JoJo Maman Bébé: Practical winter clothing for your family as the pandemic forces us to spend more time outside
The brand’s autumn/winter collection is not only stylish but practical and hard-wearing
The coronavirus pandemic has required us to rethink how we spend time, how we entertain and educate our children, and how we keep safe.
As many of us are spending more time outside - whether that is in parks with friends and family, on long walks to break the monotony of being at home, or just in the fresh air because we feel safer than cooped up in indoor settings - it means our wardrobes have had to adapt.
While spending a summer in the park worked when the temperatures were higher, the onset of autumn and Christmas fast approaching has made for a speedy seasonal transition. Now the whole family needs practical outerwear to keep warm and dry when spending extended periods out in the elements during the months ahead.
Maternity and babywear brand, JoJo Maman Bébé, was first launched at Laura Tenison’s kitchen table in 1993, inspired by traditional French nautical clothing. Now, nearly three decades later, the brand is still going strong, providing high quality clothing and toys for children, parents, and parents-to-be.
Put simply, the brand’s motto is to “take pride in everything we do”, and produce clothing and products that are not only functional, but beautiful too; a promise which caught the eye of one well-known customer, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Kate Middleton wore the (aptly named) “Cream Princess Coat” on the set of Downton Abbey in 2015, and years later her daughter Princess Charlotte also wore the brand’s clothes for her official second birthday portrait, showing how the appeal of the brand is family-wide.
Not only does the brand appeal to customers aesthetically, but ethically.
Lockdown and the pandemic shone a spotlight on people’s purchasing habits and raised questions about our nation’s love of fast fashion, seeing many of us pledge to be better consumers going forward. This has always been at the heart of JoJo Maman Bébé’s ethos, putting people and the planet above profit, and working to reduce its carbon footprint.
And sustainability or “greenwashing” isn’t a passing fad for JoJo Maman Bébé; for 27 years the team has interwoven recycling and “waste not want not” into their company - making them well ahead of the pack as other brands got on board years later.
In 2016, in recognition of their longstanding commitment to these values, JoJo Maman Bébé became the first UK mother and baby retailer to become a certified B-corp (meaning it reached the highest standards of social and environmental performance).
This year with the unique circumstances we find ourselves in are likely to mean, for lots of families, more time outside than ever before. JoJo Maman Bébé is helping families be well-prepared for this adjustment with a wide range of children’s coats and jackets, including a timeless unisex mustard yellow parka (£42) with faux-fur lined hood or a reversible leopard and cord jacket (£35).
If you’re looking for a coat to last your child for years, the three-in-one waterproof (£49) is made of two separate layers (a lightweight outer jacket with a hood and cosy lining, and a puffer inner jacket), which can be worn together or separately depending on the weather.
For those certain to need some puddle-protection, the best-selling yellow duck waterproof (£36) is back for another year. Along with pack-away waterproof trousers (£19) in three different colours and waterproof fleece-lined dungarees or ‘snow bib’ (£36) for the ultimate in comfy and cosy (rated five stars by other customers).
If your coat needs are sorted for 2020, it still might be worth investing in some cold-weather accessories to ensure everyone stays wrapped up. Knitted mittens with string (£8) so you never spend another morning searching the house for one missing glove, a dinosaur scooter hand cosy (£12), and a cosy waterproof hat (£15), are all sure to be useful investments.
For footwear options, consider a classic wellington boot (£17-19), available in child-friendly cute animal versions or a more sensible plain boot (with useful heel straps to help get them on and off) or upgrading your child’s current shoe selection with knitted boot liners (£14) or lambskin insoles (£8), which are so popular they’ve already sold out in some sizes online.
And whether you’ll be hibernating at home till March, or braving the British weather, no one should miss Christmas without the navy duck fair isle tank top in their stocking (£20).
Shop JoJo Maman Bébé's autumn/winter collection online here.