“I think at this point, there’s no denying that there needs to be change”
We’re big fans of Stacey Solomon around these parts, and we know you are too. We’re also quite partial to Penneys, so tidings of another Stacey Solomon x Primark collection was very good news indeed.
The best part? The collection will fall under the Primark Cares label, this time around, with pieces made from sustainable, organic cotton and trainers made from recycled plastic — you love to see it.
The beautiful new range comes complete with sweet ‘Love me and hand me down’ labels and features a gender-neutral, muted colour palette and cosy fabrics like borg and chunky knits.
You’re going to love it.
I had the pleasure of chatting to Stacey, who is every bit as lovely as you’d imagine, about the new collection, what inspired her and why the sustainable aspect was so important.
This might not be her first Penneys rodeo, but the Loose Women star admitted she still feels the nerves before a new collection lands, as she told me: “I’m so excited, but also really nervous. We did summer last year and with summer you can play with loads of bright colours. I knew I wanted it to be really cosy and autumny. It was totally different, so I was nervous again this time around.”
Stacey had a big part to play in the range being a conscious one and, of course, that gorgeous ‘Hand me down’ messaging, as she explained: “The sustainability aspect was really important. I think at this point, there’s no denying that there needs to be change. Primark have been doing so much with their adult’s wear, so it was the first conversation when we started talking about this next collection; how to we transfer that to kids’ wear? Because, if we can do it for adult’s we can do it for kids.
“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.”
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.
Let’s have a look at the whole gorgeous Stacey Solomon x Primark collection. Prepare to want it all!
