Hanna Andersson Online Store: Happy Hanna Days!
Written: Dec 16 '04 (Updated Dec 16 '04)
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When my daughter was about a year and a half old, I won an auction on eBay for a Hanna Andersson snowsuit. According to the seller, that particular snowsuit had been worn by her two children before it was added to my daughter's wardrobe. Granted, a snowsuit generally doesn't see a lot of heavy wear but after seeing and feeling its quality, I immediately went online to order a Hanna Andersson catalog.
Merchandise
Hanna Andersson specializes in incredibly high quality "European styled" children's clothing. They also offer some items for men and women, even some maternity wear. What I love about Hanna Andersson is the durability of the clothing, the bright colors and eye catching prints and the softness of the various fabrics.
Over the past two years, my fabulous mother-in-law and I have purchased over one hundred different articles of clothing for my daughter. She wears her Hannas to school where they don't use washable paints (something that puzzles me since washable costs the same and my daughter's teachers all have kids of their own and should know better). She wears her Hannas on the playground where she grinds in dirt and grass. She wears her Hannas to dinner where they've been coated with pizza or juice or whatever she decided to eat/wear. She also wears her Hannas for dress up when we go to baby naming ceremonies or for professional portraits or engagement parties.
Quality
With over 100 Hannas during this time period, I can say that I have only had two problems. One involved non-washable paint and it was my own fault that the bright yellow and orange splotches didn't wash out of her pink and white striped "It's A Playdress, It's A Daydress". I didn't pre-treat the stain with Shout and I also didn't wash it the same day since we had guests for the weekend. You can't let stains sit for three days! Other than that, none of my daughter's Hannas have stained. The other problem was with another "It's A Playdress, It's A Daydress" where there was a pinhole in the skirt of the dress before it was worn or washed. I called customer service just to let them know and they were willing to readily refund the purchase price.
Customer Service
Customer service overall is excellent. My fabulous mother-in-law buys most of my daughter's Hannas but to be honest, we have different taste much of the time in clothing. She loves buying dresses but my daughter really needs pull-on slacks and easy to wear tops to wear to school every day. I've returned many items without any trouble at all. Since I normally buy on clearance, I usually go online to get information about the clothing I'd like to purchase as replacements and then call the company directly to make the exchange. That's only because the exchange is complicated with different credit cards involved. Shipping charges have always been waived on my replacement merchandise.
Shipping
Shipping is somewhat reasonable starting at $5 for a package that costs less than $25 to $17 for over $301 in merchandise. Regular delivery ordinarily takes about a week. Gift wrap is available for an extra $5. The current box has a red bottom and white top but we once received a bright yellow box. The box is tied with a red grosgrain ribbon and is very nice.
Sizing
I love the European sizing that Hanna Andersson uses. Most companies label clothing by age. Right now, my daughter has clothing in her closet ranging from 3T to 6X. Sizes varies from manufacturer to manufacturer so it's very difficult to buy unless you're sure familiar with the brand. Hanna Andersson sizes in centimeters determined by height. What's even better is that each size has a range of 4 inches. My daughter is currently wearing size 100 Hannas. That corresponds to a child 38-42 inches tall. Most U.S. sizes have a range of 1-2 inches, depending on the manufacturer. With Hannas, my daughter doesn't only get one season's wear out of an item of clothing, but multiple years worth. For example, we purchased a plush winter coat for her two winters ago in size 100. She was wearing size 90 then but was almost at the top of the size range. She wore that coat the entire winter and again last winter. Right now, she's in year number three with the same winter coat. I find that absolutely astonishing! While there's a very slight possibility she could wear it again next winter, I've already purchased a replacement coat in size 110 to put away. There's no need to purchase up a size to give your child growing room. The only reason to purchase up is if you are planning to put the clothing away for the future.
Style
I also love the bright colors and patterns that Hanna Andersson is known for. Clothing comes in bright colors such as Pumpkin, Violet and India Red. The patterns are eye catching. If you're familiar with the manufacturer, you can tell a Hanna at a glance on the street.
Not only is the clothing colorful, but it's comfortable as well. I've never felt a shirt as soft as my daughter's "The Power of a Great Tee" t-shirts. The tags aren't scratchy and the shirts get softer with each wash, yet don't pill or fade.
Price
Yes, Hanna Andersson has expensive merchandise. A children's coat is $82. An average dress is $42. Tights are $18. Pajamas cost $36. That's a heck of a lot of money for children's clothes. But, when you figure out that your child will wear the clothes for more than one year and these are clothes that can be handed down from child to child and still look brand new, it's not so bad. Even the tights can be handed down from child to child! You can even make some of the money back on eBay or through a consignment sale. I've seen Hannas go on eBay for more than they cost directly from the company.
There is a way to save some money on brand new Hannas and that is to sign up for their e-mail newsletters which alert you to sales on their website. Markdowns can be more than 50% and I always wait for the sales to buy for my daughter. There's always a markdown right before Christmas so it's not too late to get some Hannas for the special little one in your life.
Website
Overall, the website is simple to navigate. I especially like the ability to search sale merchandise by size availability. This way, I'm not disappointed to see that the awesome pajamas I'm coveting are only available in sizes 80 and 150, instead of the 110 I wanted to buy. I like being able to bring up more detailed photos of the clothing.
Conclusion
Hanna Andersson is a reputable company that I highly recommend. They sell quality merchandise that is expensive, but fairly priced. I dress my child in Hannas. I even wear some Hannas myself. Do you?
www.hannaandersson.com
1-800-222-0544
Recommended:
Yes
What product did you purchase or try to purchase? too many pieces of clothing to list!
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About the Author
Location: Virginia
Reviews written: 732
Trusted by: 179 members
About Me: How's that hopey changey thing working out for you?
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