Happy Panda Baby Clothes for Bigger Babies
Courtesy of Happy Panda Blog's Wordless Wednesday
So, what do you do if your baby is larger than average? According to Pamela Kramer, founder of Happy Panda, you will typically be on a quest to find the right clothing fit. This is especially the case when the ages on standard size charts do not match up with your baby’s age.
Trying to find the right fit for her little one (who was wearing a size 2T before his first birthday) led Kramer to develop a baby clothing design system that helps customers find a better fit for bigger babies when shopping by age. The Happy Panda baby clothing brand caters to plus size babies between 0 and 24 months of age. It’s also important to note, that Happy Panda clothing is made in the USA of environmentally safe fabrics, and there are no tags to irritate baby’s skin.
Kramer was kind enough to shed some light on how her sizes work, and on what parents of larger babies can do to find clothes that fit.
ST: What issues do parents of bigger babies typically face in terms of clothing a child?
PK: When a parent goes to the doctor they normally get the stats (weight and height) which help them when looking at the size charts. As a parent you know those stats and can typically shop without too much of an issue. In my experience, I always found myself buying the next size or two sizes up based on the average size charts that are printed on hang tags.
ST: How do your sizes differ from typical baby clothing sizes?
PK: Simply put, [Happy Panda sizes] are bigger sizes based on the weight and height of babies who fall into the higher percentile statistics. My system was based on my own children’s growth rate and they were my real life models. The larger sizes have been refined over time based the stages of a baby’s mobility.
ST: Do you have suggestions for parents transitioning out of your brand?
PK: They are going to buy the next size or two up. Our sizes end at 2T and then should transition right into the average size 4T depending on the growth rate of the child.
In larger chain stores, for example JCPenny, you will now see a new size “husky.” This isn’t for babies but you can see where the sizes are headed as children become preteens.
Each child is different, and eating habits and mobility need to be taken into account. If I were to choose which statistic weight or height to go with I would always go with the weight of the child.
ST: What is the most popular product you sell?
PK: The most popular product I sell are the diaper cakes that come equipped with clothing and other standard necessities (diapers, pacifiers, diaper rash cream, etc.). Perfect for gift giving a mom or dad to be. Most parents know their own child’s statistics. Our store also caters to those friends and family that know the age of the child and don’t have to worry about whether they got the size right. It’s less likely the item would be returned because it’s too small.
For more information on Happy Panda, visit their online store at happypandababy.com.
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By no means is this a criticism against Pamela (who I know), it’s great you featured her line. What I want to say is that a parent who was unclear about the brand’s sizing, would say that the line is “vanity sized”. It’s not of course -there being no such thing as vanity sizing- my point being that every manufacturer designs their sizing to suit the key characteristics of their consumer profile.
Agreed. I did a post on another brand earlier this year that developed a sizing model for their line that differs from the norm…RealKidz. In both cases, the designers are appealing to a very specific demographic with their sizes – but they approach sizing somewhat differently. Pamela uses familiar size names (i.e., 0-3 mo, 3-6 mo, etc) but pairs them with larger body measurements so parents of larger children can used “age based sizing”. RealKidz’ sizing, on the other hand, uses a completely different nomenclature and measurement base than traditional kids’ sizes and encourages parents to rely on measurements rather than age.
Wonderful. Thanks a lot.
Nice post, just what I was looking for, i’ve add myself on to your feed, keep up the good work.
I found so many interesting ideas in your blog.
I always like to hear other perspectives – and thank you for sharing yours.
There is definitely a hole in the market in terms of clothing for slightly larger babies / children. I’m sure this range will find its audience. I for one have some friends with slightly bigger children and I know they have a lot of difficulty finding clothing that is not only large enough, but also stylishly cut.
There certainly is a hole in the market, especially now that Happy Panda is no longer operating. All of the safety/labeling regulations that the US put through this past year have had an unfortunate effect on many small companies like theirs. Hopefully, someone will be able to fill the gap.