Ethos is a Greek word used to describe the nature or disposition
of a person to another person. It is an ‘ethical appeal’ which someone uses to
persuade someone else about positive aspects of their character, usually shown
in a charitable way. It is also the perfect name for a business that not only
makes it easy to afford great quality work, it is also a perfect name for one
that creates a product that benefits multiple charitable organizations.
Ethos Babywearing is a Northern Utah based company, created in
2014 by Whitney, a first time mom and savvy business lady. Being fortunate to
have friends who wore their babies, she was already introduced to the
babywearing world before her son arrived. However, she very quickly noticed
that babywearing was not always an entirely accessible nor affordable endeavor,
though it was a much needed one. So she decided to journey into the world of
creating a line of wraps that would meet both of these criteria for all
babywearers; her goal was not to have a million dollar company but to spread
the benefits of babywearing around her locally, statewide, continentally and
globally. Hoping to make a difference in
the world of babywearing, Whitney decided to create affordable, accessible
wraps that would someday become a household name.
Manhattan Sundown and
Manhattan Skyward are also 100% mercerized cotton and both benefit a homeless
shelter for women and children in the Bronx, called Siena House. Created in
1990, Siena House is a temporary residence for homeless single mothers trying
to find work and affordable living. The House works to empower these women
through independence and showing them their self-worth. Babywearing not only
holds a key to the physical aspects of emotional attachment, but it provides
these mothers with the practicality of being hands free to deal with daily
life. It allows them to be self-reliant at a point where they may not quite
feel like they can be, relying on others. Ethos wraps will continue to go a
long way towards continuing to empower these mothers as they move forward in
their lives.
Solace Vesper is both
endearing and heartbreaking all at once. After hearing of the multiple losses
of 2 dear friends, Whitney was inspired to name her newest wrap in honor of the
memory of those lost and for the perseverance of those left behind. “Solace, which we named the wrap's
pattern, means comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness. Vesper, which we named the wrap's colorway,
means evening prayer: a representation of the feverish nighttime pleas into the
darkness. This wrap is dedicated
specially to the mothers who have lost a baby, but there are so many losses
that deprive us of someone to hold. This wrap is for the fathers of those
babies, too. It is for the grandbabies who have lost grandparents, and the
grandparents who have lost grandbabies. Solace for the parent who has lost his
or her partner. Solace for the mother who grieves the loss of the dreamed-of
birth. Solace for the parent who has lost a parent. For the loss of a self that
existed before a new chapter began. For the grievance of the loss of a
relationship that ended. For the parents who grieve a brother or sister: an
aunt or an uncle their babies won't know.” Solace Vesper benefits Now I Lay Me
Down to Sleep, a non-profit organization that provides remembrance photography services
to families who have experienced the loss of a baby.
Cascade, the newest line at Ethos, is an innovative wrap where the benefits will go to an organization that is more widespread than mothers and children. One that hits close to home for the founder, The Mastocytosis Society is a nonprofit organization that promotes the education, research, and advocacy of a rare, debilitating, and almost completely invisible disease. This disease is multi-symptomatic, with side effects ranging from bone pain and widespread inflammation to sleeplessness and exhaustion. Whitney states that cascade means “a process whereby something, typically information and knowledge, is passed on”, and by advocating this worthy cause through the promotion of this new wrap, she and Ethos Babywearing are continuing to do just that.
Ethos’ handwoven line is cotton and banana silk, all handspun in Nepal. As with all handwovens, they going to cost more out of pocket than their budget line. “Our handwovens benefit our artisans' guild in Nepal, which has a charitable mission following the two major earthquakes that rocked the country in early 2015. They have built community toilets and sanitary facilities, community kitchens, temporary and permanent housing, schools, and delivered countless quantities of food and water to stricken areas.” By buying an Ethos handwoven, you not only get the benefits that come with it (cush, softness, the individual artisan’s skill that goes into creating it) but you help to support fair trade, needed community service projects, and the continuation of a timeless tradition that also creates work in an area that has come upon hard times. Maiti Nepal is one such organization in Nepal that can benefit from weaving work; young woman and girls who are rescued from human trafficking can learn a new craft as they try to begin life anew, free from oppression. Whitney saw this need and strives to fill it wherever she can.
** Photos courtesy of Ethos Babywearing website
Ethos Babywearing is a Northern Utah based company, created in
2014 by Whitney, a first time mom and savvy business lady. Being fortunate to
have friends who wore their babies, she was already introduced to the
babywearing world before her son arrived. However, she very quickly noticed
that babywearing was not always an entirely accessible nor affordable endeavor,
though it was a much needed one. So she decided to journey into the world of
creating a line of wraps that would meet both of these criteria for all
babywearers; her goal was not to have a million dollar company but to spread
the benefits of babywearing around her locally, statewide, continentally and
globally. Hoping to make a difference in
the world of babywearing, Whitney decided to create affordable, accessible
wraps that would someday become a household name.
Their all cotton and cotton/BreatheBlend™ machine woven lines are
great all around wraps that can take the workhorse load of daily wearing, yet
at the end of the day have simple wash routines that make them easy to care for
and maintain (BreatheBlend™ is the company’s own blend, one that will vary
slightly depending on the wrap; the BreatheBlend™ used in Cascade Coral is a
cotton/polyester blend, for example). This is a line that I would wrap with in
the parking lot, being unafraid of dragging the tippy tails through the mud
because I know that I can just toss it in the washer later that evening. These
wraps are all incredibly thin in hand, yet surprisingly very comfortable on the
shoulders, not digging in as you would expect from first feel of such a thin
wrap. They are great for both quick ups around the house or long walks through
the neighborhood. Both single layer and multiple layer passes work well and
they can carry newborn to toddler. It’s no wonder that these wraps are ideal
for donating- they can work for everybody!
As for charities, Whitney says that she knew from the birth of the
company that they would give back. “We didn't see a lot of
wrap companies doing it at the time, and we wanted to be different. We chose
the charities after each wrap was designed, seeing what spoke to us about the
design or something that happened during the design phase that inspired the
release.” Each and every wrap of Ethos Babywearing benefits a charitable
organization (with the exception of ‘Lost in Translation’, which the company
does not profit from in any way, but they do donate to local babywearing group
Lending Libraries). Every single one. I know of no other wrap company off-hand where
every wrap benefits part of a community. Many donate some and some donate many,
but no other donates with ALL.
Their first wrap, Dusky Argyle, is 100% cotton and has benefited
the Carrying On Project. The Carrying On Project is a non-profit organization
that matches donated carriers of many types to military families who otherwise
are unable to get a carrier on their own. The goal of this organization is to
help create secure attachments through babywearing when deployments (and
injuries) would otherwise make life very difficult on the service members and
the families left behind. For the caregivers who remain stateside during a
deployment, it can be tough playing the role of mom & dad (whether by the
other parent, grandparent, guardian, etc.) and children can feel easily
‘abandoned’ by the parent(s) who have had to go. Being able to carry them close
helps both caregiver and child feel attached and safe. Babywearing can become
the eye of the storm that disrupts their daily lives.
Cascade, the newest line at Ethos, is an innovative wrap where the benefits will go to an organization that is more widespread than mothers and children. One that hits close to home for the founder, The Mastocytosis Society is a nonprofit organization that promotes the education, research, and advocacy of a rare, debilitating, and almost completely invisible disease. This disease is multi-symptomatic, with side effects ranging from bone pain and widespread inflammation to sleeplessness and exhaustion. Whitney states that cascade means “a process whereby something, typically information and knowledge, is passed on”, and by advocating this worthy cause through the promotion of this new wrap, she and Ethos Babywearing are continuing to do just that.
Ethos’ handwoven line is cotton and banana silk, all handspun in Nepal. As with all handwovens, they going to cost more out of pocket than their budget line. “Our handwovens benefit our artisans' guild in Nepal, which has a charitable mission following the two major earthquakes that rocked the country in early 2015. They have built community toilets and sanitary facilities, community kitchens, temporary and permanent housing, schools, and delivered countless quantities of food and water to stricken areas.” By buying an Ethos handwoven, you not only get the benefits that come with it (cush, softness, the individual artisan’s skill that goes into creating it) but you help to support fair trade, needed community service projects, and the continuation of a timeless tradition that also creates work in an area that has come upon hard times. Maiti Nepal is one such organization in Nepal that can benefit from weaving work; young woman and girls who are rescued from human trafficking can learn a new craft as they try to begin life anew, free from oppression. Whitney saw this need and strives to fill it wherever she can.
| Overall, Ethos
Babywearing is a phenomenal wrap company with values that go far beyond
beauty and profit. They have created beautiful wraps, yes, but they are
helping to create a more beautiful world through kindness and fairness, and
are paving the way for other entrepreneurs in the babywearing world to hold
themselves to a higher standard of accountability and affordability for the
everyday caregiver. |
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