Brief
The brief has asked for a Children’s nightwear range design for the company Next. This design can be for ages 3 months up to 16 years old. I have chosen to base my range off the age group of 3 months to 6 years old girls.
As this is a children’s range designed for young girls the target market will be aimed towards parents and grandparents of children which means the target market group would be aimed towards ages 20 upwards.
The typical customer at Next has a low to mid range income and a high expectations of the quality of product they are going to purchase. The target customer also has a high expectation of safety considerations as well as fabric choices going into the clothing as it is designed to be worn by young children.
The 3 month to 6 year old nightwear range has a vast price range which starts at only £7.50 and ends at £30.
Design
Fabric Choices
I have chosen for this brief to make my fabric choice an 100% cotton fibre based fabric. On the Next website when looking at children’s nightwear I have found that the vast majority of their nightwear is made out of cotton fabric.
Cotton is the most produced fibre in the world so is very easy to source and is a lot cheaper to produce compared to animal fibres such as wool. Cotton is a good choice for children’s nightwear as it is a very soft and comfortable fibre which will not irritate even sensitive skin due to it being non-allergenic.
It is a woven fabric and very resistant which can take a lot of pull while still maintaining its shape. This is due to cotton being a fibre which is typically woven. This is good for children’s wear as children have a tendency to investigate anything they come into contact with and need durable long lasting clothing.
It conducts heat very well so is an idea fibre to use during any time of year as the fibre will keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. This fibre cannot conduct any static charges.
Cotton fibres are matt in finish and don’t have any lustre. It can be easily dyed in bright colours easily but due to high absorbency it can be difficult to remove stains from.
Due to the comfort, affordability, it being non- allergenic, resistant as well as being a conductor of heat and easy to dye this fibre is an ideal choice to use when designing clothes for children.
Cotton is a good choice for children’s wear as it is non-allergenic unlike many other fibres. It is comfortable and can easily be dyed into bright colours which appeal to children. It is highly affordable, tear resistant, and conducts heat. These properties are advantageous in children’s wear as clothes has to be comfortable yet strong. Cotton can also be treated in order to be crease resistant which will both increase the strength of the fabric further and lower the maintenance requirements of the garment.
Many man made fibres such as polyester and acrylic can cause irritation the the skin so is not recommended for children as they have sensitive skin and will cause discomfort and irritation. Natural fibres such as silk and wool are more expensive to buy as it cannot be produced in as a large quantity which plant fibres such as cotton can. Linen although has many similar properties to cotton is slightly more expensive so cotton would more likely to be used due the price point.
For my thread choice I have chosen to use a polyester thread. Polyester is very well known as being a strong and resilient fibre which is ideal for children’s wear clothing as it will resist pull and tears.
Aftercare
Washing
Cotton Wash 30 degrees to prevent shrinking due to heat
Bleaching
Do not bleach
Ironing
Cotton is prone to creasing and shrinking in heat so although it must he ironed regularly care must be taken not to iron it at too high a heat as it is also prone to damage from heat. A low heat is recommended for this.
Dry Cleaning
Can safely be dry cleaned.
Tumble Dry
Do not tumble dry in order to prevent shrinkage
Hang Dry
Dry flat to prevent distortion
Legislation
The Nightwear (Safety) Legislation 1985
Nightwear can be very dangerous as it is often worn around heat sources such as open fires as well as gas and electric fires. This is especially true for the elderly as well as children. Many practices have been made law in order to better control flammability of nightwear in order to increase safety and lower nightwear related casualties, this is done through The Nightwear Safety Regulations of 1985.
The Nightwear Safety Regulation of 1985 ensures that every person who supplies garments which are intended to be sold as nightwear are only suppling garments which meet the laws high safety standard. This law applies to manufacturers, importers, wholesalers, and retailers both in store and online but does not apply to nightwear which will be exported and pre-owned nightwear.
Children
The main requirements for children’s nightwear which applies to children between the ages of 3 months and 13 years old are that they cannot measure any bigger than the measurements stated in the regulation. The measurements are:
Nightdresses
- Chest: 91 cm
- Length: 122 cm
Dressing Gowns, Bath Robes etc.
- Chest : 97 cm
- Sleeve: 69 cm
Flammability Standards
Nightdresses and dressing gowns have to by law fulfil flammability tests to a suitable standard whereas pyjamas and towels do not have to fulfil flammability tests to a suitable standard but must have a permanent label attached to the garment showing if they fulfil the flammability standard given.
Babies
The main requirements for children’s nightwear which applies to children between the ages of 0 months and 3 months old are that they cannot measure any bigger than the measurements stated in the regulation. The measurements are:
Chest – 53 centimetres.Flammability
All clothing made for babies must have a permanent label attached to the garment showing if they fulfil the flammability standard given or not.
Label Requirements
Any nightwear that does not meet the laws flammability standard must have a label with the words.
KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE
Any nightwear that does meet the flammability laws must also carry a label which has contains one of the following phrases;
LOW FLAMMABILITY TO BS 5722
LOW FLAMMABILITY TO BS 5722 as well as KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE
KEEP AWAY FROM FIRE
All words have to by law be in medium letters in upper case and be in the size of 10 point.
Trade Marks Act 1994
As Next is a trademark with a registered brand they are entitled to be protected under the Trade Marks Act. This act will ensure that there product will not be duplicated and sold by third parties. This applies to both their designs and logo. This will protect the brand as well as consumers from third party sellers trying to imitate their products either through products or packaging.
The Textile Products (Labelling and Fibre Composition) Regulations 2012
This regulation will ensure the designed garment will carry a label which will state the fibre content of the garment and all individual components will have fibre composition shown on the label with the common name in order not to confuse the consumer. The label must be easy to read and durable as well as easy to access.
References
Next. (2019). Girls Pyjamas Younger Girls. Available: https://www3.next.co.uk/shop/gender-youngergirls/category-pyjamas-isort-price%20rev. Last accessed 14/01/19
Next. (2019). OUR CUSTOMERS AND PRODUCTS. Available: https://www.nextplc.co.uk/corporate-responsibility/our-customers-and-products. Last accessed 14/01/19.
Amy Mckerrell. (2019). Legislation . Available: https://wordpress.com/post/amymckerrell.home.blog/248. Last accessed 14/01/19.
Amy Mckerrell. (2018)eg. Cotton. Available: https://wordpress.com/post/amymckerrell.home.blog/30. Last accessed 14/01/19.
Amy Mckerrell. (2018). Aftercare. Available: https://wordpress.com/post/amymckerrell.home.blog/247. Last accessed 14/01/19.
love your clothes. (2016). How to care for cotton. Available: https://www.loveyourclothes.org.uk/guides/how-care-cotton. Last accessed 14/01/19.
Cotton Mill. (2019). How do I care for my 100% cotton clothes?.Available: https://www.cottonmill.com/how-do-i-care-for-my-100-cotton-clothes/. Last accessed 14/01/19.
Wikihow. (2019). How to Choose Sewing Thread. Available: https://www.wikihow.com/Choose-Sewing-Thread. Last accessed 14/01/19.
Amy Mckerrell 