Organic PJs: Gossypium

FINDING NON-CARTOONY, non-itchy, non-nylon-y pyjamas is one of this writer’s holy grails. Once kids grow out of cutesy babygrows, they’re nigh on impossible to find. Certainly Nula Shearing of Noolibird, the Lewes-based textiles design company, whose mother Anne Kennedy originally founded the famous Clothkits DIY clothing brand in the 1970s, was inspired to create a range in collaboration with award-winning organic clothing retailers Gossypium - who have just opened a Brighton, UK store.

She wanted them to be: “well made, with not a TV character in sight, and made to last. I have found it hard to find good quality children’s PJs without horrible plastic-y prints of TV themed images all over them,” says the mother of 3, “and so I thought my customers might have the same problem.” 

Nula’s finished prints are brilliant, unusual, original but fun and colourful too - with a nod to Clothkits, and the textiles and clothing of her childhood. They are inspired by: “a variety of sources. I’m such a magpie. I’ll collect greetings cards, wrapping paper, and children’s books that I like and file them away to use when the time comes. The farm animals design [pictured above and right, click on images to enlarge] is inspired by Shaker Paintings and uses the Shaker natural palette. The puppies design [below] has a pop art brighter palette and is inspired by fun children’s illustration and cards. Bugs and butterflies [in babygrow sizes] is inspired by 70s florals and is a theme I am very at home with. The colours are a bit 70s too.”

As for Gossypium’s credentials, the company supports organic cotton growers in India. In Nula’s words they were “well ahead of their time with organic cotton” - beginning trading in 1999 back when organic was something of a dirty word.  Which means the PJs, (baby blankets, left, and t-shirts, etc) are free of the kind of potentially toxic chemicals that can be found in fire-retardent pyjama fabrics, and are a heavy cotton, that is both Soil Assocation approved and Fairtrade. They’re intended to last. None of which can be said of those ubiquitous character PJs…

*Gossypium PJs - from ages 6 months to 7 years, £20, from Gossypium, who will deliver internationally, www.gossypium.co.uk, and from www.noolibird.com

**Please do send us your own organic pyjama recommendations!