Polygamist sect launches children's clothes range

They call it the prairie look: big hair, long dresses, and any colour you like, so long as it's pastel. Now the women of a Texas polygamist sect are cashing in on their recent infamy by launching a children's fashion label. The austere clothes, first showcased when inhabitants of the Yearning for Zion ranch flounced up Eldorado's courtroom steps in an attempt to regain custody of 463 of their children, yesterday became available to the public through the organisation's online shop.

Bestsellers in the range, which was inspired by America's 19th-century pioneers, are expected to include a "baby dress with bloomers," denim dungarees, and a modest long-sleeved dress for teenage girls. All are being hand-stitched to traditional standards in a factory set up by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS).

Although some outfits are destined for the fancy-dress market, the church's business model depends on anxious parents buying entire collections to prevent their children from wearing revealing modern clothes. Each of the 35 garments in the range is available in eight colours: pink, lilac, yellow, blue, peach, green, lavender and "aqua".

"This site is dedicated to provide children with clothing that meets FLDS standards for modesty and neatness," reads the sales pitch at www.fldsdress.com. "Our commitment is to offer quality, handmade, modest, affordable clothing. Each piece is made with joy and care."

Prices range from $6 (£3) for a set of child's long-johns to $60 for a "teen princess dress" and nearly $80 for the showpiece garment: the "teen jacket dress". Many are modelled on the site by children who were only recently returned to their parents by the Texas Supreme court, which ruled that they had been improperly taken from the Yearning for Zion ranch by officials investigating allegations of sexual abuse.

"We don't know what to expect on demand, but we have had a flood of interest," Maggie Jessop, an FLDS member, told The Salt Lake Tribune. "Our motive is not to flaunt ourselves or our religion before the world. We have to make a living the same as everyone does."

The enterprise started after Texas Child Protection Services (CPS) ran out of traditional garments for nearly 500 children, who in early April were placed in shelters where they were expected to be held for almost a year.

Followers of the sect are required to wear traditional clothes on the instruction of its founder, Warren Jeffs, who built the Eldorado ranch in 2003, and was jailed for forcing a 14-year-old girl to marry her 19-year-old cousin. However, most children only brought a few changes of clothes into custody. By the end of April some were being told to switch to modern alternatives, as their traditional clothes became worn out. Others reported favourite clothes getting lost in the laundry.

A group of female sect members set up a small factory at the ranch to prevent their children from being forced to wear what they call "gentile" outfits. "We said, 'these are our children and this is the way we've chosen to dress them'," Mrs Jessop added. "When CPS said there was no place to buy those clothes, we said, 'yes there is, you can buy them from us'."

The fledgling business now employs between 10 and 20 women, and provides a financial lifeline to families who have been crippled by legal fees. Many are also facing more costs after their legal counsel advised them to rent apartments, rather than returning to the ranch, until the case is fully resolved.

"They accuse us of [relying] on welfare, but that's untrue," said Mrs Jessop. "We like to be busy and learn to meet our needs – out of ashes growing lilies."

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