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New diapers for trendier tushes

A toddler shows off his new Huggies Little Movers Jeans Diapers during the 'What's Your Denim Style' baby fashion show. The all-new jeans design by Huggies are the new look for summer.

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Kai Ryssdal: There is, believe it or not, a new front in the diaper wars. It used to be all about absorbency, soaking up the mess and keeping things neat and tidy as possible, right? Pretty much everybody in the diaper business has that covered by now, so there's a new angle: Fashion. In diapers. I guess it's never too early to start thinking about how you look, now is it?

Marketplace's Eve Troeh reports.


Huggies commercial: When it's a number two, I look like number one.

Eve Troeh: That's Huggies' ad for its "limited edition" blue jeans diapers, printed to look like real denim. They cost about 40 percent more than regular Huggies. They've been selling out online at Wal-Mart and Target.

Today, Pampers announced its new designer diapers in plaid, stripes and ruffles. They'll be sold exclusively at Target.

Amy Colton: Something kinda quirky and special for your baby, something to talk about with other moms.

Amy Colton is with Current Marketing. She says diapers have always been printed with teddy bears or rainbows, you know, kid stuff.

Colton: And it was really more about them. This is more about mom, to have a little more fun and infuse fashion into their mominess.

She says designer disposables extend the trend of Gucci diaper bags and Burberry strollers. And she says it's no coincidence they're out in time for hot weather, making it fashionable for babies to run around with their pants off.

I'm Eve Troeh for Marketplace.

About the author

Eve Troeh is a reporter on Marketplace’s Sustainability Desk, filing features and breaking stories on how sustainability issues impact business and the economy.
G Sohan's picture
G Sohan - Jul 7, 2010

If you define the great depression as occuring during 1982 and 1983, then you are correct.

Sam Mandke's picture
Sam Mandke - Jul 1, 2010

Wow, in the worst of economic times since the Great Depression, what we really needed are designer diapers. Who needs jobs when you're one year old can go to the bathroom in style?