Mom of six Alissa Bertrand was frustrated with the clothing options available for her three youngest daughters. “I was getting really tired of screen-print shirts, cutesy prints, and poor-quality fabrics that only last one season,” she says. Though Bertrand could find fun, vintage outfits for herself at places like Park Avenue Thrift and Value Village, the stores didn’t offer similar styles and fabrics in children’s sizes. So, about three years ago, the home sewer started creating dresses, jumpsuits, and separates for her girls using curtains, bedsheets, and other thrifted textiles sourced from Etsy and shops around the city.
