5 Ethical Alternatives to Carter's—Updated for 2022
I read recently that for every baby born in America, Carter’s sells ten pieces of clothing. And if you’re a parent, you might agree with me that that number actually seems a bit low. The owner of OshKosh B’Gosh and the undisputed giant in kids’ apparel, Carter’s has proven itself able to flood the market with freaking adorable kids’ clothes. Through their stores, website, and exclusive brands for Target, Amazon, and Walmart, Carter’s has become ubiquitous in the baby and kid world.
But is Carter’s ethical?
As a mom myself, I’m totally in favor of adorable baby clothes. But I find that when it’s time to get my kids new clothes, I’m not able to shop Carter’s clothes with a clear conscience. Carter’s has made no effort to supply detailed information about their ethics—their suppliers, the factories that make their products, or their environmental practices. They source their final stage of production from countries with an extreme risk of labor abuse.
In other words, I can be pretty certain that I am exploiting another mom somewhere else in the world just so I can buy cheap clothes for my kids.
So what’s a parent to do? Your kids need clothes, and you want to get them cute, fun clothes they’ll love that don’t cost you an arm and a leg.
Never fear! DoneGood is here with kids’ apparel that’s great for people and the planet! As always, you can browse our entire kids’ collection of clothes, accessories, toys, and home goods here. But today, we want to highlight a few of our amazing brands that sell products similar in price and style to Carter’s. Let’s check them out!
Majamas Earth
Majamas carries adorable essentials for babies and toddlers like onesies, pants, skirts, caps, and more! Their styles are cute, their prices are affordable, and their designs are built to last! Plus, Majamas is proud to produce their clothes ethically in the USA from sustainable, organic fabrics with low-impact production. You’ll love seeing your baby snuggled up in Majamas clothes, so what are you waiting on?
Pact Apparel
Pact carries amazing kids’ clothes that are cute, ultra-comfy, affordable, and ready to withstand some rough and tough play! With adorable designs and positive messages, Pact clothes are sure to be well-loved by your little ones and you! Even better, all their apparel is made in sweatshop-free, Fair Trade certified factories, with GOTS certified cotton that is saving tons of water and doing away with pesticides. Check out Pact for kids’ tees, bottoms, onesies, and even undies!
Vi Bella
If you’ve ever walked into a Carter’s store, you know they’ve got a great selection of functional diaper bags. But if you’re on the hunt for an ethical diaper bag that’s just as functional and doesn’t *look* like a diaper bag, Vi Bella is for you! They’ve got tons of options for cute totes and crossbodies. Personally, I think you should check out the Julia Crossbody—it’s got all the zippers and compartments for all your kiddo’s needs.
Global Gifts
Global Gifts makes a ton of great accessories and home goods, but I think you’ll especially love the collection of animal backpacks they have for kids. My daughter has the giraffe backpack and it is perfect. Comfortable to carry, perfect size for little ones, and uber cute design. All Global Gifts’ products are made by global artisans who are earning fair wages for their amazing work!
If you're looking for more ethical alternatives, check out these posts:
Erin King
DoneGood Contributor
Writer, editor, and all-around language enthusiast who uses her love of words to help others.
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