Girl Dresses Margaret Nantz runs a kids' western wear shop out of Graham, Texas, population 8,800. Her Instagram has 93,000 followers. Moms from ranching families buy her pajamas with cow prints and cactus patterns for $38 to $52 a set. In May the federal government told her to stop selling them.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission tested the fabric. It burned too fast. Under rules that go back to 1975, children's sleepwear has to self-extinguish if it catches fire from a candle or a match. Nantz's pajamas didn't.
She hasn't pulled them. Her website still has them listed. The company didn't respond to emails. CPSC can't force a recall. What it can do is issue a public warning, which it did on May 15. The agency told parents to throw the pajamas away. Don't donate them. Don't sell them at a yard sale.
"CowKid Clothing has not agreed to recall these pajamas or offer a remedy to consumers," the notice said.
This kind of standoff is unusual. Most companies cooperate. Forever 21 recalled 24,000 pairs of kids' pajamas in March after the same problem came up. La Ligne, a fashion label in New York, pulled 1,185 units of $75 cotton sets in August. The owner said she hadn't realized untreated cotton wouldn't pass.
The rule exists because kids do things adults don't. They lean over birthday candles. They stand too close to space heaters.
The Logic Behind the 1975 Regulation
A three-year-old in Texas made news in the 1970s when his cowboy pajamas caught fire and melted onto his skin. That case helped push Congress to act.
Consumer Product Safety Commission fabric testing determines if sleepwear meets federal flammability standards
Tight-fitting pajamas are exempt. Less air between the fabric and the body means slower burning. So is polyester. But loose cotton has to be treated with chemicals, and some parents don't want that either.
Nantz started her company in 2018. The FAQ page on her site talks about returns and shipping. Nothing about the federal warning.
On Amazon, the recalls keep stacking up. Mallimoda. Umeyda. Zigjoy. A company called Zegoo stopped cooperating with regulators entirely. CPSC put out a notice in June telling people to just throw the nightgowns away because the company wouldn't answer.
"These sellers don't know the rules. They see Carter's selling pajamas and think they can do the same thing."
— Compliance consultant who works with children's apparel importers (requested anonymity because she still has clients selling on Amazon)
One compliance consultant who works with children's apparel importers said the problem is getting worse. She asked not to be named because she still has clients selling on Amazon.
Carter's tests its fabric. A lot of the offshore sellers don't.
Understanding Children's Sleepwear Safety Standards
Tight-Fitting Exempt
Less air between fabric and body means slower burning, making snug pajamas safer without treatment
Polyester Safe
Synthetic polyester fabrics naturally meet flammability requirements without chemical treatment
Cotton Requires Treatment
Loose cotton sleepwear must be treated with flame-retardant chemicals to meet safety standards