I am Aparna, and it is my mission to make comfortable and beautiful clothes for women and girls!

I was just-another-MBA graduate, in (you guessed it right!) just-another-Corporate job when the fashion bug bit me. Over a decade ago, I decided to stop doodling designs on the edges of notebooks and plunged headlong into designing clothes for women!

Colhers, my store for women in Chennai focusses on timeless designs and firmly believes in not going after fashion trends and my clientele has responded to this warmly. Colhers is not a S, M, L, XL brand, it is a you-wear-what-fits-you brand! And this focus on custom made clothes is a big hit!

Even as we stitched our way into women’s hearts in Chennai, my niece was born and no clothes were good enough- if they weren’t made by her Aunt! Soon I started making most of her clothes and then my own daughter’s from end bits of fabric - too small to use for adults, perfect for the tots! What began as a passion project slowly grew into a full blown business when my friends and customers started asking me to make clothes for their kids/ kids they knew.

The Happy Polka brings this collection online, to spread the joy of sustainable fashion for our princesses and super-kids, so we can bundle them in clothes that look great, feel great and are good for the planet too!

How does The Happy Polka embrace sustainable fashion?

If you are reading this, you are either curious about what “sustainable” fashion means or you know a lot about it - and want to see if The Happy Polka measures up to your standards! Either way, read on:

While making clothes for women at Colhers I started wondering if I can do something to give back to the environment. My research led me to linen. More specifically, linen that is locally sourced.

Producing linen uses less water and energy than most other fabrics. Like banana, all parts of the flax plant (from which linen is produced) can be used leaving little waste. Linen is also bio-degradable and recyclable adding nutrients back into the soil even as it grows!

Linen is also best for children’s clothing because it offers unparalleled comfort. The fabric is porous and breathes allowing our girls to play outdoors as much as they want without us worrying that they will get uncomfortable!

 

 

Got a kid with sensitive skin? Linen is also hypo-allergic and non-static, so your kids can use their hands for better things than scratching an itch that is caused by fabric that irritates their skin!

An added plus for the mamas -  Linen is extremely durable.

So make the right fabric choice & let your children play in comfort!

I am always looking to learn about sustainable fabrics - so do drop me a line (or extensive notes!) if you know of any other fabric types that are sustainable. Statutory warning here: Please be assured I will read your mail, but I may not get the time to reply individually.

Comfort & sustainability - one dress at a time!

At The Happy Polka, our intent is not to make you buy more but to buy smart! Our clothes are of the highest quality and finish. So you can buy less, and they will last longer - and with kids this means you can pass them down and around multiple times and the clothes will still look smart and fresh!

 

   

Since the devil is in the detail and we are detail oriented in our effort to be sustainable, we take care of the little things  as well. Our clothes are totally plastic free - no plastic zippers, no plastic buttons. Instead we use handmade buttons made from fabric covered aluminium, shell, coconut shell, wood, etc. Even our labels are made from scrap fabric, saving and reusing bits and ends that otherwise go into landfills or, even worse, our oceans. Whenever our clothes need lining, we use voile cotton. 

 

 

What’s more, every time you buy from us you gift yourself some plants. That’s right, plant our tags and have some beautiful plants for your home garden.

 

 

 More on sustainability

Our clothes are handcrafted - not mass produced. Once you place your order, depending on the size you pick, our artisans will get to work to customise your choice. We pay fair wages to our experts and provide them with a clean and safe working environment.