Pili Pala Blog
Thursday 14 October 2010There’s something
special about the Rheged Centre in Cumbria. An award winning day out,
it’s also Europe’s largest grass covered building. Designed to resemble a
Lakeland hill, the centre is home to 10 shops, outdoor and indoor play areas,
craft workshops, a conference centre, a 3D digital cinema and the all
important cafe.
The shops at Rheged
take pride in stocking things that are a little bit different and offer a
choice of products that aren’t found on many high streets. Their newly
refurbished children’s store has just become that little bit more special as
they’ve become one of our stockists. Rheged is also the first store to
receive delivery of our 2011 collection – a mix of rich red outfits and vibrant
red and navy stripes. The kids of Cumbria are looking mighty fine in
their trendy outfits.
So, the next time
you’re heading to the rolling hills of Cumbria, or if you’re lucky enough to
live there – pop in to the Rheged centre for a cuppa and some quality retail
therapy!
0 Comments | Tags: organic, childrenswear, kids clothing, Rheged,
Friday 24 September 2010The nights may be drawing in and
there may be a nip in the air but the call of the great outdoors has never been
louder. With piles of leaves to run
through and shiny brown conkers to collect it’s a great time to pull on some
wellies and get out there! Building a
den or playing hopscotch on the pavement - hurtling around in the fresh air gets
the blood pumping and blows away the cobwebs!
Playing outdoors is hugely
beneficial to the physical and mental health of children of all ages yet
there’s increasing evidence that we’re doing less of it. We’re therefore lending our support to the
Love Outdoor Play campaign – a great initiative which encourages people to get
together within their communities and look for ways in which we can all help
children play outdoors safely.
Daniel Raven-Ellison, one of the
Love Outdoor Play’s organisers explains the aims of the campaign: “We are asking people to take a very simple action.
Make or get a Love Outdoor Play sticker and put it up where you live or work.
Research shows that in many communities we’re afraid of what other parents will
think of us if we let our kids out to play or walk to school. By putting a
sticker up you not only show that you support outdoor play but can start a
conversation about how play can be improved for children where you live”.
So,
come on, get involved, sign up,
make a sticker and get out there and explore!
0 Comments | Tags: Pili Pala, organic, Love Outdoor Play, clothing, ,
Wednesday 18 August 2010Do
you rough it with not much more than a toothbrush and a sleeping bag? Or do you
pack the duvet, air bed, wide screen telly, toaster and fill every possible
space in the car with ‘essentials’?
Whatever your style, we love camping!
We
have a few favourite camp sites around the country and frequently check out the
pages of Cool Camping - Kids for
destination ideas. One of our favourite
camp sites is Naturesbase in Cilcennin, West Wales. Imagine a field with thigh high grass and
wild flowers, then imagine a great big patch of cut grass and a path cut out
just for you and your tent – that’s Naturesbase! A warm welcome awaits and they even provide
you with a fire pit to encourage you to build your own camp-fire for the all
important marshmallow toasting session!
Check out www.naturesbaseholidays.co.uk
and tell them we say hello – we’ll be back soon!
We
also love drooling over the pages of the Happy Campers book which
if full of fantastic ideas about how your camping holiday can be turned into a
brilliant adventure. From tips on what
to take to recipes and games, it’ll have you searching for your torch and
packing your wellies before you reach the second chapter. Take a look here
for their tips on how to cope with little ones and camping!
Pili
Pala has some seriously cool wardrobe ideas for your camping trip too – our velour harem
style trousers are great with wellies as you don’t have to tuck anything
in! For sunnier days, our stripy shorts
are firm favourites – wellies or barefoot!
Now,
where did we put that air bed....?
0 Comments | Tags: Pili Pala, organic, clothing, camping, glamping,
Monday 23 November 2009Those of you who have been on my website recently might have noticed my new price points. I am please to announce that after carefully examining my unit costs I was able to lower my prices to what I would call a more middle market. From a business perspective this might seem very foolish but I truly believe it will help Pili Pala become more sustainable. They say the first rule of selling is to sell what you know. Many years of business experience I do not have, but I do have a real good understanding of children's clothes. As a consumer and as a mother, I also believe I have an understanding of the market that I am selling to.
If I'm honest, I had a hard time relating to my original price points. I know that there is a very successful childrenswear market out there who's price points are even higher than my original prices. This at the time reassured me, but I didn't understand it. Organic, ethical, and recycled clothing does cost more to produce but I try as I might, I still couldn't relate to the consumer who would easily spend £24 pounds on a jersey top for their child . Because I couldn't understand it, it really started knock my confidence and if you don't have confidence in what you are selling...well..you might as well close shop... I am therefore SO happy to announce a leaner, trimmer, healthier Pili Pala. With absolute confidence, I am happy to say that with Pili Pala Childrenswear, not only are you getting quality and style but also at a price a mother can understand. Mozel Tov!
0 Comments | Tags: children's clothes, recycled clothing, jersey top,
Wednesday 04 November 2009These days I have been working flat out on my next collection for Pili Pala and in the height of my enthusiasm I've come to discover that I have a healthy obsession with striped kids clothing. Those of you familiar with my current collection will not be surprised that stripes will be making another Pili Pala appearance for SS10 / AW10 . There is something about those crisp,clean, bold lines that fills me with sheer joy. Tractors and ladybirds are all very nice but show me a good pair of stripes and I'm all over it. Perhaps it has something to do with my Danish blood. Danish kids designers have perfected the stripe (note Katvig) and in my own way I suppose Pili Pala is paying homage to my motherland...but then there is the cute factor...kids and stripes...scores pretty high in my book. So yes...I am happy to announce that stripes won't be going out fashion next season. Timeless, classic and lets face it, looks good on just about any kid...stripes are here to stay.
2 Comments | Tags: kids clothing, stripes, kids,