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View Full Version : Just wondering...whats so spectacular about Hanna Anderson clothes?



Bluevie
04-24-2006, 07:45 PM
I keep seeing threads on this brand and I've never owned anything from them so I was wondering what everyone loves about the brand? The style doesnt seem too out of the ordinary to me to be so pricy. Is there something I'm missing? TIA.

Kim

aliceinwonderland
04-24-2006, 07:47 PM
I don't get it either. :)

We have owned some pieces from there, they're good enough, but some of the stuff people **really** like from there completely escapes me...

manatee
04-24-2006, 07:51 PM
I've never owned anything from Hanna Anderson and would love to hear everyone's opinion regarding the positives of this brand. Would love to try out a few pieces!

May_Flowers
04-24-2006, 07:55 PM
I like the quality of the cotton and details like flat lock seams ect. The clothes take a beating and still look great. And I like the bright, fun, and childish styles. Some of the stuff is too loud and over the top for me, but there is a lot I love. I do not buy full price though. That is too expensive for me. Another plus too them is that they fit for a long time. Much longer than other brands.

heidiann
04-24-2006, 07:56 PM
I have only bought hanna off of e-bay or the bbb swap. I have bought a playdress and leggings, wiggle pants and a few zippers. The clothes are really soft and I think are really comfy for Jillian but would I pay full price for the clothing, absolutely not. The clothing styles I really don't like but the PJs I do like.

Heidi
Mom to Jillian 10/20/05

swampnurse
04-24-2006, 07:59 PM
We have a store here, so i frequently look around, but the only thing i'm obsessed with is their zipper PJs. They are so soft and high quality, don't fade or shrink or pill, and have flatlock seams. I get them on sale for $28, which is still pricy for PJs, but i only have a couple of pairs of each size.

i find their boy stuff to be too cutsey as i prefer a more masculine style for my son, but i am expecting a girl soon and might have to get some of their cute girl stuff. I LOVE that red christmas dress everyone has!

kcimato
04-24-2006, 08:32 PM
When Hanna goes on sale I suggest you buy one piece. The zippers are so soft. If you have a girl, try the play dress. It is my grand daughter's favorite.She will reach for it every time. I never buy it at full price though.There is a sale coming up in June and it seems they mark it down regularly from there until the fall line comes out.

Beth568
04-24-2006, 08:36 PM
Well, it's not true of every Hanna piece, but I've become a Hanna fan because of the long life of the clothes.

I spent some time yesterday organizing storage bins of clothes that my 4 year old has outgrown, and trying to decide what to keep for her younger sister. Virtually all of the Hanna pieces that she had were still in very good shape, with little fading or pilling or other signs of wear, and she's pretty rough on clothes. All of the zippers from her infant days are super soft and look great, even after being worn a LOT by two kids - and washed a lot (and not always carefully). The other clothes that I've bought from Lands'End, or Target, or Gap, haven't held up nearly as well. And my DD, who has some sensory issues and is very picky about clothes, will often choose Hannas from her closet before other things. So I think they probably really are most comfortable for her.

That said, I do think some of the prices are silly. I'm not too far from an outlet, and I purchase the majority of our Hannas there. I can't justify paying full price for long/short johns, even though I love them.

I don't think everything that HA sells is wonderful, but the basics - the underwear, the zippers, the playdresses - have held up very well for us, and even when both of my girls are finished with them, I can resell them on swap or eBay quite easily. So that justifies the investment for me.

nitaghei
04-24-2006, 08:47 PM
Count me as one customer who is underwhelmed by Hanna. I fell for the hype - about how they last, don't pill, wash wonderfully etc etc. That has not been my experience. Other than the hats, and one set, everything I bought for DS looked trashed after a few weeks. At least for me, Hanna wore no better than Target stuff, and much, much worse than LL Bean or Lands End or Naartjie. The Hannas are somewhat softer than LE stuff, but I didn't find any appreciable difference between Hanna and LL Bean shirts, at least for boys. Certainly not enough to justify the difference in prices. And the LL Bean shirts really washed well.

Hanna does have excellent customer service, no doubt about that. They refunded me the purchase price on the items I was unhappy with, no questions asked. But it's no better than LL Bean or LE. And Bean and LE prices are a LOT better.

I do like Hanna sunhats a lot. They are comfortable, and do a really good job shading. I've tried a lot of other hats for DS, and Hanna hats are hands down the best.

Nita
mom to Neel, January 2003
dog mom to a PWD and a cocker (at the Rainbow Bridge)

"Moderation is best in all things." Hesiod

holliam
04-24-2006, 08:56 PM
Well, I tried a ton of different brands at first to narrow down what I liked. Reliably, Hanna were the outfits that DH and I reached for first. So, I've accepted that I really love them. Of course, we also like LE, LLBean, Naartjie, Keedo, Pumpkin Patch, and assorted pieces from Target, JCPenney, etc.

But, I like that the pajamas are available in organic cotton. I know some people think it's ridiculous to spend money on pajamas, but infants and toddlers spend more hours sleeping than anything else. Why would I want to put nice clothes on her to leave the house and not to be comfy while sleeping? Seemed like an easy decision! I refuse to buy flame-retardant pajamas so I do not have a lot of options.

The colors are just fabulous for DD's coloring. There are no commercial characters, inappropriate sayings, or just overall cheesiness.

The styles fit her very well.

So, yea, I love Hanna, but they are not the only brand out there. We do not plan on having anymore infants so we are passing ours on to friends, and I expect these clothes to do the round through our playgroup many times!

Holli

Globetrotter
04-24-2006, 10:04 PM
To give you an idea..

I have some Hanna outfits that have been used a LOT by dd for the past two years. We recently needed some bright clothing for a commercial photo shoot, and they looked practically new and therefore good enough to use for this purpose! I can't say that for any other clothing we own, with the exception of some Gap items. They are also very soft, for the most part, and there is a lot of attention to details and the kid's comfort.

I have had good luck with the basics (especially the tnecks and wiggle pants), underwear (the softest, and for a while the only ones DD would wear, as the gymbo ones were "itchy"), sweaters, fleece items (like the nordic fleece jackets they have every season) and cotton dresses. DS, when given a choice, generally chooses his Hanna basics over other items.

I also like the zippers, but two of them did pile more than expected. Not sure why... they are all very soft, though. I've had a few items that weren't up to par (like some of the thick tights, and I also had problems with two of the opposite stripes sets that are supposed to "wear like iron") but overall I love it. I also hardly EVER buy anything at full price.

As for style, I love bright colors and designs, so it works for me. I hope DD will agree to wear some of this stuff a few years from now, when her middle school cohorts are wearing their hootchie mama clothes! Wish me luck LOL

There are a few styles that are a bit much for me, even, so I avoid those :)


Kris

almostamom
04-24-2006, 10:46 PM
Personally, I do think they wear a bit better than DS' other clothes. They do shrink initially, but nothing like the shrinking I have with Ralph Lauren's clothes. I like the feel of the cotton - it's thick, not flimsy. My favorite thing about the clothes isthat they don't say "Lil Slugger" or other such sayings or have dinosaurs/tractors/footballs/etc. on every piece of clothing. I'm a stripes or solids kind of gal. I've only paid full price for one "I've got to have it" outfit. Everything else I've either gotton on sale, from the outlet, off SWAP, or off ebay. I know that when certain little boys around here grow out of their Hannas, I'll be able to buy them on swap, and they'll still look great!

~Linda~
DS 11/9/04

squimp
04-25-2006, 01:18 AM
I love Hanna. The clothes last, wash incredibly well and are really good quality. When DD outgrows her Hannas, they still look good and have a lot of life. I find myself wishing DD could still wear them. Can't say that about many other brands.

I buy it only on sale. They're having a big one in June, so it will be a good time to try them.

oliviasmomma
04-25-2006, 07:18 AM
I like the wiggle pants better than any other brand of stretchy pants. I got them from the outlet for $6, and DD wears them almost everyday. They are sewn is such a way that there is room in the hind end for a diaper witout slipping down. I agree that their clothes can get a but pricey--but if you call the outlets you canm often get what you want for a lower price. They have excellent customer service and great quality, and are a nice alternative to the "cutsey" clothes available in other places.

Their accessories are what we go crazy for (other than wiggle pants and playdresses). We love both the floppy hats and the pilot caps, and those are reasonable considering how much DD wears them. We also like the loose tights, but those are expensive IMO, so we only have a pair or two at a time. (They wear almost like pants, though, because they are so sturdy!) Also--the resale is good, so if you like to sell on eBay you can make some of your $$ back.(I don't, but I think about it!)

lizajane
04-25-2006, 07:27 AM
i own three hanna things.

the beach pants: i searched EVERYWHERE for cute spring pants for boys and found NOTHING. seriously, i looked EVERYWHERE. i wanted spring colors. i wanted spring fabric. i wanted something that was happy and well, spring-like! i paid full price for the hanna beach pants because, frankly, i wanted to see how they were made so i could make my own version of them. they are soft, bright and when i put them on my kid, i was FLOORED. they are outrageously cute. i do not think they are froofy for a boy at all and i DO think they are unique. there was literally nothing else out there like them. i like them so much, i want some for me! but i will wait for a sale.

the wiggle pants: got some for $6 so i could see what the hype was about. when they arrive, i thought, um, well... but when i put them on dylan, i was much more impressed. they fit so well and are so soft. they do not look any different after being in the wash a few times (i hate when brand new stuff looks different after ONE wash...) no, i wouldn't pay full price. especially when i make pull on baby pants. but i do love 'em now that i have them.

an older style romper: a friend gave this piece to me. it looks brand new. her son wore it and now my son is wearing it. he has nothing else that fits him this well. it is a PERFECT fit. room for his cloth diaper, but doesn't sag when he is in a sposie. soooo soft. it just looks SO cute on him. the colors are pretty- light blue and light green. love love love it. i do not, however, like the new style they have now.

so no, i am not a hanna-purchaser officially. but the free item i have is my favorite thing for dylan and the one full price thing i bought (and will probably never buy full price again) is my favorite thing for schuyler. so only owning three pieces and calling two of them my very favorite things... well, enough said.

jennifer_r
04-25-2006, 07:59 AM
I initially never understood the whole HA obsession on these boards. Too me, the clothes were not that unique or they were a bit too loud for me. Well, I finally decided to get DD a couple of outfits and I understood why people like them so much. The zippers are great - DD1 still wears them on dreary DAYS when we are not going anywhere(we are the exception here - I don't use them at night because I want her in pjs with feet). Our 2 girls look so sweet in them and they are great for easy diaper changes. The playdresses are fantastic - DD1 wears them all the time. To me, they don't look that special out of the package and then you put them on and they look so much cuter! The playdresses have been washed almost every week this fall/winter and they still look brand new - still bright and with no pilling. Plus, it's great they can wear a dress w/leggings instead of dealing with tights. Also, the zippers and the playdresses are made to grow with your child so I'm thinking that next fall/winter, my DD1 can wear them again. This season, I've ventured out in some of their other clothes - I'll see if I love them as much as I love other HA stuff. I'm still staying away from the "loud" stuff (well, with the exception of the bright yellow and pink striped zipper - so cuuuuute on).

And, I am embarrassed to say, I have paid full price for some of their clothes.

Jennifer

Mom to:
Christopher 12/29/89
Adelaide 8/23/04
Bronwyn 11/9/05

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_rosequartz_3m.gif[/img][/url]

firstbaby
04-25-2006, 07:59 AM
Thanks to this board, I probably need to put myself in a 12 step HA program. But since I am not ready to admit I have a problem, I can't start it yet :) Seriously, I started buying HA stuff when DS was 4 months old and started with a few size 70's. He was able to wear them for almost a year. They held up beautifully and lasted much longer than any of his other clothes. I also liked that they didn't have characters on them or logos. When he outgrew that size we moved up the sizes and have been hooked since. They used to have pretty regular 20% off codes so even if something wasn't on sale I was okay with getting it at a discount. Now, the codes are much less frequent but if I love something, I will pay the full price so that it doesn't sell out and because I know they will last. I did just sort through his clothes the other day and almost everything is in perfect condition. So, I think we're in this for the long haul :)

Piglet
04-25-2006, 10:01 AM
I have never bought HA full price, but I do have it shipped to Canada, which costs a bit more than I would like to admit. I buy from them because they calculate the true shipped cost of all my items (including tax, duty, shipping, etc.). Only a handful of stores do this and I am very excited that HA is one of them. I do like bright colours on DS2 and he seems SO comfy in the clothing. My mom sews and was very impressed how well made the clothes were - all the lines were lined up very well at the seams on all the striped clothing I have bought. All in all, I find that they are the first outfits I reach for in the morning and DS2 looks great in them all day. I have washed and washed the bright things and there is no fading whatsoever. If I could only keep a few outfits after DS2 had outgrown his clothing, it would be my HAs.

jess_g
04-25-2006, 10:51 AM
Well I must chime in here as no one has said the one reason I love Hanna Andersson clothes so much. They make comfy cotton clothes for boys beyond size 12 mounths. It was realy hard for me to find clothes that were comfy and not big boy styles when he outgrew all the cute carters type baby clothes but Hanna fit him perfectly. And when I found they had an outlet nerby I had to see them for myself. I love their zippers, long johns, wiggle pants and their fleece jckets. I think they are so comfy for my son, who does not need to wear jeans when he is 2. He has his whole life to wear jeans and cords. At 2 I want him in comfy clothes and Hanna clothes are comfy.

I also must admit that I love their womens clothes which are often half off at the outlets. I have bought several sweaters there recently that I realy love.

Jessica.

vdrake71
04-25-2006, 01:11 PM
My favorite Hanna item is the wiggle pants. They are so comfortable and easy to pull up and down (which is important when you are potty training). They are also nice and soft and easy to walk in when your child is learning to walk(I just can't think of my DS trying to walk in cords or jeans).

I do have a few zippers. I like them on my slim DS. They fit him nice.

I also have bought short sleeve shirts, long sleeve shirts, shorts rompers, onesie, underwear, infant mocs, snowsuit, zippy hat and mittens, and floppy hat. I think that the only thing that I have paid full price is the zippy mittens.

Niki_n_Abby
04-25-2006, 01:41 PM
I love the softness, style, and wear of the clothes. They don't fade or pill and look great forever. However, my favorite thing about Hanna clothes is the sizing. I know that if I buy my dd a piece of Hanna clothing when she is right at the beginning of the height for that size it will fit while being long or roomy and I will get 2 full seasons of wear out of it. If I buy her a fall/winter playdress she will wear it this fall/winter and through the entire next fall/winter as well and it will still fit and look great. I can't do that with any size 2T or 3T or 4T item.

Now, I don't buy everything they make. They are just too expensive for me to just buy shorts and t-shirts. I love their playdress/legging combos as I really can't get something like that from another company. I love thier Zippers and Long Jons. I love the red snowflake dress and dd wore that for 2 Christmas now and I'm sad that she just out grew it. I love their Survivor Jackets.

Niki

shishamo
04-26-2006, 12:16 PM
I love Hannas, esp. their basics.

Underwear is GREAT. My son complained and complained (Gap, Target, Gymboree, Old Navy)that underwear is so itchy until I bought 6 pairs on sale. 3.5 years later, they still look fantastic. He has been wearing the same 6 pairs nothing else (yes we do a lot of laundry). My DD who loves characters pick plain Hanna undies over others.

Playdress is great. nothing fits for that long and it looks adorable on. Same with zippers: they last and they fit for a looong time, like 2 years (size 80 and 90 in particular).

jvs195
04-27-2006, 08:23 AM
Another fan here. I was sucked into the hype, but have been pleasantly surprised. I've only bought one item at full price, mostly sale items and the code last year and some on ebay. LOVE the zippers and all the basics (tshirts, onesies and tnecks especially). They are one of the few companies that make onesies in the larger sizes and the cotton is nice and soft and thick. Also the sizing is such that DS has been able to wear them for much longer than other items. I even think all the tnecks I bought this winter will fit again next. I even bought myself long johns and they are so soft and comfortable. Not very sexy, but great in the winter for sleeping!

KBecks
04-27-2006, 10:49 AM
I think it's just that some people really like the style, quality, etc.

I think the quality is good, but for us, HA is cost-prohibitive, and I don't have time / interest to track down the sales. I think for Hanna Addicts, they probably get decent prices during sales.

I've purhased 2 used HA shirts on Ebay and they're nice. But I don't go out of my way for HA, and some of the styles just don't work for me. DS's pajamas are a mix of Target cheapies and now some Children's Place.

I'm happy with our mix of some consignment store / Ebay finds, Gymboree and TCP. It works for us! And, just with that mix, I spend more than enough on DS's clothes!

Melanie
04-27-2006, 09:33 PM
How very unusual! I can't imagine any of mine looking 'trashed' after just a few weeks. I wonder if it's your water or detergent?

Melanie
04-27-2006, 09:36 PM
>Well I must chime in here as no one has said the one reason I
>love Hanna Andersson clothes so much. They make comfy cotton
>clothes for boys beyond size 12 mounths. It was realy hard
>for me to find clothes that were comfy and not big boy styles
>when he outgrew all the cute carters type baby clothes but
>Hanna fit him perfectly.

That is exactly what drew me to them, and that they fit cloth diapers. Just b/c my son was 18 months didn't mean I wanted him looking like he was about to tee off or go to a Monster Truck Rally.

nitaghei
04-28-2006, 09:37 AM
Well - it's only the Hannas that were trashed; none of the other clothes were affected. Even the Target stuff held up better than Hanna, on average. The LL Bean and Naartjie looks practically new, even though DS wore those much, much more often. So I can't imagine it's either my water or detergent.

Maybe be I just got the lemons? I even had problems with a sun hat fading even though I handwashed in cold and line-dried it. Hanna replaced the hat, so I definitely think the CS is very good. But, at this point, I've had enough bad experiences that I am no longer willing to expend any more effort or $$ into Hanna, especially when there are so many better options for boys, including Bean and MiniBoden in addition to my major standby, Lands End.

Nita
mom to Neel, January 2003
dog mom to a PWD and a cocker (at the Rainbow Bridge)

"Moderation is best in all things." Hesiod

bubbaray
04-28-2006, 01:08 PM
I love their playdresses on DD. More importantly, SHE loves them. The cotton is so soft, the tags aren't scratchy. The fit is generous -- she was in a 90 this winter and I expect will be able to wear the 90's again this coming winter. She doesn't have any other dresses that will last 2 seasons.

I agree with Marina, I have their stuff shipped to me in Canada and love that they (like LE and LL Bean) calculate and charge the duty & taxes up front, as opposed to me having to pay the mailman here in cash.

I also agree that the clothes are very well made. The stripes all match, seams are even and smooth, etc..

While DD has a variety of clothes in her closet, I have been pleased with all the Hanna purchases I've made and recommend the line to other moms.

Melissa

Maya Papaya!
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040411/3/4/1/-8/.png[/img][/url]

bricorssk
04-28-2006, 04:36 PM
Love the quality

soontobemommy
04-29-2006, 09:33 AM
Hi Kim,
What I like is that I think they have really cute clothes for boys that look like "baby" clothes and not "little men" clothes. I want my son to look like a baby and I get frustrated with the lack of cute baby clothes for boys. I see tons of mini button down shirts, pants, etc. but I like him in soft cottens, rompers, one pieces, etc. I LOVE Hanna's wiggle pants and he lived in those winter/spring with a onsie. Also the clothes wear very well and are soft. Additionally, my son can wear them for a long time. He still can fit into some 0-3 (size 50) wiggle pants and he's almost 6 mos old and he's a big boy! (over 16lbs!). I get a lot of mine on ebay and also at the outlet store so don't feel I spend a lot. Plus I get a ton of complements on his clothes too!

Hope this helps! Give it a try, maybe on a sale item or even try ebay!
Lauren