I have to write this short blog because it recently came to my attention that my little girl's wardrobe is entirely made up of Zara Kids. It is as if a Zara Kids store, broke into my home, crept up the stairs, into Phoebe's room and was then sick in her wardrobe, before keeling over and continuing to throw down in everyone of her drawers. And you know what, I like every bit of this sick. Wait, that sounds wrong. I mean, I love Zara Kids stuff.
However, because I am a bloke (which means I never listen to the madre of my bambino), every time I say, "Wow, Phoebe looks on point, check out that style icon, where's it from", and mummy replies with "Zara", I nod and instantly forget, allowing us to have the same conversation seven days a week. I mean, sure, I'm always going to think my kid looks beautiful, but Zara has nailed it. And I wanted them to know it, which is half the reason for writing this blog. The other half of the reason is to let mummy know that I do sometimes listen, just rarely.
However, this isn't an entirely 'please let me kiss your arse, Zara' blog, because it is also a kind of 'please let me kiss your arse, charity' blog. As you will see when you get past the unnecessary gallery of my Phoebe in Zara clothes (I am a proud daddy, sue me).
So, the charity thing. Oh, man. This charity-slash-company-slash-charitable company is amazing. They are called My Gumboots, and what they have done is beyond that of Steve Jobs and Apple. Sure, they made great technology and gadgets, but they never made welly boots out of recycled chewing gum. Yup, that's right. Recycled gum. Why is this amazing. Well there is a few reasons:
Gum is the second most common form of litter after fag butts.
Gum is not biodegradable.
If you lick or chew them, they'll probably taste great (what's more, the gum used is waste from factories, so it's un-chewed too. Tasty.)
For every pair of boots you buy, a pair will be hand delivered to a child living on a landfill site in Romania (yes, this a very horrible but very real thing) through their exclusive collaboration with the amazing charity we all know and love called, Small Steps Project.
This is a truly incredible company to get on board with. They make truly gorgeous boots in amazing colours (like Bubble Gum Pink, Sky Blue and Sunny Yellow). They make them for both children and adults. They sell for a ridiculously reasonable price (between £17 and £30). And they give a pair to a kid that really needs wellies every time you buy (so you are technically getting two pairs of wellies for between £17 and £30, which makes them only £8.50 each. Wowzers.)
So yeah, here it is, the rare chance for you to dress your kid in some of the coolest welly boots ever made, while also making the world a better place. That's how to shop. That's how to do retail therapy right there. So please, please, go and buy some for you, your kid and child living in poverty, and then share their story, because these guys and girls are doing some special. I mean, c'mon, not even Apple has managed to do this. That's epic.