Far and away my favourite things to review on this blog, are clothes for my mini mes. Dexter gets very excited every time he pops on a new jacket or shirt, and both he and Heidi love a good photo shoot.
So of course when I was recently contacted by a kiddies clothing and knick knack business, The Enchanted Company, I eagerly grabbed the opportunity. I’m simply blown away by the things Heidi and Dexter received so would definitely recommend checking out their easy-to-navigate and beautifully presented website. My two look absolutely adorable in their new bits and the quality is nothing short of brilliant either.
Who are The Enchanted Company?
Created by husband and wife team, Bernie and Mariessa, The Enchanted Company is a new venture inspired by the arrival of their beautiful daughter Róisín. Bernie and Mariessa have over 10 years experience creating early learning nurseries and actively encouraging preschoolers to use their imagination, create friendships and well… have fun. When Róisín arrived in 2014, the pair realised that she had a natural affinity for soft toys, and witnessed the start of a beautiful friendship between their daughter and Bun Bun, a soft bunny that travels everywhere with her, and this quickly became their inspiration for creating The Enchanted Company.
This made me giggle as Heidi is definitely a soft toy lover too. Every night she’ll line her bed with all her teddies and we can hear her talking to them for at least an hour after the light is out. It brings back memories of my own childhood too. I went so far as to hold regular business meetings with my soft toys - even taking imaginary minutes in a notebook! - it’s exactly this imaginative play that Bernie and Mariessa hope to capture in their new range of fun, practical and characterful range of children’s clothes and knick knacks - things that children are proud to wear and own, and inspire them to have fun and enjoy simply being children.
The Girls Collection
Featured: Bun Bun Sequin Top £15 / Forest Friends Hoody £14 / Country Quilted Jacket from £26 / Forest Friends Wellies £9.99 / Bertie Tunic Dress from £14 / Forest Friends Tunic Top £11 / Bun Bun Backpack £15
There’s something for every mini fashionista, with pops of vibrant colour and too-cute-for-school characters that little girls will quickly fall in love with. Bun Bun adourns many of the pieces, but also Bertie Blue Tit, Humbellina Bumblebee and other Forest Friends - all of which perfectly encapsulate a child’s love of the outdoors. With strategically placed girly bows, lots of embroidery and textured applique, the collection is instantly recognisable and a great choice for youngsters expressing burgeoning personalities.
I love how Bernie and Mariessa haven’t been afraid to play with colour either. Yes there’s traditional pink, but also bright yellows, navy and greys too. Everything appears to be designed so a child and can mix and match leggings with different tops, tunics and tees to create their own look.
The Boys Collection
Featured: Woodland Suitcases £20 / Check Shirt from £14 / Forest Friends Fox Frame £6.50 / Zed Varsity Sweatshirt £15 / Zed Fox Pyjamas (2 Pack) from £26 / Fox Friends Bookends £11 / Forest Friends Hoody £14 / Woodland Lunch Bag £4.50
I say “boy’s collection” but actually think this is a little unfair to The Enchanted Company, as Heidi would be equally comfortable playing in lots of the boys bits too. In fact, there’s cohesion across the entire collection, opening it up to children of both sexes ages 1.5yrs to 5yrs.
This time, it’s Zed Fox who takes centre stage, with pyjamas, hoody’s, tees and jackets all designed with this cheeky fellow in mind. Like Bun Bun and the other Forest Friend’s, Zed Fox also features on range of coordinating accessories from drinks bottles, to pencil cases, to bookends and more - allowing your child to personalise their bedrooms with their favourite character.
Dexter’s Zed Fox Padded Jacket
Get ready to swoon over this jacket. Dexter gets comments ALL the time at nursery and it’s the first jacket he’s owned that he’ll request to wear himself.
Why is it such a hit? First up, the colour is vivacious and really pops making it fun for him to wear (with an added bonus of being easy to spot in crowded places). We love the coordinating sports cuffs and bottom seams too, making it more akin to a American baseball jacket. This, when twinned with the super soft polyester lining, keeps the heat in and is super comfortable for him to run about in. On this note, I’m also really impressed with the sizing (Dex is wearing age 3-4 years) and it perfectly covers his midriff and wrists when he’s jumping (as in the pic above).
For additional detail, we have the Zed motif on his sleeve, an E.F (Enchanted Forest) logo on his right breast, and some star prints on the shoulder. There are also deep pockets for him to stash a tissue, some sweeties and small toys - or indeed snail shells and stones (thanks Dexter!) - and all the zips are nice and chunky and easy for him to move up and down himself.
Get this though… it’s currently reduced to just £17 from an already very resonable £21 (buy yours here: Zed Fox Padded Jacket). I’d pay close to double this as it’s just so beautifully made and really appeals to Dexter. It’s just such a relief I no longer have to wrestle him into a jacket.
Heidi’s Forest Friends Hoody
Heidi’s seriously cute Forest Friends Hoody has become an equally appreciated wardrobe staple for our little toyboy. At the age of 22 months, Heidi has just begun experimenting with clothes and is very forthright with us about what she wants to wear, and when. Luckily for us, she’s yet to refuse her hoody.
We put this down to the fact it’s the most colourful hoody she owns and has all her woodland favourites to point out. There are also no irritating seams on the inside of this garment (as there is on some of her other hoodys), and it’s a comfortable mix of polyester and cotton so is nice and elasticated as she runs, jumps and explores.
As you can imagine, with any little lady of Heidi’s age, it’s had a fair share of trips back and forth from the washing machine, yet the colour has stayed bright and vibrant, with no shrinkage or lifting of the print. Once again, zips and chunky for diddy fingers, and the cuffs are robust so have withstood lots of tugging and rough play.
Overall, I’m really impressed that the Enchanted Company have managed to create such a fun and vibrant range at such accessible price points. Heidi’s hoody is just £14, so on a par with that we’d pay from any of our preferred high street brands. It means The Enchanted Company’s clothes and knick knacks shouldn’t simply be regarded as a treat or gift, but parents can shop there all year round - great stuff!
