THE JOURNAL
Our exclusive collaboration with Scandinavian lifestyle brand ARKET has been going down a storm in the office, if the sudden appearance of several brightly coloured gilets, polo shirts and hoodies is anything to go by, and there’s one sub-section of the MR PORTER staff with whom it is proving particularly popular: the parents.
With a 120-piece collection of outdoorsy staples designed for the whole family, MR PORTER & ARKET represents our first serious foray into kidswear. As such, it has given us the perfect excuse to indulge our secret passion of playing personal stylist to our kids.
Not that we really needed one. As style-conscious parents, it’s perhaps inevitable that we end up dressing vicariously through our children; after all, we spend far more time getting them ready than we do ourselves. And when the clothes are this good, can you blame us?
The kidswear part of MR PORTER & ARKET numbers 50 pieces, and shares common design elements – silhouettes, colours, fabrications – with the wider collection. “We didn’t necessarily design things for adults or children,” says Mr Daniel Todd, Buying Director at MR PORTER, who was instrumental in bringing this project to fruition. Instead, he says, “we started with shapes that we liked that could be scaled up or down.”
We all know what this means. Not only can we style our kids in this collection, but we can also use it to dress them up as our own personal mini-me. You’ll forgive our excitement, then, as we share a few of our favourite pieces from the MR PORTER & ARKET collection. Grab them before we do…
01.
The Bobbie shell jacket
Windbreaker? Cagoule? Whatever you call it, a lightweight weather-proof jacket is a vital element in any kid’s spring wardrobe. This one ticks all of the boxes and comes in a lovely rich shade of burnt orange that epitomises the wider collection’s embrace of bold colour. It’s unlined, remember, so layer it over a gilet or fleece until the temperatures rise.
02.
The Brygge twill overshirt
We say it every year but it bears repeating: the secret to good spring style is versatility. With weather that can swing from blustery wind and showers one minute to warm sunshine the next, it pays to choose clothes that are neither too heavy nor too light. This indigo-blue overshirt is a case in point. It’s cut from a heavyweight wool-twill fabric that’ll keep the chill away and in a relaxed fit that makes layering a cinch.
03.
The Teddy organic cotton-jersey hoodie
Sure, the humble hoodie seems like a simple garment, but it’s one where quality really shines through. Fabric choice is paramount here: a substantial, weighty cotton jersey can make the difference between basic and brilliant. This one, from our collaboration with ARKET, is firmly in the latter category. We’re keen on the Kermit-green version seen here, though it’s also available in a classic athletic grey.
04.
The Tina cotton-corduroy trousers
We weren’t sure whether to include these, for fear of the inevitable comments. “White trousers? Do you actually have kids?” But hear us out. They’re smart, they’re hard-wearing, and, most importantly, they’re 100 per cent machine washable, a quality that’s sure to come in handy whenever they’re worn near mud and/or food. What’s more, the cool neutral tone works as a great contrast to brighter pieces worn up top.
05.
The Asmund swim shorts
Not all swim shorts are created the same. The Asmund is cut from a quick-drying shell material in a mid-thigh length, making them a great hybrid short that can be worn at the pool, at the beach, or even on sunny Saturdays at the park. Consider these an investment: your kids will be living in them by the time summer rolls around.
06.
The Jemima striped cotton hooded robe
Anyone who has visited a coastal resort during the school holidays will know just how popular towelling robes are, and for good reason; they’re incredibly versatile, playing double duty as a towel and a stylish cover-up at the beach. Including one in our ARKET collaboration was a no-brainer.
07.
The printed organic cotton-jersey T-shirt
We couldn’t wrap up this list without mentioning Planet Good Earth, an organisation that seeks to inspire kids to get into the garden and learn more about nature. We partnered with them to create a series of exclusive illustrations for the MR PORTER & ARKET collection; you can see one of them on the chest of this cardinal-red tee.