Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

cutesun1616 t1_jaauaml wrote

I absolutely love that the company is encouraging this. Very cool.

132

KeystoneSews t1_jaay3mt wrote

Most kids jackets I’ve seen have lines for multiple names. At least, my kid has handmedowns from Columbia, Osh kosh and Hatley and they all do.

Given a kid wears a coat for one season, and doesn’t wear them hard at the very young ages, an 18 month size coat ought to last for like… 10 kids. A baby coat even longer.

116

954kevin t1_jab4lrh wrote

L.L. Bean makes some great, reasonably priced kids jackets.

7

Grompson t1_jab5do4 wrote

My 9-year-old's Columbia winter jacket has an extendable sleeve; when his arms get too long I can take out a line of stitches in the sleeves and they extend an extra 1.5 inches! I also scored the jacket new/unworn in a consignment shop last spring for $25, I have no idea how nobody else snatched it up.

294

Terry_Dachtel t1_jab8lsn wrote

Love the quirk of it. Adds to the LL Bean vibe. I'm still rocking my comfortable Bean flannel top every winter and it never disappoints.

13

schmidtaaron t1_jab929c wrote

Pretty sure a lot of my coats growing up and stuff from osh-kosh. Also had a reusable lunch bag from Eddie Bauer that had the same thing

1

TheMamaBird4 t1_jab9ue0 wrote

I put our last name on the kids clothes so I only have to label it once

45

NodePoker t1_jabe50c wrote

Replying to ATeaformeplease (#2,086,337)

REI does trade in on kid's bikes too, so when you kid out grows it you can take it back and get money towards an upgrade. I don't know how good of a deal it is as my daughter get her bike for Christmas.

330

booginsmcgooo t1_jabea0c wrote

What happens to the kid whose name is last? Spooky

14

leviwhite9 t1_jabjqi2 wrote

Replying to NodePoker (#2,092,184)

/r/unethicallifeprotips trade in my old shitty "large kids" bike for something that actually fits me at REI because I had to buy the only thing available during the height of the Rona because I was off for a bit and wanted to get back to my roots.

If only there were an REI within biking distance.

126

Suppafly t1_jabkdq2 wrote

I suspect those actually sell more costs because it shames people who'd otherwise not mind having something that's gently used.

1

mbfunke t1_jabnept wrote

Story time: Patagonia kids gear has these hand me down tags too. I bought my kid a used puffy with 2 names already present in 2010. Kid added his name and thrashed the jacket for a year or two. Passed down to sister who added her name and wore it for a year until the zipper broke. She was sad so I sent it in to Patagonia with note explaining 2nd hand, 4th kid, and asking them to bill me for a zipper replacement. They asked if I’d be willing to take a gift card for a new puffy instead since they wanted to reuse old puffers for new coats. Patagonia gave me a $200 credit for a kids puffy that cost me $40 and had 4 names in it. Daughter got a new coat for like $140, wore the sucker til we had to peel it off her, passed it on to a friend’s kid, and patagucci made a customer for life. Just absurdly over the top support. Used clothes are boss.

83

_rockethat_ t1_jabs7nl wrote

I don't understand it. Can someone explain the meaning of this ? (I'm no English native)

2

Serious_Escape_5438 t1_jabtlzb wrote

Replying to KeystoneSews (#2,087,528)

Well my daughter is the youngest of four cousins and gets tons of clothes we then pass on but, and maybe it's a lifestyle thing, coats tend to be one of the things that don't last well. Baby age yes but after that she's wearing it every day without rotation and at daycare/school they spend lots of time outdoors in a muddy playground.

9

SecuriousGeorge t1_jabtx71 wrote

Shame you have to name your 4th kid L.L. Bean for this to work.

20

Merid-NundaExegesis t1_jabtz91 wrote

Damn I didn't know LL Bean made jackets. I know them as the sledding tube company lol

1

d13gr00tkr0k1d1l t1_jabzkqj wrote

That’s so nice, that would never happen now, and that makes me sad

1

sm1ttysm1t t1_jac10hc wrote

I would urge you all to look into the past of Linda Bean. She's a miserable person.

1

ninjasays t1_jac3xq1 wrote

Replying to unsteadied (#2,094,732)

My parents gave me an LL Bean snowboard jacket for Christmas 20+ years ago. Not a thing wrong with it.

3 years ago, my parents gave me an LL Bean fleece pullover. The stitching on the cuff let go within the first month.

As a Mainer, Beans used to be a source of pride. Now they're just another corporate money machine.

61

thebipeds t1_jac810b wrote

I was a substitute teacher. On recess duty on a cold day in January, these two boys were on the ground fighting it out, screaming at each other. “That’s my jacket” “no it’s mine!” I intervened and the first kid said, “that’s my jacket, it has my name in it” other kid says, “no, it has MY name in it”

Inside the jacket is the first kids name, crossed out, and then the seconds written in.

Turns out the first kid had left his jacket at school the day before winter break, it went in the lost and found, which was cleaned out and donated over the break. The second kids mom then bought the jacket at the thrift store where it had been donated. The first kid got in trouble at home for loosing the jacked and freaked out on the second when he found his missing jacket.

As a teacher I had to play King Solomon a lot. But this is a clear case of finders keepers.

36

thefalcon3a t1_jac8enp wrote

Buy It For (the small portion of your) Life (that you fit in it).

7

Dingerdongdick t1_jacalyq wrote

I bought 2 $300 ll bean coats this year and both have inexplicable holes. Warranty covers this year, but not thinking it's buy it for life quality anymore.

10

FuckingKilljoy t1_jacbh6h wrote

Replying to copperwatt (#2,099,619)

Look, I own some real high quality hand made stuff and I like supporting more ethical businesses

But that doesn't mean it isn't super expensive

I can't believe that "LL Bean shoes are really expensive" is a hot take, like it's literally just a fact

14

FuckingKilljoy t1_jacbv5q wrote

Replying to Rpgwaiter (#2,097,841)

Gotta say I'm amazed that saying "those shoes are expensive" is a killjoy take. Are you telling me that they aren't expensive? I didn't say "you're an idiot if you buy them" or anything, just that they're not affordable for a lot of people

4

copperwatt t1_jacdnas wrote

Replying to FuckingKilljoy (#2,100,368)

Sorry, I just misunderstood you. I wasn't familiar with the phrase "dummy expensive", so I took it as a variation on "stupid expensive", which usually implies the speaker thinks the thing is expensive for no good reason.

Also, they.... aren't particularly expensive? $149 about normal for good winter boots.

17

gooder_name t1_jacdo44 wrote

Quality of LLBean has tanked massively, buyer beware

1

Quiquist t1_jacdwhg wrote

Actually have the 3 in 1 jackets for my kids and they have held up nicely.

1

Unfair-Thought5814 t1_jacekev wrote

Replying to ninjasays (#2,098,277)

Yeah I have a Bean henley that my mom gave me for Christmas in the mid-90s, and it's still looks really good. I stopped at the fancy HQ store in Freeport last summer and found nothing that seemed worth buying. Sad.

12

dubauoo t1_jacf7vj wrote

Journey of the jacket is common on LLBEAN kid’s products

1

atamusk t1_jacfcop wrote

The ll bean toddler snow pants also have a leg extension stitched into each leg, so when they out grow them, you just rip the stitches and get another year out of them.

2

evanjw90 t1_jacfmej wrote

Replying to Grompson (#2,089,656)

I always thought that would be a genius selling point. My grandparents raised us basically, and the one thing they never cheaped out on was clothing. We would get Levi's and Eddie Bauer etc. The thing is, we kept those Levi's for four kids. Oldest one would outgrow them and then she'd sow up the pants or arms to fit the second until she could take out the thread and make them the same size again.

31

Rodlund t1_jacgfle wrote

My son's snowsuit has colored stitching in it, that you cut when it gets too small and grows with essentially. So it will last multiple seasons instead of one.

1

stptea t1_jacgpan wrote

Aw I really love this!

1

king_kong123 t1_jaci439 wrote

Ha, they think it will only go through 3 children. My childhood coat is still in circulation 20 years later. It just keeps being handed to the next nextdoor neighbor.

3

MyInterThoughts t1_jacitgx wrote

My disappointment is immeasurable on seeing no names on the trail.

1

computer-machine t1_jacj6z8 wrote

Maybe if you're writing the second or third name now.

LLBean changed their lifetime warranty to one year around the same time they started making cheap crap.

I bought four pairs of jeans, and I'm just hoping the wife doesn't notice the tears because ahe likes throwing things away.

1

Evilpessimist t1_jacjtrf wrote

I moved from Florida to Massachusetts and had heard numerous fantastic stories about legendary retailer LL Bean. My wife was still rocking her rucksack from 20 years ago. Mom-in-law has her 30+ year bean boots. So I go all in. I buy flannel sheets, I buy a backback, I buy a jacket, etc. I know I’m paying a little more but it’s buy once cry once purchase.

The first time I try to take some back, slippers that are 9 months of use, it’s denied do to being “normal wear and tear”. I’m like “the stitches popped out the bottom and they don’t look that work”, too bad next. Ok, one bad experience. My kids backpack, the top nylon strap used to hang it up pulls out completely at 28 days old, I take it to the store. I’m scrutinized exhaustedly, they bring over a manager, I finally push and say it’s less than 30 days, take it back or I’m disputing the charge and they finally replace it. My wife just had a similar experience with a jacket that had a manufacturing defect.

tl;dr the new LL Bean isn’t the same quality and they are no longer handling returns in a way that stands behind their products. LL Bean is now just a brand label slapped on cheap stuff.

1

showmethestudy t1_jacjtse wrote

Patagonia does this too. With a lot more lines on it for more kids’ names because it’ll last.

1

TommenBrady t1_jacm23z wrote

Replying to leviwhite9 (#2,100,210)

Don’t know about where you live, but if you report your bike stolen here, you get invited to the police bike auction and can get really nice bikes dirt cheap in a somewhat moralistic way

16

lacksidentifyinginfo t1_jacm5ll wrote

I just bought a North Face coat off of Facebook marketplace for my 2 year old for $10. She's the 6th name written in the coat and I couldn't be happier about it.

6

frothy_pissington t1_jacn0v6 wrote

Replying to unsteadied (#2,094,732)

And they did a lot of PR at the time about how they were being FORCED to drop the return policy because of customers abusing it.

Then one of the Bean family went all in for Trump.

We raised our kids in Lands End and Bean, but haven’t bought either brand in over a decade.

4

Necessary_Tie_1731 t1_jacphcp wrote

My favorite BIFL kids clothes company is Hanna Andersson for normal clothes. They just launched a buy back program.

3

solvitNOW t1_jacpmdt wrote

Replying to frothy_pissington (#2,104,082)

Lands End is even worse than Bean as far as how crappy it’s gotten…Bean is still decent quality but not as good as it once was. But Lands End stuff is unwearable now.

We still have a couple of their kids storm jackets that have passed through 3-4 kids and look brand new from around 2012 but everything from there feels super cheap and fits weird now, when fabric and fit used to be their specialty.

10

CrouchingGinger t1_jacr7cj wrote

Replying to ninjasays (#2,098,277)

Yeah, it’s sad. My grandfather was a ME dairy farmer and wore Bean’s exclusively. I feel like old Leon is rolling in his grave. That being said you can get stuff super cheap at the Goodwill warehouse if you don‘t mind digging. I got backpacks and polar fleece for next to nothing there.

4

TommenBrady t1_jacrfsn wrote

Replying to knd775 (#2,105,185)

A lot of bikes that are stolen are quickly abandoned and not everyone files a police report so they store them. And even people who had filed police reports will have often done it for an insurance claim and have a new bike by the time theirs is found, so it doesn’t get claimed . They do the same thing with seized and found cars

11

jaya9581 t1_jacsl89 wrote

I have an LL Bean fleece coat I got for Christmas when I was 14 that I still wear almost every (chilly) day. I’m 41 now.

I’d love another because I feel like almost 30 years of life is enough to justify a new color even, but I’ve never found one half as comfortable or nice. So I just keep wearing it. No one believes me when I tell them how old it is.

2

Master_Dogs t1_jacugep wrote

Replying to leviwhite9 (#2,094,726)

You could sell it on Facebook/Craigslist/etc.

I've sold two bikes that way. One was actually broken - was a mountain bike that had one of the rear struts broken by a low root I didn't see on some single track. Some lady still paid me like $200 or so for it since she had a friend who could weld it back together and she figured her son would love it since it was a pretty decent bike (I paid $1500 for it new back in the day, sold it cheaply to get it out of my parents garage and recoup a bit). The other bike was functional and I got like $300 for it. It was an old Dicks Sporting Goods MTB that I had converted into an urban explorer bike during the beginning of the pandemic. I eventually ended up buying like 2 other bikes and didn't need it anymore. Some guy off Facebook wanted it since it had a 3x7 and a rear rack for cargo.

Just list it at whatever you think will sell, or go high and let people low-ball you enough until you get a reasonable price. Put the proceeds towards your next bike. 🚴

13

New_Chemicals t1_jacuyxp wrote

Replying to KeystoneSews (#2,088,956)

I have several clothing pieces (specifically a pair of osh kosh overalls size 2T) that my husbands older cousin wore about 30 years ago, and then my husband and his 5 brothers all wore regularly growing up! My toddler wore them super regularly too, the only issue with them is one of the snaps is worn and pops open very easily. I plan to add a snap before my next little one wears them.

8

AwesoMegan t1_jacwqcp wrote

I'm the third owner of an LL bean coat, the first two owners being my older cousin and older sister. I've replaced the zipper once in the 15ish years I've had it but the rest of the coat is still in perfect shape.

1

Radiant-Barracuda863 t1_jad1593 wrote

Btw, l.l bean got rid of its lifetime guarantee so and dropped their quality so dont expect the newer stuff to last multiple decades like the old stuff that built their reputation. At this point it's not lifetime, it's just long ass time

2

Spacemage t1_jad3gsv wrote

Has anyone had LL Bean repair stuff older than 15 years old? I had a backpack that I got brand new, and about 5 years ago one of the straps broke, and the material inside started flaking.

I contacted them, asking if they could fix either, and they told me I would have to mail them my backpack and it would take them like 6 weeks to determine if it could be fixed.

1

Elegant_Housing_For t1_jad3n8h wrote

I give all my boys LL and Patagonia winter stuff to my nephew and my sister jokes: “He looks so good and my daughter looks like a walking advertisement.”

It’s nicer to hand down clothing and baby gear. Just gave my friend a ton of baby carrier stuff to keep in his car has backup.

1

CarlFriedrichGauss t1_jad6s0r wrote

This is like Kurapika bringing a shovel to a death match. Big BIFL confidence.

1

PageStunning6265 t1_jadab6d wrote

I want to say Helly Hanson does this as well (not as cute, it says 1st kid, 2nd kid, 3rd kid). We donated one of their winter coats after it went through 4 seasons with my 2 kids and I saw the 3rd kid wearing it in town. Looks like it will easily go on to a 4th and 5th kid, too.

1

KeystoneSews t1_jadkfdx wrote

Replying to ancienttacostand (#2,112,654)

Right well this is BIFL? Get a $20 coat from old navy, get $20 worth of quality.

We buy all our kids winter stuff second hand. It’s amazing the kinds of things you can get so cheap. My kid has nicer winter boots than I do, and they cost 10$

2

boh3m3 t1_jadp711 wrote

Well you better name your fourth kid LL Bean is all I'm saying.

1

SimpleVegetable5715 t1_jadqvdo wrote

Awww, I was the third child, so I understand this very well. Except our name was usually written on the neck tag. Back in the 70's-80's when clothes were meant to be handed down. Then some of my stuff went on to my nephews. Poor boys, having to use their mother's stuff from the 70's 😂

1

SimpleVegetable5715 t1_jadrble wrote

Replying to Grompson (#2,089,656)

I used to work at the Children's department at Macy's, and a bunch of the pants had extendable waistbands and pant legs, so I think they could increase by 2-3 sizes. Pretty cool since they grow so fast! Customers would usually ask what all those extra buttons were for.

3

givvadoggabone t1_jadtim1 wrote

Man this is actually pretty damn cool. Normalizing not buying a hundred dollar jacket twice when you can donate it or give it to a loved one. I’m impressed.

1

thebipeds t1_jae69nv wrote

Replying to Dangerous-Cost-5746 (#2,119,794)

First name only, I believe they had a bunch of announcements about the lost and found being over filled and it was just bad luck he lost his jacket at the deadline. I am sympathetic to the first owners argument and I didn’t bust the kids for fighting. Generally when fists fly there are serious consequences.

1

Asshai t1_jaeid0z wrote

Molly Weasley: ...We're gonna need a longer trail.

1

RichTE t1_jaelgbo wrote

This is pretty common with kids clothing. Still a nice touch though.

1

LogicJunkie2000 t1_jaemgnv wrote

These seem to get used about as often as I sign the back of a credit cards.

1

jorking29 t1_jaeqddx wrote

And if you’re a tired dad scrambling to get out the door, you write your kid’s First, middle, and last name in sharpie.

1

Forover100years t1_jaf03l3 wrote

Replying to mbfunke (#2,094,550)

Had a similar experience where I had a Patagonia puffer for 4-5 years. The zipper had ripped the material and the down was falling out. I took it in to fix it and they just gave me a new one.

2