CHILDREN'S WEAR: DRAWSTRING SAFETY

[Esther]

Hmmm. That is an interesting twist and one good reason for new guidelines. My answers would be similar to the ones given above. Use your best judgment and follow the guidelines to the best of your abilities.

Comfort would be a concern. And some way to make sure the drawstrings don't pull out far enough to hang out on the outside.

[J C Sprowls]

I make karate uniforms for one client. We've scoured the CSPC requirements and finally made our own determination.

On the kid's sizes, we're using a different grade of elastic with a weaker drawstring so it breaks away. We insert it so the ends of the cut elastic are joined to the back seam and is then bartacked 1/2" either side of the CB seam. Then, the loop portion is pulled through to the front of the pant so no more than 6" (3" when halved) hangs to the interior of the pant when relaxed.

Now, we have to do some fidgeting to get this right. On some sizes, the elastic carries a longer amount of drawstring. So, when I cut lengths of elastic, I also have to trim some length off the drawstring before I bundle it in the garments.

The problem is, the drawstring breaks just like we intended it to. We've received complaints about it, though, so we're between a rock and hard place. Customers have told us that if we stop bartacking the CB so they can replace the drawstring with a shoelace, they'd be OK.

We can't win for losing!

[Yahzi Rose]

I agree about the waist drawstrings, especially for boys. After reading the guidelines, I decided to use buttonhole elastic on my woven pants but with knit I use a drawstring on the inside.

[Lisa DOWNTOWN JOEY]

JC...perhaps it would just be easier to replace the drawstring with buttonhole elastic...LOL! Not sure if that would work without seeing the design. But it would do two things...eliminate the drawstring and give sizing flexibility. Just a thought.

Keysha...smart move! I know when I'm looking for pants for my 6 yo son, buttonhole elastic is a major selling point for me. Seems he never fits the waist if he fits the length, so this makes the difference between a pair of pants fitting and not.