Polarn O. Pyret

Polarn O. Pyret is a Swedish children's clothing brand, based in Stockholm.[1] Polarn O. Pyret designs, produces and distributes baby and childrenswear, and operates a chain of shops in Europe and the US. The name means "Buddy and The Little One" in Swedish, although it is often shortened to "PO.P".

A Polarn O. Pyret shop in Oulu, Finland.

The brand gained media attention when one of their garments was worn by Prince George for his first official Christmas portrait in November 2014.[2][3][4][5][6]

History

Polarn O. Pyret began by selling condoms.[7] In the early 1900s, Nils Adamsson travelled around Västergötland in Sweden selling sewing machines. He was struck by the size of families – and how poor they were. He wanted to help them have fewer children. In 1909, Adamsson bought a tobacco shop in Falköping, where he began selling condoms imported from Germany. Nils and Karin Adamsson sold medical products alongside tobacco, which gave their business a certain legitimacy. In the early 1940s, they began selling baby products under the name of “Pyret”, Swedish for "The Little One".

Their shops had two different departments – one for medical products, the other for baby products. The idea was that mothers would not have to pass through the “men’s department” – and that men would not have to be around women and children when they bought their products. The last restrictions on condom sales in Sweden were lifted in the 1970s, which reduced prices. As a result, in 1976[8] the company phased out contraceptive sales and changed its name to Polarn & Pyret AB.[9]

The driving force behind the creation of Polarn O. Pyret in the mid 1970s were CEO Katarina af Klintberg and designer Gunilla Axen.[10]

Products

Polarn O. Pyret makes clothing and outdoor wear for children aged up to 12 years.[11][12] The company does not merchandise its clothing by gender and much of its range is gender neutral.[13] Their clothing is known for being durable[14][15] and easy to hand down.[16]

Charity campaigns

Polarn O. Pyret has previously participated in fundraising for Children in Need by asking its customers to return outgrown clothes in exchange for store credit. The returned clothes were then resold at a lower price to raise money for the charity.[17]

References
  1. "Rnb Retail And Brands Ab (RNBS:Stockholm)". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  2. Harley, Nicola. "What is Prince George wearing in Christmas pictures? (£111 worth of toddler tailoring)". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  3. Murphy, Victoria. "Prince George's tank top already sold out as retailer tries desperately to meet demand". Mirror. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  4. Bayley, Leanne. "Prince George's Christmas pictures are TOO cute". Glamour. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  5. Chalmers, Sarah. "Prince George: More Middleton than Windsor". The Telegraph. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  6. "Prince George: New photos released of the rosy-cheeked Prince of Cambridge". Hello!.
  7. "Criminal condoms". www.polarnopyret40.com. Retrieved 2016-03-01.
  8. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-02-26. Retrieved 2016-03-01.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  9. "Our History". Polarn O. Pyret. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  10. "HISTORIA – 50 år som formgivare – Polarn&Pyret – Gunila Axén Design".
  11. "Oh Baby! British Newborns Receive 11 Million Gifts on Their Arrival into the World". PR Newswire.
  12. Pippard, Mim. "Moses baskets and rattles replaced with clothes for British babies' gifts". The National. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  13. "Why Not Gender Neutral Clothes? - Sociological Images".
  14. Gonsalves, Rebecca (2015-01-26). "Gender blending: A trend more about comfort than identity". The Independent. Retrieved 3 September 2015.
  15. "How this classic kidswear brand set the standard on genderless clothing". WGSN. 2016-02-26. Archived from the original on 2016-02-29. Retrieved 2016-03-01.
  16. Peck, Sally. "He, She...It?". Telegraph.co.uk.
  17. "Parent's Magazine for Family Related News | Families Online".
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