustable elements, and innovative construction techniques that allow garments to expand and contract with the child’s development.

The potential impact becomes clear when considering the scale of the problem outlined earlier: adaptive clothing could dramatically reduce the number of individual garments required from the average 280 items parents use before their child’s second birthday. A single adaptive piece that spans multiple traditional sizes effectively replaces several separate purchases, addressing both the financial and environmental costs of constant clothing replacement.

The design ingenuity required for truly adaptive childrenswear pushes the boundaries of fashion innovation, demanding that designers consider not just aesthetic appeal but longevity, functionality, and adaptability—qualities that could beneficially influence broader fashion design practices.

Hand-Me-Downs — Generational Sharing

The time-honoured tradition of passing clothes between children represents sustainability at its most fundamental level.

The practice of hand-me-downs represents perhaps the most enduring and intuitive form of childrenswear sustainability, yet its cultural significance extends far beyond mere practicality.

This generational approach to childrenswear challenges contemporary notions of individual ownership and newness, suggesting instead a model of stewardship where garments transcend their original purchaser to serve multiple children across time.

Yet the success of hand-me-downs relies on quality construction—garments must be built to withstand multiple wearers and washing cycles. This requirement naturally drives selection towards higher-quality pieces.

Moving Forward— A Collective Responsibility

The childrenswear challenge illuminates a broader transformation occurring within the fashion industry—a movement from ownership to access, from individual consumption to community sharing, and from disposability to durability. These four approaches—resale, rental, adaptive design, and hand-me-downs—can help us reimagine how we clothe our children without compromising our planet’s future.

This shift reflects broader consumer behaviour changes where access has become “the new normal,” driven by a generation for whom ownership has “lost the glow it once had.” The childrenswear sector perfectly embodies this transition: children’s rapid growth makes temporary access more logical than permanent ownership.

To learn more about how the fashion industry can collectively move towards becoming net positive across five key priority areas – Respectful and Secure Work Environments, Better Wage Systems, Resource Stewardship, Smart Material Choices, and Circular Systems – download The GFA Monitor here.