Feature Friday- Wee-Rascals!

Photo Credit- Carly Murray Photography

I'm so excited to introduce you all to Wee-Rascals!  These new shirts are getting rave reviews as they bring a welcome change to our kids style, depicting real people and images.  As I mom of boys, I'm especially excited to have more fun options available (with no cartoons/sayings etc). You know I also love supporting small business and mompreneurs! Wee-Rascals was started this year by Kylie and Liz each a mom of two looking to add something new and different to their kids' closets and to give real life heroes a meaning in their kids' lives. Their love for vintage and flair for fashion has brought these great shirts to life and given real super heroes a place in our kids' wardrobes.  Check out my review as well as more on Kylie and Liz below.

Photo credit- Carly Murray Photography

Overview:  While these shirts are a little outside our usual box of anchor, whales, and prep, I love them!  I'm enjoying the change (we needed a little variation), and they look so cute on my boys!  I'm digging the "baseball style" raglan shirt and vintage images; so cool, and definitely not something you'll find in a department store.  They are well made, can be paired with just about any style bottoms (IMO), and are really fun.  My boys have been wearing these shirts for a couple weeks now and have received tons of compliments!  Wee-Rascals currently has a great introductory line available, but it sounds like we can expect more soon, and I can't wait to see what they have in-store.  Note that these shirts come in a variety of fabric blends, so be sure to read the description very carefully.  The shirts Calvin is pictured wearing are both mostly cotton (Davey Crockett is 100% cotton, & Johnny Appleseed is a 90% cotton/ 10% polyester blend) which seems to be a bit thicker and fit his tiny frame better.  Jack is wearing the Isaac Newton shirt that is 50% cotton 50% polyester.  It is super soft, lightweight, and loose and will be perfect for all the running around he does esp. later this spring & summer.  If you look closely, you'll notice how they fit differently. 

Photo credit- Carly Murray Photography/ Jack is wearing Isaac Newton White/Neon Blue Raglan

Photo credit- Carly Murray Photography/ Calvin is modeling Davey Crocket White/Red Raglan

Favorite Features:

• Quality - I've been washing my boys shirts several times a week, I've used stain removers etc and they are holding up well.  (note to follow the care instructions)
• Soft & Comfortable-  IMO kids clothes should be comfortable and easy to play/move in.  I was thrilled by the softness of these shirts, and they look quite comfy :-)
• Baseball Style-  there is something really so cute about kids in a baseball style/raglan shirt.  I love the color options available too!
• Uniqueness- I love that this is different from what you'd typically find in my son's drawers, and not something you'll find in a big dept. store.
• Vintage images-  I not only love the look of the vintage images, but I love the concept.  Real life super heroes and reflections of history in our kids' wardrobes!
• Made in the USA-  From start to finish, these shirts are made, designed & printed in the USA; love that!
• Eco -friendly- They do not use any harsh chemicals or screens- it's all water based ink!
• Supporting small business and mompreneurs - If you've been following along, you know I like to support small business, especially other moms whenever possible.  (More on these mompreneurs below)
  

Areas of Improvement/the Downside:  These really are great shirts so this section won't be too long, and these are really more "things to keep in mind":

• They aren't cheap- At $28 for most of their shirts, these aren't cheap.  But, I've paid that  a shirt at Crew-cuts or Boden etc and with these your getting a unique shirt and supporting small business... 
• Careful laundering required/account for shrinkage-  Not really a con, but something to be aware of.  These shirts come in variation of blends ranging from 100% cotton to 50/50 polyester blends.  I recommend washing and drying them on a delicate cycle/cold.  In the 100% cotton shirts, I'd recommend sizing up for sure ... Calvin who just turned two and is 26lbs is wearing a size 2, but after multiple washings, its fitting (but snuggly).
• Can be hard to choose the right size- Especially with the different fabric choices and fits, I'd love to see a size chart/buying guide of some sort. 
• Currently there are no female figures-  As  mom of two boys, I am thrilled to have some fun and unique options designed for boys (so much harder to find, I think)!  But, I still hold out hope for having a girl, and I know many moms with young girls that would love to see these awesome shirts come in options with female heroes.  Without a doubt these shirts can be unisex, and the new pink Abe shirt is beyond cute, but how fun for them if they got to rock a real-life super woman!  Rosie the Riveter, Sacagawea, Amelia Earhart?
  

Recap/ Recommendation: These really are great shirts.  They are fun and different and a nice addition to my boys' wardrobes.  Without a doubt a welcomed change from the "super heroes" you see on commercialized shirts; I'd much prefer my boys rocking Johnny Appleseed, Davey Crocket, & Isaac Newton!  Most of us likely can't afford to have one of every hero (especially with messy destructive boys) but its fun to pick your favorite(s).  Make sure you sign up for the Wee-Rascal's mailing list, you'll get free shipping on your first purchase!

Photo credit- Carly Murray

Want to Know more about Wee-Rascals?  I did!  I recently chatted with Kylie & Liz about their business, brand, and what's ahead.... take a look a our conversation below:

I am so inspired by Mompreneurs like you ladies; what made you want to go into business and how did Wee-Rascals come to be? 
We were both stay-at-home moms and were wanting a little diversion from the constant Mom role. We can across the Johnny image first which sparked a hunt for more images.  After compiling a couple of images we felt as though the images should be shared, and thus the idea of Wee Rascals was born.  Both lovers of children and fashion we felt we had found a good business venture for us.  We knew there
were other parents that wanted a break from what the mainstream was offering, as
we did, and it turns out we were right!  When we first started we had no idea how much work and dedication it would take. Naivety can be a good thing, I guess!    

Love the name, how did you come up with that? 
It was a name that reflected most of the kids I know :)
(Kylie)

How have you decided what images to use? 
This gets complicated because there are so many wonderful, inspiring heroes and we get tons of suggestions from customers.  We look for images that are in the public domain, contain an inspiring, well known figure and can print well.  These three constraints narrows our search quickly, and makes it harder to find images than it
appears.

What are your favorite features about your shirts? 
The styles and color combos are fun and always spark creative ideas.  The quality is amazing.  Our products from start to finish are produced in the USA by working adults, which is also extremely  important to us. 
 
What can we expect next from Wee-Rascals? Anything design specifically for girls?
We just released our Pink Abe Raglan!  Our spring line which is made up of 5 100% organic cotton t-shirts is coming out within a week.  And, tank tops featuring our first
female hero will be coming out later this spring for the summer.  We are also working on a couple of pants for the fall.

 Any recommendations on outfit pairings?
 We are working on the Wee Style Files which will be a blog portion on our website to address outfit pairings with our tee's and other really great picks...coming very soon!

To follow along with Wee-Rascals, to see their outfit pairings, and to see what's next, find them at Wee-Rascals.com, Facebook, Instagram, & Pintrest.

Photo credit- Carly Murray Photography/ Shirt is Johnny Appleseed Gray/Navy Raglan

Does this have you wanting a shirt for the Wee-Rascal in your life?  You're in luck!!  Our friends at Wee-Rascals have kindly offered to give one lucky Mainely Mama reader a shirt of their choosing!  

You must be at least 18 years of age and must live in the US to enter.  The winner will get their choice of any in-stock shirt, and Wee-Rascals will be shipping the shirt directly to the winner within 2 weeks of confirmation.  The giveaway ends... at 12am EST on Saturday, April 26th.  To enter complete the Rafflecopter form below.  Good luck!!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks so much for stopping by and entering!  Happy Friday!

Rebecca





disclosure:  I was not compensated to write this post, but was given 3 shirts for the purpose of review.  As always, this is 100% my honest opinion, and I only feature products I genuinely like and would buy myself.