Last month I was invited to visit Polarn O. Pyret headquarters in Sweden with my sister. I usually don’t go to these kind of things but I love the brand so I was excited to see it from the inside. PO.P is new in the US but has been around for decades in Sweden. I have to say I absolutely loved Stockholm. It is beautiful and a very clean and orderly city. Other things about Sweden: everyone looks like a supermodel, there is an H&M on every corner (not an exaggeration), it was light out at 3am, and everyone speaks beautiful English. One thing that was interesting to me is how excited the other people we met were when we said we were there to visit Polarn O. Pyret. In Sweden POP has huge positive brand recognition. They are known for their extremely good quality children’s clothing. The quality is so good that in Sweden there is actually a huge second hand market for Polarn O. Pyret. They are made to be passed down from sibling to sibling and the stuff lasts forever.
Just to preface how serious these guys are about their outdoor gear, in Sweden and the other Nordic countries its standard practice to put your baby outside for naps. Even when its freezing cold (which is most of the year) they bundle up their babies and put them outside in their strollers. When I questioned this one of the women at the table asked me quizzically “You don’t?.” They are serious about children getting fresh air and even nursery age children spend most of their day outside playing, even in the snow. As a result they care about their outdoor gear. In Sweden there is a saying, “There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing.” It’s hard to argue with their child rearing practices when they all grow up to be 6 foot super models with healthy glowing skin. My favorite thing about traveling is realizing there are just so many ways to do things.
What I liked most about Polarn O. Pyret is their philosophy on design. Their famous stripe pattern hasn’t changed since the 70’s. Their clothes are unisex, not overly masculine or feminine. The result is very “classic” looking children’s clothing. In fact they showed some ads from the 60’s and they could have been relevant today.
Have you ever been to Sweden?What do you think of babies napping outside? Have you ever used Polarn O. Pyret? I’d love to hear what you think.
This post is brought to you by the famous Swedish clothing company Polarn O. Pyret.
Kacie
June 22, 2011
Oh man! That stuff is cute. My daughter needs those red striped wellies!
Kacie
http://www.acollectionofpassions.blogspot.com/
Oona
June 22, 2011
About babies sleeping outside. In Estonia babies sleep outside too. It is not so much about the outdoors rather than babies sleep better in cold. Adults too 🙂 POP is available in Estonia as well. Simple and very beautiful clothes.
Melissa@Julia's Bookbag
June 22, 2011
I MUST MUST MUST get some of these clothes for my kiddo! Thanks so much for acquainting me with this line!
Amanda
June 23, 2011
As a proud Swede, I’m so happy that you had a nice time in our lovely capital and that you like PoPs clothing! My baby boy sleeps outside for his nap everyday, even at his daycare (dagis). He sleeps outside during the winter when sometimes we get temperatures around -20 degrees celsius (about -4 F). And he is a very healthy and happy little boy 🙂
I second that Polarn’s clothing is very good quality and that you really can use them for siblings or sell them second hand.
Andrea
June 23, 2011
I grew up in Sweden and while I don’t remember napping outside I do remember at daycare we would be outside playing in rain and shine, sleet or snow. It was a requirement to have the rain pants and jacket and boots ect. Ummm I wouldn’t leave my baby on the side walk while I walk in the store, maybe back in the days, but things have def changed.
I don’t have any POP clothes for my kids as I have not been home for a while, but I have a shirt for me which I don’t think I ever have used so maybe I should auction it out lol
Andrea
June 23, 2011
I forgot to add, we do leave our windows open a lot though even in the winter time, something my hubby was complaining about lol
emma
June 23, 2011
i need those boots for my children. pronto.
Gypsy Chaos
June 24, 2011
My mom is a firm believer in getting fresh air. She encouraged me to put my daughter outside for her nap when she was only two weeks old – early March, freezing weather. I did the same with my twin sons who were born in mid-October. At home, they were in the back yard.
I needed to get Christmas gifts and wanted to get out of the house when the boys were about eight weeks old. When it was nap time, I bundled them up in the stroller and walked to our downtown area. I left them outside while I went in a small store. I told the saleswomen my stroller was outside; all of us could see it through the window.
Awhile later, a woman walked in and immediately started criticizing the stroller left outside. She ranted on about leaving a baby, etc. Finally, she asked the saleswomen if they knew who had left a baby outside. I replied, “well, actually they’re mine. And there are two babies in that stroller!”
I think she was truly offended that I wasn’t the least bit interested in her rant.
Jennifer M.
June 26, 2011
Oh how interesting! I’ve never been to Sweden, but you are making me want to go. It sounds very nice!
I’ve never heard of someone putting their kid outside for a nap! Lol. It does make sense though that you would want to get as much fresh air as you could. I spend way too much time inside! Now that I think about it though, some of my best sleeps have been while camping during the summer. Other than the rocky ground, the fresh air does wonders for you!