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27th September 2021
06:14pm BST

"And they were like, we’ll make it happen, whatever we have to do. It was so nice to work with a company who really wants that as well, because a lot of the time you’re fighting to make change. With Primark it was just like, 'yeah, let’s do it. Let’s make that happen.' That’s the way it should be.
"There’s always going to limitations on what you can do if you want it to be sustainable, but that’s part of it. If there are ways to do it, you can’t not do it."
Making sustainable choices isn't always easy of course. Stacey hopes this collection will make conscious shopping for kids' clothes an accessible option for more people: "It’s hard to have a budget and try be conscious as well, so this collection gives you the option to do that, which is so nice."
If you're anything like me, you've already made your long list of the bits you're after from the new range, but what are Stacey's faves? She filled me in: "I love the borg stuff; the fluffy stuff. Last year, I lived in that sheepy material. I genuinely loved wearing it and I just thought, I never see this kind of stuff for kids.
"And my kids used to rub it up against their faces because they loved the feel of it too, so when we were designing this collection I was like, we have to make some pieces in that material. So they’re the pieces that are a bit special to me, because I think the kids will love it. I know my boys will love it because they’re so comfortable in it."
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Recycled polyester borg onesie, €16[/caption]
And the fluffy, borg pieces weren't the only things inspired by the Solomon family: "A lot of my inspiration comes from the boys and their opinions and stuff. Because the truth is, sometimes I buy stuff I like and my kids would say stuff like, 'oh it’s a bit scratchy'. There are certain things that I think look really nice, but they don’t enjoy wearing them. So a lot of the inspiration came from me asking them what they enjoy wearing, like what feels nice, what do they like and what makes them happy.
"My eldest said to me, 'can you make some stuff without Fortnight or tractors on it?' Often, I think people don’t know what to do for boys. They know they like Playstation, so they’ll put a game console on clothes or something. They never really get to wear something plain and I think sometimes they want something without all that on it. So that inspired me a lot when Zack said that to me.
"And then I guess it’s about trying to bring some fun into it, because my middle son likes to have stuff with a bit of colour, but not too much colour. He doesn’t want to look like a rainbow, but also doesn’t want to wear black. So my biggest inspiration was the kids. "
Stacey is expecting her fourth child, a little girl. The unisex nature of the collection is very current and also leaves more options for handing things down to younger kids, but I wonder if Stacey will be tempted to dress her little girl in pink from head to toe? "Oh 100%. I can’t wait to put loads of pink stuff on her! But at the same time, I love all those neutral tones; the pretty dusty pinks and the beiges.
"I put my boys in pink. I love pink! It’s one of my favouite colours, so if she thinks she’s getting away with not wearing any pink, she’s wrong", she laughs.
Between them, Stacey and husband Joe Swash have four sons — that's a whole lot of boys at Pickle Cottage. Is everything about to change with a new chick in town, I ask? "I think it probably won’t. It’s probably more in my head that everything’s going to change with some extra estrogen around. I feel like I’ll have extra backup because it’s always me against the boys," she laughs.
"I just think everything will change anyway because having a new baby changes everything regardless of whether they’re a girl or a boy. And I know that people say you shouldn’t be bothered whether it’s a boy or a girl, but I am really excited that it’s a girl," the star admits.
We are too, Stacey. Team HerFamily are poised for the happy news.
Organic cotton oversized hoodie, €12, organic cotton joggers €10, organic cotton knitted onesie €14, trainers made using recycled plastic €16[/caption]
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Sustainable cotton tee & denim dungaree set, €16[/caption]
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Beanie made using recycled plastic, €7, organic cotton oversized hoodie, €10, Sustainable cotton 2-pack leggings, €8, trainers made using recycled plastic €16[/caption]
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Backpack made using recycled plastic, €10, trainers made using recycled plastic, €16[/caption]
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Recycled polyester PJs, €12, slippers made using recycled plastic, €8, recycled polyester onesie[/caption]
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Organic cotton oversized hoodie, €12, organic cotton joggers, €10[/caption]
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Recycled polyester borg jacker, €14, organic cotton knitted onesie, €14, trainers made using recycled plastic, €16[/caption]
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Organic cotton crew, €10, organic cotton jogger, €10[/caption]
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Organic cotton oversized hoodie, €12, organic cotton joggers, €10, organic cotton velour set, €14,, trainers made using recycled plastic, €16[/caption]
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Sustainable cotton Smile tee, €8[/caption]
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Recycled polyester coat, €16, sustainable cotton 2-pack leggings, €8[/caption]
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Organic Cotton Over Sized Crew & Leg Set €14, Trainers Made Using Recycled Plastic, €16, Lunch Set €12[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_398302" align="alignnone" width="1365"]
Sustainable Cotton Tee & Denim Dungaree Set €16, Lunch Set, €12[/caption]
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Sustainable cotton denim dungaree set €16, 2-pack silicone bibs, €12[/caption]