Wilf in his Reversible horizon hooded frugi jacket

I cannot tell a lie. This hooded jacket wasn’t on my ‘most-wanted’ list the first time I flicked through Frugi’s Autumn collection. However,  I’ve had it for a couple of weeks now and Manny’s barely been out of it!

First thing that surprised me is how substantial a jacket it is. This isn’t a cardy-with-a-hood; it’s thick, warm and snuggly. Perfect for these days where the weather is difinitely on the turn. With a hat and scarf it’s more than enough to keep a fast-moving toddler warm on a dry day in the park.

The colours are great – between the reversible grey and blue and the brightly striped cuffs and trim it goes with almost anything Manny wears.  Both sides, whether organic sherpa fleece or organic jersey are super-soft and, as always with Frugi, have remained so after washing. Both sides have pockets, perfect for conkers (and one or two as yet unidentified souvenirs from the park). 

I’m also particulaly appreciative of the zip. Having cerebral palsy and poor mobility in one hand, the chunky sized zip and smooth motion makes it easy to fasten, even on a two year old revving up for a dash to the roundabouts. It’s also perfect for little fingers  – Manny now enjoys pulling up his own zip!

This jacket really is great.  I would recommend it and know of at least one wee cousin who could well be getting one for his birthday!

By G. Baker

Frugi customer and crusader

This Creepy Crawler top is both my boys’ current favourite top and one of their three favourite items from the Frugi winter collection – the others being the Cord Combats and the Bug Detective Hoody.

What boy wouldn’t like this top? It really does appeal to the creepy crawler lovers with a massive crawly on the front of the top.  The colour and double layer styling are appreciated too as is the super soft cotton. I like the fact that it’s long sleeved and keeps them snug in this cold weather.

As with all Frugi / C4C items I’ve tried it washes brilliantly.

Highly recommended!!

Red.  It’s a funny colour, isn’t it – babies and children look universally adorable in it, yet many adults would rather stick a lobster with DTs down their kecks than be seen in scarlet. 

Now this top is seriously RED.  A wonderful strong, clear, vibrant red, with no hints of orange, pink or blue.  The sort of red which makes you think of Christmas, or film stars’ lips.  Oliver looks fantastic in it, and I love it.

On the practical side – like all Frugi gear, it washes really well and doesn’t need ironing, especially if you give it a quick smooth before it dries.  It’s soft, thick and warm, with some nice practical buttons to make dressing/undressing easy.  I particularly like the fact that the layered effect looks genuine – the top (short-sleeved) layer really does sit over the bottom (long sleeved) layer so that it looks like two garments, not one.   

On the first wash it bled very slightly, but nothing one of those fab little colour magnets couldn’t mop up.  On the second wash I didn’t notice any colour leaching at all. 

I’m often dubious about tops with appliqué designs on, as the needlework can be poor on the reverse and irritate the skin beneath.  No such problems here – Oliver wore this quite happily with no vest.  Admittedly, he has the hide of a rhino, with nary a hint of eczema, allergy or sensitivity, but I was impressed even so.  Another reason to be wary of appliqué is that all too often it’s hand-embroidered using the nimble little fingers of children in sub-contracted sweatshops.  (Nimble until they’re crippled by arthritis that is).  No such concerns here.  Workers at Frugi’s Indian manufacturing partner seem to enjoy such good conditions that I’m thinking of asking for a transfer.  Just until next Spring, that is.  It’s 30 degrees in Mumbai today.

Any suggestions for improvement?  Not really.  I suppose having a design which went from front to back might have made the top more distinctive.  And there’s my perennial gripe about the large sticky-outy labels at the neck.  But as ever, I’m being pit-nicky.  This is a great top which I wholeheartedly recommend.  Buy it! 

My son has just discovered “boy stuff” and is at that age where kids are desperate to express their gender in everything they do and with everything they wear. Sadly, all to often “boy stuff” ends up being some stereotyped violent or just plain ugly image that I don’t like my little boy wearing. The undercover bug pleases us both: him because a bug has enough of that “icky” factor to make it a “boy thing”; me because I can use it to talk about nature and how insects use camouflage – it actually ended up being quite educational with us looking on the internet for examples of creatures that change colour to match their environment.

A very classic design, the discreet bug should please boys of all ages. It is made from soft, thick organic cotton and is generously sized. This is a top that can take a bit of wear and tear, washes up well, and can definitely be worn without ironing!  Although my son has no trouble getting it on and off, the addition of a button or two on the shoulder would have been a plus. Nevertheless, a sure wardrobe staple, warm and comfortable, smart and fashionable.

Swashbuckler Shorties >


Lovely long shorts, covering and protecting very vulnerable toddler knees. Waist is loosley elasticated with a drawstring making it perfectly adjustable and very comfortable.

I was originally a bit unsure about the colour as it’s quite unusual and not sure what colours it would go with (apart from Swashbuckler Top!). However was pleased to find it went well with several items in my sons wardrobe not just cream or white!

Has retained shape, softness and colour after many washes.

Great item perfect for very active toddlers (I especially like these for the beach, as they are so easy to take off and put on) and although classed as a ‘Boys’ item think it would also be perfectly suitable for girls, as would the girls version ‘Leapfrogger Shorties’ be perfectly suitable for boys, in fact I think I’ll go and order a pair…….

Boys Swashbuckler Shorts

Today was the nursery outing to Fulham Palace for Barnardo’s “Big Toddle” and George looked fabulous for the occasion in his swashbuckler shorts.  I’d put George in his shorts as they are a fantastic orange colour (the official name is “Burnt Sienna”) and a good weight for a changeable English summer’s day – cool enough if it got warmer and the sun decided to shine and yet warm enough to stop his little leggies getting goosebumps when the wind blew (which of course it did!).  

Well we had a wonderful morning with much money being raised for a good cause. George managed to give his shorties a very thorough testing – he checked on their knee protecting ability by flying off his scooter at high speed – I can report that their length meant a nasty scrape was avoided and the strength and quality of the cotton meant that the shorties were unscathed too!   Not content with risking life and limb on his scooter George then decided that some of the trees needed climbing and the shorties also stood up to a vigorous game of “bundle” with all his other little nursery mates (at this point we could discuss gender issues as the girls calmly picked daisies whilst the boys piled on top of each other but I don’t think that we have enough time…..).  

As George’s mum I also appreciated the fact that I could easily spot him in a big park as the Burnt Sienna colour really stood out from a distance – so I could let him roam free ( I hate being a “helicopter mum”) and yet still keep an eye on him at all times (a win win situation in my book!).

On a practical note George’s shorties are also a great fit (he’s a very tall boy for his age) and wash well  – what more could a mother of a 3 year old ruff ‘n’ tumble merchant want?