Mokopuna children’s clothing

Mokopuna merino is one of New Zealand’s leading creators of merino clothing for babies and kids. The clothing is made of 100% pure New Zealand merino wool and is the only Zque™ certified merino babywear range.

The range includes clothing for babies from birth (including premmies) through to kids aged about 12. There is also a range of maternity clothing.

I’m liking

I was lucky enough to try out several different pieces from the range and there are some things about the clothes in general that I really liked. Firstly, the clothes are all machine washable and can be tumble dried- a total must, as far as I’m concerned ‘cos who has time to hand wash??? The wool is also fabulously stain resistant and I really liked the way that all sorts of mucky marks just disappeared in the wash.

The really great thing about merino is the way that you can wear it in all sorts of weather and I’ve found it great as we move from winter to summer. My bubba was born in May so keeping her warm is really important to me and I really like the way that the merino keeps her temperature constant in variable weather.

I also loved the design of the necks on the babies’ tops- they’re crossed, rather than the usual envelope neck, which makes for a nice change from most babies’ clothing.

The colour range of these clothes is really beautiful- I get so sick of pale pink, yellow and pastel blue for girls and it’s lush to see strong colours like brown and red in the clothing.

The clothing:

Baby long suit

There are two things I love for little babies- long suits and merino and this is top of the line for both. The wrap design of the long suit is perfect for the colder weather with a double layer over the chest and the cross-over neck also makes it super-easy to put on. I really like the attention to detail in this suit- like cuffs on the legs.

Baby wrap Jersey and pants

This outfit was just the thing for cooler days and mornings and evenings. The medium weight merino was snuggly and warm and again, the wrap neck made it easy to get on and off. It also looked really smart and was a fab outfit for going out in. The jersey was quite wide so make sure you check the sizing before you buy.

Toddler wrap neck dress and leggings

Oh my! Every time I put this outfit on my daughter, people comment. The dress I have is a really beautiful rich, red colour and has gorgeous detail across the band. It’s a beautiful dress for special occasions but is also easy to wear, co-ordinates well and you can throw it in the washing machine. The striped leggings give it a funky look and were great on cooler days. This would be a fantastic outfit if you had to travel away for a special occasion and didn’t want to worry about having to iron something but still wanted something that looked a bit special.

Toddler hoodie and trousers

True story: When I took this outfit out of the box, my almost three year stripped off so that

she could put the clothes on. She pulled on the hoodie and trousers, sighed a deep sigh and said, “I LOVE them! They’re so comfortable.” What more recommendation could you want?

The hoodie is a really funky piece. The contrasting fabric on the inside of the hoodie gives it a stylie look and it’s cosy and warm. The pants are really easy to wear and have held their shape well through the adventures of a very busy almost three year old. This was a really practical, comfortable outfit that would be great for days when you want the kids to wrap up warm.

Things that made me go hmmm…

The sizing of these clothes is really generous – which is great but also something to be aware of. On the plus side, my kiddos will get HEAPS of wear out of these clothes- I imagine that my big girl (aged almost 3) will still fit her clothes next winter. If you want something that fits perfectly at the time you buy it, I really suggest that you try it on so that you’re sure of the size. My big girl is quite tall for her age but also quite slim and I usually find that I need to buy her pants with an adjustable belt in order for them to fit properly. With the pants, in particular, I found that I needed to take them in a bit so they would stay up. Maybe an adjustable belt could be something that Mokopuna thinks about in the toddler clothing.

I’m sure that Mokopuna has a reason for it, but buttons around the leg of long suits drive me mad. When you’re fiddling about in the middle of the night or wrestling with a wriggler, buttons can be a total frustration- give me ‘pop pops’ (domes) anytime!

The conclusion

Mokopuna Merino is not the cheapest merino clothing on the market but it’s the kind of clothing that you can invest in and be sure that it will last the distance. I know that I will be able to pass down the clothes through several more children and it will still look great. It doesn’t seem to pill like some of the brands I have tried and several months and loads of washes down the track, the clothes still look like new.

The designs are stylish but not ‘trendy’ and so you can be sure that you won’t look at them next year and think ‘Oh, they’re so 2011!’ This is an outstanding range of clothing and every time I put something on one of my kids I think how great it looks. Big thumbs up for Mokopuna Merino clothing.

Note on the buttons:

I spoke to the Mokopuna people about the buttons and their response was that buttons give a more durable product that lasts longer. Would be interested to hear what you think of this?