The recent popularity of DNA and ancestry discovery kits indicate that people are looking for new ways to connect with family members from bygone eras. Some families have an object or set of objects that are passed down from generation to generation, like your grandmother’s cameo brooch, your great-aunt’s ornate chestnut armoire, or even a family photo album. These heirloom pieces are physical connections to our ancestors and remind future generations of the familial legacy that brought them there.
With all of the modern technology and the Internet holding all of our memories up in a cloud, some would argue that there’s no further use for heirlooms. At Gooselings, we see the value in preserving the tradition of heirlooms by creating quality products that can be enjoyed forever.
So what makes an heirloom product exactly? It all comes down to 3 distinguishing factors (of which, our toddler duvet has them all).
Quality
There was a time in which all items were made to last using the best materials and craftsmanship. Regrettably, many manufacturing processes now favor cheap materials and cut corners during production to maximize the quantity of product made. This results in items that don’t last one season, let alone a lifetime.
Heirloom products are created with intention and are hand-crafted in facilities that believe in using the finest quality materials. Producing an heirloom product takes time, and focuses on the details and finishing of a product to ensure it can hold up to use. This is why our Baby Duvet is made with high European standards in Portugal and Denmark, using soft and durable sateen-cotton and filled with the world’s fluffiest down.
Meaning
Heirlooms connect past generations to the present and are physical representations of the stories that shape your family’s history. There’s something special about an item that has travelled through time with the intention of it arriving to you—a gift from another generation. Heirlooms help to ensure that the memories of those associated with it continue to live on, and can even answer questions about the history of your family.
While many of us can’t remember details of early childhood, our parents help to tell us stories connected to the things we loved, or that brought us feelings of comfort. These are the items worth passing along to new generations to remind them that even if they haven’t met, love endures.
Timelessness
What makes heirlooms so fascinating is that they literally stand the test of time. There is nothing trendy about an heirloom. In modern society, the trend cycle is constantly churning, meaning trends dissolve as quickly as they’re introduced. This leads to a lot of waste and a lack of connection with our possessions, so we don’t feel the need to pass them on.
Heirlooms are always designed to be resilient, to outlast—and even reject—the trends. If you think about a family heirloom, it’s unique because it’s handed down from older generations to younger generations and has a unique connection to a different time.
So if you’re looking for a new item to begin passing along through the future branches of your family tree, look no further than our entire collection of heirloom baby products designed to be loved for generations to come. Your family has a story to tell, so begin it today.