Showing posts with label Clothing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Clothing. Show all posts

Sunday 2 December 2018

Getting in the Christmas Spirit with Elf Pyjamas from New Look

AD - When it comes to Christmas films, most people are sure to have a favourite. Whether it be a classic from many years ago, or one of the newer offerings to hit the screens, it is certainly something that many will have an opinion on. In my family though, it is a very easy choice and no Christmas Eve would be complete in our house without watching our all time favourite ELF!

This year however, I am in for added treat, as not only do we have the film on Bluray DVD to enjoy whenever we like, but I now also have a fabulous pair of Elf pyjamas from New Look, so that I can watch the film in both comfort and style!


These fabulous festive Elf pyjamas are available both online and in-store now for the great price of only £19.99 and come in Small, Medium and Large sizes. The top is made from 93% cotton and 7% elastane, with the bottoms being 100% cotton and providing a really soft and comfortable fit.

The top is short sleeved, with a rounded neckline and features one of Elf's famous slogans from the film which is "OMG, It's Santa. I Know Him, I Know Him!" It is a casual fit, which I personally prefer as it hides my mum tum easily.

The trousers are super comfy with an elasticated waist and tie waist front, so you can adjust these as you need. Again they are a casual fit and have cuffed ankles to add a bit of style. I love the all over Christmas print that features throughout the pants, making them the perfect festive pyjamas to relax in at home.

If you would like to purchase your own pair of Elf Pyjamas, then they can be found on the New Look website here: New Look Elf Pyjamas

*Disclaimer - We were gifted a pair of New Look Elf Pyjamas in exchange for writing an honest review of the product. Thoughts and opinions are my own unless stated otherwise.

Sunday 12 February 2017

Muddy Puddles Clothing - A Review

My family recently had the opportunity to travel to Switzerland to enjoy a short skiing holiday and experience the snow, slopes and atmosphere of St Moritz. Of course in minus temperatures, suitable clothing is vital, and I was therefore delighted when we were given the chance to try out some of the Muddy Puddles clothing range to review it and put it to the test.

As I have mentioned previously in other posts, I strongly believe that children (and parents) can enjoy the outdoors whatever the weather as long as they have suitable clothing, and Muddy Puddles seem to share the same opinion. The company has created a fantastic range of waterproofs, wellies and ski-wear that are not only affordable and great quality, but also stylish.

We were provided with a Snowstorm Ski Jacket, a Drift Base Layer Top & Bottoms, and Arctic Ski Gloves to review. My kids were immediately impressed when they arrived, and my son couldn't wait to try on his new jacket on (much to the envy of his sister).


Snowstorm Ski Jacket

This jacket is just fabulous, with a striking star print design which looks great, and certainly stands out from the crowd. I am a huge fan of bold prints and bright colours, especially with my little explorers as it makes them easy to spot from afar whilst having fun on the slopes and when playing with their friends.

The Snowstorm Ski Jacket is insulated and warm, with a bright yellow micro fleece lining, which has a lovely soft comfortable feel to it. This not only makes it lovely and warm for out on the snow, but also great when bracing the UK's wind and rain weather systems too!


The coat has been tested to a 5000mm hydrostatic head.which is a measurement of how water resistant the fabric is. The higher the value is, then the more capable it is of withstanding more water pressure before leaking. As this measurement is over 1000mm then the garment is classed as being fully waterproof, so you can be sure of keeping dry when out in the snow or rain. Not only is the item waterproof but is also fully breathable.



The added benefits of taped seams and a storm flap, help to make it windproof and protect from blustery winds and cold breezes which makes it an excellent all round winter jacket.

One thing my son particularly liked about the jacket, was the hidden pull out ski pass pocket, which meant he didn't have to go routing through his pockets when searching for his pass or tickets. He simply pulled on the little yellow tab at the bottom of the jacket and he could stretch it out. Since returning from skiing, he has since made this is library card pocket when going to school, which is equally as useful and could be used for a variety of other passes.




The zips are of good quality and were capable of withstanding my sons constant tugging on them when trying to get his money out of his pockets, or to put his gloves in when going indoors for a rest. Another element that I liked was the adjustable cuffs on the arm which meant that these could be adjusted to size to accommodate fitting over gloves comfortably and without being too tight.

Inside the jacket is a removable snow gaitor for added protection whilst on the mountains. This can be removed by simply zipping  it out when need be, and can be just as easily re-added when required again. The hood is also removable, which is ideal for those sunnier days on the slopes, and the reflective logos help to assist with visibility.



On arrival in St Moritz, my son felt warm and comfortable, and immediately received several compliments on his jacket. There was no concern of the biting cold winds affecting him in anyway, as when asked if he was warm enough, he said that he was really warm and cosy and couldn't feel the cold at all. He enjoyed sitting out on the balcony and watching the snow fall, and looked forward to wearing his jacket out on the slopes the following day.



One thing that I had been concerned about was the flexibility of movement and whether he would be able to move freely and easily without any stretch in the usual areas such as the shoulders or waist. However, I needn't have worried as my son had no issue carrying his skis, or moving around whilst wearing the jacket and remained comfortable at all times. It even passed the snow angel test for movement!



Whilst out on the slopes, my son really looked the part, and even when the wind picked up and the snow began to fall, he didn't once feel the chill, which left me satisfied that the jacket was exactly as described and definitely fit for purpose.


As with any holiday, the return home often means a huge pile of washing, and much to my relief I found that the jacket is machine washable on a 30 degree wash, making it much easier to be rid of any dirt or marks. After its first wash the jacket came out good as new, and once dry the fleece inner was just as soft and comfy, which definitely gets a big thumbs up from me.

In terms of sizing, my son is aged 9 and 136cm tall and the size age 9 to 10 fitted him perfectly. However, if your child is taller or planning on wearing multiple layers underneath, then you may wish to consider the next size up.

This jacket is available to purchase here and has an RRP of £75, however until Monday 13th February this is actually on offer for an amazing price of only £37.50 which I can only describe as being an absolute bargain.

Drift Base Layer Top & Bottoms

Base layers are really important as these help to regulate the body temperature and make sure you stay well insulated. Muddy Puddles Drift Base Layer Top & Bottoms come in 3 different colours which are pink, midnight navy, and a lovely navy cloud print design. They ensure that your child stays warm and will keep any moisture out, which helps children to remain comfortable and cosy whilst out on the mountains.




I was really impressed with how soft the fabric was, which also had a really lovely feel to it. This combined with the ribbed hems and cuffs ensured that my daughter was really comfortable whilst wearing them. The great addition of thumb holes on the top, made sure that cuff remained pulled down, so that when wearing gloves no cold or moisture could get in, which is a fabulous idea.


The Drift Base Layer Bottoms were also extremely cosy and fully breathable. They had an elasticated waist as well as elasticated ankles to help keep the cold out, and were supported with flat stitching for added comfort.


Since returning from skiing, my daughter has also chosen to wear the bottoms under jeans whilst on a cold day out, which fitted fine. She has also worn them to keep warm under joggers whilst participating on a high ropes adventure course, and these base layers have kept her warm on all occasions. The fabric composition is made up from 65% polyester and 35% viscose on both the top and bottoms, and much to my delight, these are also machine washable at 30 degrees.

In relation to sizing, my daughter is 141cm in height and the size age 9 to 10 fitted her perfectly, and she was able to move freely and easily at all times whilst wearing them. I would recommend these not only for skiing, but for wearing during any cold weather for that added layer protection, to help keep your children warm.

My daughter has really enjoyed testing these base layers out and said that she would definitely recommend to others.

This Drift Base Layer Top is available to purchase here and has an RRP of £16, however until Monday 13th February this is actually on offer for an amazing price of only £8.

The Drift Base Layer Bottoms are available to purchase here and have an RRP of £16 but again are on offer until Monday 13th February for only £8.

Arctic Ski Gloves

In all honesty, I am actually quite jealous of the fact that my children have these gloves, and I am guilty of trying to fit them onto my own hands whilst doing the school run on Friday when it was absolutely freezing! They are so soft and warm inside and the adjustable strap helps to make them fit snugly over the wrist.


They are fully waterproof and feature an extra thick lining to help keep your fingers warm, as well as reflective logos which help to increase visibility. My daughter's fitted well so she was able to grip both large and small items well, however they were slightly too big on my 9 year old son, so he struggled a little to pick up smaller items such as coins etc, but for carrying his gear and keeping warm whilst skiing they were perfect.


The rubber palms make gripping securely really easy (and are also perfect for creating a good snowball!). Not only were they suitable for their intended purpose, but I am sure you will agree they also looked great on too, and complimented Ben's jacket well.


The gloves are made of 100% polyester and like the previous items, they are also machine washable. During the trip, both our children's hands remained warm and dry, despite many a snowball making exercise and numerous falls in the snow, so it was very reassuring to know that both Emma and Ben would not suffer from cold hands during any part of the ski holiday.


The gloves are available in three different sizes which are 2-5 years, 5-8 years and 9-12 years, and cost £18. These can be purchased here: Arctic Ski Gloves


Overall, we have been left extremely impressed with Muddy Puddles, and highly recommend all the products we have reviewed. The jacket is my ultimate favourite and I will definitely be purchasing one of these for my younger son too. Whilst this review focuses on some of their ski wear products, they also have a wide range of clothing including waterproofs, wellies, snow boots, socks and hats, so there is a good choice of great quality clothing for all weather conditions.

To view their latest stock of Ski Wear and Waterproofs, please visit Muddy Puddles


Disclaimer: We were provided with the clothing items mentioned on a complimentary basis for the purpose of providing an honest and impartial review. All thoughts, opinions and photographs are my own.

Tuesday 31 January 2017

Trutex School Uniform - A Review

When it comes to school uniform, my kids love to put it through its paces and push it to the limits of being tear and scuff resistant. They seem to think that uniform thoroughly enjoys being smothered in paint and mud and then washed on a daily basis. The truth is that because of this, I often buy supermarket brand school uniform so that when it comes to being replaced (trousers especially) it doesn't hurt my pocket too much and its affordable enough to replace on a fairly frequent basis.

I was therefore delighted to be provided with the opportunity to test and review some of the Trutex range of school clothing and learn more about the brand. The company has been supplying quality clothing for over 150 years and are the leading brand in school uniform within the UK. Trutex claim on their website that their uniform is made to last, and with such a statement to live up to, I couldn't wait to ask my daughter to put it to the test.

The Trutex website provides a full catalogue of their clothing range, along with a store locator so that you are able to find your nearest stockist with ease. I was pleased to find that there were 10 stockists within a 15 mile radius of my home address and the address, contact number and distance was provided for each one.


Their school uniform comes in a range of different colours to suit schools requirements, and it was great to see that maroon was an option which is my children's primary school main uniform colour. The range includes the following items:
  • Boys Shirts
  • Girls Blouses
  • Knitwear
  • Sweatshirts
  • Jogging Pants
  • Polo Shirts
  • Boys Trousers
  • Boys Shorts
  • Girls Trousers
  • Skirts
  • Blazers
  • Pinafores
  • Outerwear
  • AKOA Sportswear
As you can see this is an extensive list, and each category features items in numerous sizes and colours so you can be sure to find something in the Trutex range that fits your school uniform needs.

My daughter and I chose to test some Jogging Pants (Code JTP), Cotton Blend Cardigan (Code CAC), and Junior Girls Trousers (Code JGTB). My daughter wears both skirts and trousers throughout the year depending on the cold, so with the weather being poor at present we decided it would be the prime opportunity to test the trousers as opposed to a skirt.

Jogging Pants

In my daughters school, jogging pants are part of the PE school uniform, however children are also allowed to wear them to school on cold days, or on PE/Swimming days to make getting changed quicker and easier. The jogging pants we received featured an elasticated waist and cuffed ankles, and also had pockets. They were suitable for washing on a 40 degree wash as well as being able to go in the tumble dryer. The fabric was made up of 65% polyester and 35% cotton and they had a lovely soft warm feel to them, which my daughter says was very comfortable.


One thing that often annoys me about jogging pants and sweatshirts in particular is bobbling, however these jogging pants have a low bobble feature which should hopefully prevent that when being regularly washed.

My daughter wore these to school on a couple of cold PE days and said that they were very comfortable, and that she was able to move freely in them without feeling any pulling or stretching around the waist. The cuffed ankles made them rest comfortably above her trainers and fitted snugly over her socks meaning no cold feet or ankles.

The inside was very warm and soft and they were very easy to get on and off, making getting changed in school much easier and quicker. My daughter liked the fact that there were pockets as it meant that when she has to remove her earrings for P.E, that she could keep them in her pocket safe and somewhere where she would remember.


(Picture - The soft fleecy inner fabric).

There is an inner draw cord, which my daughter hasn't needed to use yet, however as with any child size and weight can change quickly, so it is also beneficial to know that there is some adjustability in the jogging pants should she need it in the future.

The joggers have so far been washed 3 times on a 40 degree wash and have been tumble dried twice and left hung to dry once. The fabric came up much softer after being in the tumble dryer so I shall continue to use this method of drying going forwards, as it made both the inner and outer material have a much nicer feel to it, than when it was hung to dry. There has been no fading to any parts of the jogging pants which I find can sometimes happen with supermarket brands, especially around the waistband and pocket areas. As I have only washed these three times so far, then I would not have expected any visible changes from any clothing product, but I have been impressed that the jogging pants have retained their soft and comfy feel and I shall update this post again in a months time to provide an update on washing and drying once they have reached at least 20 washes.

In terms of the playground test, my daughter has fallen over twice already whilst wearing these. Both times were on muddy grass as opposed to concrete, but the mud was easily removed, and their was no damage to either of the knees which is always a good sign.

Cotton Blend Cardigan

I was very keen to try this particular product out, as I have always purchased the school branded cardigan in the past, but have found that after a few wears it has got quite baggy around the waist area which my daughter really doesn't like as it stops looking smart and becomes noticeable. Therefore after going to school smart for a couple of weeks in her cardigan, shirt and tie at the beginning of the school year, she has usually switched back to her school sweatshirt by the time of October half term.


Again this product had a nice soft feel to it, and immediately you could tell that it looked a great quality item. It was nicely fitted, so not too loose but also not too tight with a shirt and tie underneath. The buttons were easy to use and not too stiff and the arm length was perfect. Arm length is another annoyance of mine as this can vary so much between brands and I sometimes find that despite selecting the right size for my daughter, the sleeves can end up looking too short.


The cardigan is made up of 39% cotton, 39% acrylic and 22% nylon and like the joggers it has a low bobble feature. and can go in both a forty degree wash and the tumble dryer. Since receiving this item the product has been washed on 4 occasions and it has retained its shape and colour well without any issues. There has been no shrinkage to the item, and despite several yoghurt and food spillages down the top, there has been no colour change or fading anywhere on the cardigan. There is also a nice shape and good quality stitching to the neck area.


I thought that the cardigan was a nice length, and fitted nicely over trousers, covering the waist nicely and being long enough to hide any zips and buttons on trousers.

Junior Girls Trousers

This product was my favourite of the three and I felt that my daughter looked really smart wearing these together with the cardigan. The fitted nicely and there was also an elasticated back waist if you did need any flexibility with the sizing.


The trouser legs had a pressed leg shape which sat nicely over her shoes and came down at just the right length.

The fabric is made up of 63% Polyester, 33% Viscose and 4% Elastane and the stretch fit meant that my daughter felt really comfortable wearing them. She enjoys being active in the playground some days and often plays games with her friends, and so it is important to me that she is able to move around without any discomfort or feeling of tightness. Emma said that they fit really well and that she has been able to run around the playground without any issue and feels more relaxed wearing trousers as opposed to a skirt.


In terms of wear, my daughter did have one bump on the playground whilst wearing them but there was no tear or damage to any of the fabric. She also caught them on part of the fencing at the school and despite them having a bit of a tug, there was no rip, much to my relief.

The product has washed well, maintained its sizing and shape and they are very easy to iron. Anything which makes ironing less of a chore is a winner in my book and a much needed help. My daughter has received several compliments whilst wearing them, and one of her friends also asked where she had got them from.

Overall

Overall, we have been very pleased with the quality of all three items. School uniform can go through so many things on a daily basis and it can become quite a chore having to repeatedly wash, clean, dry and iron items, or regularly have to replace them. As I mentioned previously, it is because of this reason that I usually purchase supermarket brands so that they are affordable to replace. However after experiencing the quality of these products so far, I have been very impressed and shall definitely be looking to purchase more of the Trutex brand for my other children too in the near future.

If you would like to find your nearest stockist of Trutex school uniform, then there is a great store locator which can be found here: School Uniform

*Disclaimer - I was provided with 3 items of school uniform to test and review and provide an honest opinion of our experience with the products. All opinons are my own.