Hanna Andersson is a wonderful maker of children's and women's clothing in european sizing. Many folks believe this clothing is Swedish - the founder is Swedish but the company is American and the clothing is primarily made in Peru.

Most Hanna clothing is made of peruvian pima cotton - the softest, strongest cotton you will ever feel in your life. The long johns (pajamas), play dresses, sweats and tees wear like iron, but become softer with each wash. I pass my Hannas down through both girls and can typically still sell them in excellent to very good condition on eBay. Hanna underwear and pajamas are a joy - my children gladly tell me the difference.

To buy Hannas on eBay, you'll need to know sizing, wear, patterns and typical problems.

- SIZING -

Hannas children's clothing is sized by height, which is the best way to measure kid's clothing. Unless your child is very heavy, simply measure the child's height and you'll have your basic measurement if you are buying NWT Hannas:


Take notice that this sizing means your toddler will wear their Hannas longer than American-sized clothing. My children typically went through two American sizes before outgrowing their Hannas - that in itself is a cost savings. Example: my children went through 2T and 3T before outgrowing their 90cm clothing.

- USED SIZING -

Hannas are (for the most part) pure cotton - they shrink. In fact, if you buy NWT Hannas, the tag will tell you that the clothing is very large specifically to allow for shrinkage. Most Hannas will shrink significantly in the washer/dryer the first few times they go through. If you continue to heat-dry them, they will continue to shrink throughout their life but at a MUCH lower pace.

The initial shrinkage is part and parcel of the wear-like-iron property of Hannas - it pulls the cotton fibers together so they wear much better. I typically put them in the dryer three or four times, then try to hang or fluff instead of heat-drying to maintain that desired size.

This means you need to read descriptions carefully when buying used. 'Worn once' clothing will be close to the NWT size, whereas well-loved Hannas will be smaller. Also read carefully if the seller states they don't use the dryer, but line-dry. Those Hannas will never shrink (you may want to shrink them yourself two or three times after you buy).

- WEAR -

Like all cotton fabrics, Hannas fade and pill over time. Fortunately, they are extremely bright to begin with. Unless you have two of the same pattern, most people will never notice a Hanna fade - even those who routinely buy Hanna. The pilling is a bit more troublesome, but a good fuzz shaver will restore even the worst pilled Hanna to like-new.

Hannas are also prone to pin-holes (tiny holes in the fabric) as they get older. My theory is that they wear so strongly, a pinhole is the only kind that can get through. Most pinholes can be mended from the back side of the fabric to little or no visibility. Occasionally I have fixed them with a simple iron-on patch - the striped materials in particular seem to work well with fancy iron-on designs.

- PATTERNS -

Hanna offers a dress called the 'Playdress, Daydress.' I have seen many confused sellers labeling all kinds of Hanna dresses this way, but in Hannas, 'playdress' has a specific meaning. It is a button-top or drop-waist dress, typically striped (more recently dotted or patterned), which has matching striped bottoms and socks. The dress comes in short sleeve (matching capris) and long sleeve (matching leggings) varieties.



Matching cardigans, plain non-striped leggings, tights and even shoes are also available. Usually the dress is striped one way - e.g. green/blue - and the leggings opposite - e.g. blue/green. As an example, the photo is of a short sleeve dress and matching capris under a matching cardigan. Only the skirt of the dress shows - the whole dress is the darker blue with lighter stripes.

Read descriptions carefully to see if you're bidding on just the dress, the dress + bottoms, or the dress + bottoms + socks. Also, if you have a tall, thin child like mine, you may want to buy the bottoms one size larger.

Hanna comes out with new colors each year, and some overlap. Be CAREFUL on this - just because you have a blue/green striped playdress and someone is selling green/blue striped leggings, that does not mean they will match! Look for the seller to have the exact colors listed (bay blue, star blue, etc) or buy complete sets.

Same goes with the Journey's End jackets and ski bibs (which are fabulous beyond belief). New, brightly colored patterns emerge annually and they do not match each other. If you can't get a set, get the jacket and buy a plain colored ski bib from Hanna. These jackets and bibs are made with a wonderful microfiber fabric that wears incredibly well. Only the reflective piping tends to wear. When the seller says it looks like new, believe them!

- PROBLEMS -

It can be difficult to get smoke smells out of Hannas - watch carefully for smoke-free homes. Similarly, if you're allergic, watch for pet-free. While the pets don't wear the clothes, the essential oils do get in there and will cause a reaction.

Also, keep an eye out for knee/elbow fading and staining, particularly in older clothes. Some unscrupulous types will fold the clothes so that these parts don't show.

Overall, Hannas are worry-free buying ... as long as you look for stains, holes and such, you'll have a good buy that will last and last.

If that helps, please vote below!