One of the most common questions on instagram/Facebook/Twitter when we share a photo isn’t “what paint color is that?” or “who makes that lamp?” – it’s “where did you get that shirt/dress/skirt?” – and they’re not talking about me (or John)… they’re talking about Clara. Yes, there have been a bunch of requests for a post about how we score deals/save money in the kid clothing department along with where we get her clothes. So whoop, here it is. And thanks to all of those aforementioned instagram photos that we’ve shared, we have a whole bunch of shots to use throughout this rundown.
Admittedly it’s kinda weird to analyze your kid’s clothing in so much detail (she’s two! we just buy things we think are cute and try to save money when we can) but I realized when I was writing this up that we’ve actually learned a decent amount over the last two years of dressing a tiny person. And there are definitely things we wish we had known in the beginning, which would have saved us money and time – so maybe they’ll help someone else out there. So without further ado, the story of Clara’s clothes, as told by our instagram feed…
Most of Clara’s clothing comes from these four places:
- Hand me downs from her sweet cousin Elsa (or the three year old who lives next door)
- Old Navy (usually on the clearance rack or purchased with a coupon)
- Target (always on the clearance rack)
- H&M (they have the cutest stuff, especially summery dresses)
Of course she also occasionally gets things as gifts or we get gift cards to a place like The Gap for our birthdays (and spend the money in their kids department instead of on ourselves). And we’ve also ducked into other stores from time to time, like the Carter’s Outlet near John’s parents’ beach house. But I’d definitely say the majority of her stuff comes from the four sources above. Like the dress in the picture above (from the clearance rack at Target) for example.
It was actually a birthday gift for her from John’s sister Emily, but we love that she knows one of our favorite Clara-clothing spots (I think it was around $6). It’s a size 2T, which should last Clara at least a year (we can add jeggings underneath to carry it into colder temps or to cover things up if it gets shorter as she grows). And it might seem obvious, but we’ve finally realized that dresses are often the most bang for our buck in the clothing department since they’re just one piece (so instead of finding a cheap t-shirt for $4 with cheap shorts for $4, that dress is an entire outfit for $6).
Here is a dress from H&M, which was $12. Initially I thought that was expensive (I’m cheap, so I like things in the single digits – anything over ten makes me flinch, haha) but Clara has worn the heck out of it. Probably at least once a week for the entire summer so far. So by the end of its life I’d guess the cost per wear will probably be around fifty cents. And if we hand it down to a future kiddo it could be even less.
Unlike a Beverly Hills housewife, Clara wears her outfits a whole bunch of times. You might see her petting goats in something one week…
… and playing with Barbies in the same outfit a week or two later.
This is a clearance skirt from The Gap and a white top from Old Navy. I think this outfit total was around $7 ($4 for the skirt and $3 for the top). Basically the top + bottom equation with her is usually: colorful blousey top + basic jeggings/dark jeans OR colorful skirt or pink/yellow jeans + basic top (like this white ruffled tank top). Something sort of classic with something else that’s bright and fun. That way it’s not too boring or too crazy, it’s a little bit of each. And when it comes to trying to “make” outfits from random items that she has in her drawers like a pair of jeggings or a cute t-shirt, I can now make pairings pretty much on autopilot with that general equation. So as weird as it is to have a “Clara clothing formula” it saves us time (and money spent on things that wouldn’t fit in as easily). And she seems to really like her clothes (last night while going to visit her grandparents she said she couldn’t wait to show them her “pretty pretty dress”).
Another great example of that equation would be one of my favorite Clara outfits ever. See how the basic printed t-shirt (featuring a Burger lookalike from the J Crew Outlet) + a girly ruffled soft pink skirt (a hand-me-down from the girl next door) can add up to something playful and sweet at the same time? Especially when paired with a RAD tattoo. Haha.
Another example of this would be one of my favorite shirts (from Old Navy for around $8), which you can see in this picture. It’s blousy and flowy and Clara LOVES it. Everything from the big sleeves with the scalloped trim on the bottom to the colorful flowers float her boat. So we pair it with basic jeggings or jeans most of the time. Just because it’s an easy foolproof outfit. And it keeps me from having to buy more specific bottoms that “match” it (ex: purple pants, orange capris) since we have enough classic items like jeans/jeggings in our drawers that already work with it.
Here’s yet another example of girly/bold/patterned bottoms with something basic on top. This is an outfit I found at the Carter Outlets in Delaware when we stopped there over Memorial Day. I think it was under $10 total for both pieces (total) and Clara has easily worn this at least eight times since then.
When it comes down to numbers, Clara usually has 10-12 “good outfits” in rotation, which is just a number that seems to work well for us since we do laundry once a week and she has some other “messy outfits” that we’ll put her in before doing anything crazy like painting or running around in the mud. So it’s not like she changes clothes three times a day and needs 30 good dresses and pants and tops. I’d say 95% of the time, she wears one outfit all day long. So since 10-12 outfits isn’t really that many, we try not to go for quantity, but for quality. Not by spending a ton of money on the item itself (goodness knows kids get things dirty and grow out of things all the time) but by trying to stay “focused” on things that work well for us (especially Clara) – so she doesn’t end up with dresser stuffed full of mismatched deals with no real pairings or purpose.
We didn’t always follow this technique. When she was smaller we used to go for quantity, so if Old Navy was having a t-shirt sale I’d get three for eight bucks instead of one dress for eight bucks on the sale rack. But as Clara grew we realized that a bunch of clothes that you don’t love (and that you didn’t necessarily buy as an “outfit”) aren’t as easy to use or love as trying to keep your focus and only buying things that you’ll end up reaching for them again and again. One easy question I ask myself before I buy something for her is “will this be something I put in our ‘favorite outfits’ drawer, or will it end up in the middle drawer with a bunch of on-sale mismatched items that she never wears?”
This is a tee we got on clearance from Old Navy with a red skirt from The Gap that Clara got as a gift… wait for it… over a year ago.
So another one of our learned-along-the-way tips would be to ignore the size on the labels when it comes to retiring items of clothing and just go by how they fit. This skirt actually says 12 months in the label, but it still fits her comfortably (and although it’s a little short it has built-in bloomers for toddler modesty, haha). So instead of just stashing it in the tupperware bins in our attic (where we store all of the clothes she has outgrown – more on that here) I’m cool with her wearing it as long as it comfortably fits. We’ve gotten at least one “bonus year” of wear from it already, so I’m psyched. Saves us from buying another one until she truly outgrows it.
Here’s the opposite application of that last tip. If something is too big, you’ll get more wear out of it by figuring out how to get your kiddo into it sooner if at all possible (two summers of use from a dress instead of one = added value). So when I slipped this $8 Target dress onto Clara and it was way too big (the straps were so stretchy the neckline slipped down below her chest), I tried turning it so one of the arm straps went around her neck like a halter. The other strap got tucked into the elastic back of the dress, which doesn’t seem to bother Clara at all, and now she can wear this dress now, and hopefully next year too with her arms where they’re meant to go.
This is another dress from H&M (it was $11). It’s hard to tell from this photo, but it has a pretty eyelet detail on the bottom and it’s a soft blue seersucker material. One thing to notice from the picture is that Clara has a favorite pair of shoes, and it’s her pink Crocs. So those are what she wears 95% of the time.
It has saved us a ton of money to recognize that the girl has a favorite pair of shoes (we used to buy her a bunch of different kinds and she always requested the same ones, to the point that she’d outgrow perfectly pristine shoes without ever wearing them since she favors her Crocs so much). But now we’ve realized that they’re her shoe of choice and we’re ok with pairing them with almost any outfit. Sure, navy shoes might be cuter with this blue dress, but pink crocs send out that “these are the shoes I like” vibe, which we’re cool with.
This dress is from Old Navy. It was $6 on clearance and after stacking additional coupons on top it was $4 at the register. Woot. I always keep Old Navy coupons in a little file folder in my purse (more on that here) so I basically never buy anything there without using a coupon since they pop up in the mail all the time.
In general our theory on dressing Clara is that we want her to be comfortable and cute. We could always spend more, and definitely could spend less, but after two years we think the $6-12 per outfit range is the sweet spot for us. We’ve also finally figured out the stores we like and how things fit her (ex: 3T jeans and PJs at Old Navy fit her like a dream, 2T dresses are better for her from almost everywhere, etc). This is helpful because it saves us money and time (had we invested in three more pairs of 2T pjs without knowing that 3T fits her better, she would have outgrown them faster and we’d be back at the store buying more).
This outfit is all Old Navy. The top was $4 and the jeggings were 2/$7 (so it was $3.50 for this pair). I’d say Clara’s “summer uniform” has been sundresses and the occasional skirt and top, but for the spring, fall, and winter, jeggings and dark denim jeans (along with a few pairs of colorful jeans – in pink & yellow) have been awesome.
And in case you’re wondering, Clara totally goes shopping with us. Her favorite spot ever = the fake family at the front of our Old Navy. She literally runs towards them and says “I see the children and the dog!” and even lifts up the girl’s shirt to look for her belly button.
This is one of my favorite instagram photos ever, and Clara’s wearing a hand-me-down shirt from the girl who lives next door. I thought the checkers on her shirt looked so cute with John’s checked shirt while they were lying in bed, and I’m so glad I grabbed this shot. Makes me melt. And even though you can’t see the rest of this outfit, since Clara’s hair has yet to grow in and she sometimes gets mistaken for a boy, her pink crocs help to add some girl power. Not because we’re weird about gender stuff and covering her in pink, just because we like to throw strangers a bone so they don’t blush profusely after calling her a boy. And Clara actually says “pink and yellow” when you ask her what her favorite colors are. So those definitely get worked in a fair amount when it comes to her clothes.
So that ends our little Clara clothing rundown. I hope our weird analysis of why/what we buy and how many we get/how much we spend somehow helped folks out there who were wondering! What are your favorite kid clothing stores? Do you have any money-saving tips? Or do you have a magic number of “good outfits” that carry you through the week without making you feel overwhelmed (or making your drawers feel overstuffed)?
Psst – I’m obsessed with this beach house. How pretty is it?! Thanks to the sweet reader who suggested the link. I’ve had the page open for days.
Sarah@SBrandesDesigns says
I’m hoping my husband & I are getting ready to start having kids about the time my sister is done, because my niece has soooooo many absolutely adorable clothes I like to eye as potential hand me downs… Don’t want her to get rid of them before we need them ;-)
I’m a sucker for anything miniature, so shopping for kids is probably going to lead to trouble for me…
Chelley Black says
I buy the majority of my kids’ clothes at our local thrift stores. I never thought I’d be the mom to do that, but I find really great stuff for $0.50 – $3. I rarely spend over $3 on a piece unless I just fall head over heels in love with it. As a result, both of my kids have way too many clothes, but the variety is fun!
Tracey says
First off, so sorry if I offended with my Hidden Valley stirrups comment yesterday! I was hoping to get a laugh, but when no LOL came, I felt terrible that I had offended. Sorry if I did! :(
Second off, thank you for posting this! There have been so many times I’ve wanted to ask where Clara’s outfits come from, but thought that might be weird? Glad it’s not! Our top sources are similar to yours: Hand-me-downs, Goodwill, gifts, Target clearance and Kohl’s sales. (I’ve discovered Kohl’s Jumping Beans brand isn’t made super well though. Wop wop.) But I also discovered that when Baby Gap online has a sale/clearance, you can get their stuff for the same price as Target & Kohl’s! I spent $30 at the beginning of summer and got my 2 yr old two pairs of shorts, a t-shirt and two tank tops! Not too shabby and Gap’s quality is fantastic! Now if we only an H&M nearby….
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I totally laughed at that comment! My mom has been in town so it’s hard to keep up with comments as much – so I read them all but can’t write back to everyone as much as I normally do :)
xo,
s
Tricia says
Loved this post. I have two girls–2 and 1, and I’ve definitely learned something about clothes since I started as well. At first, I kind of had the mindset, “Well, it’s really cheap…” but “cheap” clothes wear out faster, and if I didn’t really like it to begin with (just buying it because it didn’t cost much), then I was never excited to put Girl #1 in the outfit. So…I’d pretty much “lost” there. Good thoughts. Thanks for the post! (I also like the idea of the pink crocs. Good for playing, good for dressing up a little, and pink. Yay.)
Lauren says
Enjoying using this coupon this weekend!
http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/info.do?cid=34939&tid=onembt0241&EV=OMULTIBET08232012&DI=59394250&CD=ONC_OAC&redirect=true
YoungHouseLove says
Sweet!
xo,
s
Crystal @ 29 Rue House says
Sorry for leaving all these comments while your Mom is there Sherry but thanks Lauren – I just printed it! It is tax free week in CT on clothing so we’re going shopping this weekend!
YoungHouseLove says
No worries! I love chatting with you guys whenever I can :)
xo
s
Nicole says
Love Target clearance!
I also love The Children’s Place when they have sales. I’ve gotten really great stuff there for just a few bucks. And to make it even better, I get gift cards from Discover points for the store, so it’s nothing out of pocket.
Jessica says
I’m a working mama so I prefer virtual clearance racks to brick and mortar ones. My favorites are Target (love the Red Card free shipping!) and Children’s Place. My “buy price” is usually $3-4 per piece or $5-6 for a dress. My 3 year old loves sundresses (and I second H&M for them) but the awesome SAHM who provides us with childcare takes the kiddos to the playground or for a nature walk almost every day and I can’t bring myself to pair a cute dress with the sneakers she needs to wear for safety. She ends up with 5-7 pairs of basic denim or khaki shorts and a whole slew of cute graphic tees. Keeping it simple cuts down on morning drama – she picks out a shirt and her shorts will pretty all interchangeably match with it. She usually has just a couple sundresses and a couple of skirts to wear on the weekends.
Briel K. says
I always love Clara’s outfits so this is a fun post! My niece just turned six months and I love buying her stuff sometimes but it’s hard not to go overboard. I know she’ll just grow out of it soon!
That beach house is GORGEOUS. *sigh*
Lindsey says
Awww. Clara.. girl after my own heart. I love pink and yellow too (they were even the colors at my wedding) heehee. :)
I don’t have children but I heard one tip from my mom friends, that when the dresses get too tight and short, you can actually cut the top off them, sew some elastic into the dress part and make a “skirt” which will last even longer. I plan to do this when I eventually get around to having children.
Ann says
It’s been a while since I dealt with clothes for toddlers/preschoolers but I do remember a lot. Consignment stores/sales are your friends. I got tons of cute, cheap clothes. For boys, my son was fairly insistent on his personal style by the time he was 2.(And I had to dress the bear in a diaper and a t shirt he picked out). I made sure everything coordinated so I could look at him ;). For my girl, as soon as she could walk, all she would wear was dresses. Leggings saved her knees. Girls play just as rough as boys, but the knees in tights rip out faster than jeans. Leggings made the dresses year round wear. A t shirt or turtleneck under a sun dress gives it more life also. I think the most important thing is to find a color scheme your toddler loves and work with it. Then they can pick out their own clothes daily and you eliminate the daily dressing problems.
Clara is adorable and I love the way you dress her.
Ashley says
Hmm… looks like Barbie needs to get a few tips from Clara on her clothing style. Psst… Barbie, your birthday suit is not counted as an outfit! Lol! We have a 5 year old and we have naked Barbies everywhere! Love your blog by the way! Found you last night while googling home tours since we have a thumb sore of a 1971 house complete with ugly beams, brick and “wood” paneling. Good to know that it is possible to turn into something so us! =)
Jennifer says
I had so much fun dressing my daughter and buying her clothing on the cheap until she got past size 6X. My former bargain staples (the Children’s Place, Target and ON clearance racks) are just no good in larger sizes. In fact MOST girls clothing in larger sizes are awful, IMO.
Now I troll the clearance sales of Lands End and Gymboree and hope that my daughter and I can compromise.
I have found a great Goodwill though and recently bought 8 Hanna Andersson dresses in the next size up for only $20 total and several pairs of mini Boden pants for my son for $3. It gets harder to buy things ahead for my son because he grows quickly and has skipped sizes leaving all my clearance purchases behind.
Once Upon a Child and re-sales are great-especially for smaller sizes and little worn items such as coats and fancy dresses. I find that staple items like jeans are often worn looking.
Stephanie M. says
I have an 18 month old little girl (Heidi) and her style is very similar to Clara’s. :) Our favorites are Old Navy, The Children’s Place, Target and Carter’s. I only buy with at least a 25% off coupon at Old Navy or The Children’s Place. And I usually have a coupon for Carter’s as well and just shop the clearance racks. I love to shop the clearance racks for after-season sales. Heidi already has a stash going for next summer that I bought on the cheap!
I also buy her daycare clothes cheap from Walmart. And I LOVE to shop at Goodwill and consignment sales. You can find name brand clothes for SO cheap. I just scored Heidi a $4 pair of New Balance shoes for daycare and basically her whole winter wardrobe for nothing. I am a chronic overbuyer though. I have an addiction to kid’s clothes…it’s a problem.
P.S. I have to add that the chevron dress on Clara in the first pic is one of my FAVES for Heidi. I ran out and bought it after I saw it on Clara in a photo a while back! Also, Clara inspired me to invest in crocs for Heidi. They are the best for daycare/messy playtime…I just wash them in the tub every night with the kiddo! Super easy. lol.
Kate says
You have to check out Kids Layne. They sell overstock and consignment kids clothing here in Richmond two times a year. I even volunteer to get first dibs.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for all the suggestions guys! Can’t wait to check things out!
xo,
s
Dawn S says
Clara is always so adorably dressed — I adore that Old Navy dress. I wish I could dash over and find one for my “if we ever have a girl” stash… yes, sadly I have one of those. But some girly things were just too adorable to NOT buy. And if we never have one, I’ll pass them to friends who do.
Anyway, I have found that for my 2 boys, Carters is my preferred brand for the first 2ish years. Their clothes are softer and made to withstand the rough and tumble boys put their clothes through every day.
I have found with my 2nd one that I feel like we have too many onesies (my preferred clothing for the first 6 months) simply because he doesn’t spit up as much as his big brother always did, so we go through fewer outfit changes per day and I stay on top of laundry a little easier.
I do love Old Navy for good deals, especially on things that seem more boy-ish and less baby-ish (sweaters, khaki pants once they’re walking, collared shirts) and once they’re around 1 and up. I still dress my 3 year old in many Carters clearance finds though still for the quality of the pieces, especially now that he goes to preschool 2 days a week and needs sturdy clothes for all the activities they do there both for exertion and for mess!
Anyway, you all do a great job keeping Clara ahead of the fashion curve, and she is always quite the charmer! Adorable!
rbc says
It should be noted that buying boys’ clothes is totally different. the clearance rack is about 1/8 the size-at least in Canada. :(
Theresa G says
My girls are 11 months apart and this is what I’ve learned.
A sewing machine is my friend – buying pants or shirts a size or two bigger can easily be hemmed in on the side or shortened up to be made to fit now. Off season clearance is wonderful. This years winter jackets were purchased this spring and are a size 14/16 so hopefully we’ll get two seasons worth. Plus they were $80 jackets with zip out fleece lining jackets on sale for significantly less. I also generally buy two of everything and just try to make sure they are in their respective colors. Or at least a color they like.
Heather @ What Does She Do All Day? says
I love the clearance rack at Old Navy, too! And the Carter’s store. My girl is tall and skinny, so she often is wearing smaller sizes, too. Today she wore a 24 month size skort with a 3T shirt! (She’s just a day younger than Clara.) She outgrows the length in shirts first. And we’re having a hard time keeping her pants up now that she’s potty trained. That cloth diaper butt was really holding those pants up before!! And I love how leggings can turn a too short dress into a tunic!
Alice H says
What are your favorite kid clothing stores?
I like Target or JCPenney’s for my 2.5 year old boy. My older 2 kids (13 yo girl and 11 yo boy) like Target, Abercrombie, Aeropostal, Old Navy, and JCPenney’s.
Do you have any money-saving tips?
My best money-saving tip is to have a parent (in my case, my mom) who LOVES shopping and is really good at finding great deals. I rarely have to buy my kids anything unless I just see something and want to because she buys so much! And she shops clearance like crazy and buys ahead. LOL! I like to get hand-me-downs also. Or go to consignment sales.
My 2.5 year old son has gotten into the habit of wanting to wear the same outfit OVER and OVER again. It is a baseball shirt. LOL!
Clara does always look adorable!
Jen @ This Hollywood Life says
Ever since my son was an infant we have always stocked up on bigger clothes from the clearance rack. We have a Children’s Place Outlet that has crazy sales at the end of each season. So whenever there is a great price, I buy for a stash of clothes in the next two sizes bigger than what he is currently wearing.
It comes in handy since our little almost 3 year old is already in the 100+ percentile for height… literally off the charts. I’ve already started pulling out some 4T items!
Oh, you should also check out Native Shoes. They are similar to Crocs and have adorable styles. They are pretty much all my son will wear now!
Tara G. says
After trying a lot of brands, I found that Hanna Andersson works well for us, and a good portion of the kids’ wardrobes come from there. I buy at the twice a year big sales or from ebay. The clothes look age appropriate for my older daughter. I like that the kids can wear the clothing for 2-3 years, and the quality is great for resale or handing down to my youngest daughter.
Meagan {Green Motherhood} says
Clara and Isla June have very similar closets! I too discovered that the “dress is best” after realizing that she was wearing all of last years dresses at shirts this year! So, if it’s not a dress (for the summer) we’re not buying it.
Most of our clothing is gifts, handmedowns or from consignment. We’re super cheap! ha! TJ Maxx is another great place to find good steals.
Isla June’s new thing is two different shoes. One is almost always a croc and the other one normally squeaks.
Evidence Here….
http://www.thegreenmother.com/2012/07/momma-and-baby-style.html
YoungHouseLove says
Haha so cute! Love all the tips everyone! Such a fun post!
xo,
s
Amanda says
I live in Michigan where we have “Mom 2 Mom” sales and they are a life saver! It’s basically a giant garage sale at a church, school, or community center, but with only baby/kids stuff! Whenever I need something new for my 2-year-old I also shop at Old Navy and Target. Love those stores. :)
Stephanie D. says
I love that this was a post about clothing and yet Barbie is being pulled in a wagon naked as a jay bird ;) Haha.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, oh yes Barbie is always naked around here.
xo,
s
Kari says
Sherry — I’d love to hear your formula for dressing. You seem to stick with a lot of basics but always manage to look so put together and current at the same time! Please share :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh gosh, I’m a hot mess. Skinny jeans + black shirt + giant bold earrings is my method. And a ponytail. A hot mess, I tell ya. Haha.
xo,
s
Smith207 says
As a mom to a quick growing boy we have gone through newborn to 2T sizes in just the first year. He weighed 30lbs at his one year appointment.
Pre baby I had the impression clothes would last a lot longer before he outgrew them. Doctor promises me he will slow down between ages 1 and 2 so hopefully his outfits can last a few months instead of weeks.
My advice is to buy as you need things rather than stocking up in advance on the smaller sizes.
Tania says
I love your blog, but it’s the Clara posts that always really touch me. I am long overdue in writing you a separate more detailed email on this but from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you for sharing Clara’s birth story — in doing so, you raised my awareness of placental abruption and helped me prevent a really bad outcome for me and our beloved baby girl (now a healthy and happy 6 mo old!). I am so hoping that you’ll be doing a book tour that brings you to San Francisco because our little family would love to take yours to an amazing dinner to thank you.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh Tania, that gives me goosebumps. I’m so happy it helped. You’re so sweet and I hope we get to bump into you in San Fran!
xo,
s
Kate says
Great post. I have a girl clothes question…
I like the idea of a dress as a whole outfit, and Clara always looks so darn cute in her dresses. But what do you do if the dress or skirt doesn’t come with little baby spanks to keep that diaper covered? Any good suggestions other than jeggings for warm weather?
I have a 1-year old daughter and love the couple of skirts and dresses that have fitted diaper covers, but keep asking when a dress comes without it, what were they thinking? Growing up a little bit of a tomboy, I am averse to any clothes that she can’t play in or flash some bottom without the diaper being the main feature.
YoungHouseLove says
We actually look for dresses that come with those little covers (a lot at Old Navy and Target do) whenever we can. We have a bunch of them in the drawer (white, teal, green, etc) from various dresses and just grab them. Sometimes we’ll even do tiny white cotton shorts under a dress if they’re all in the wash.
xo,
s
Theresa G says
In my house it’s a rule (even for my soon to be 9 & 10 dds) that shorts or pants depending upon weather go on under any skirts or dresses. They’re still active enough that it saves them from embarrassing situations. Hope this helps, Theresa
Karin says
Why don’t you want that people can see your child’s diaper? Where I live (Europe) no one seems to bother to see some diapers. Is this a cultural thing? I am curious :)
Jessica says
My daughter was skinny so she could wear the diaper covers long after the dresses stopped fitting so I saved all the old the covers. My mom would also keep her eye out for me at consignment and thrift stores and snatched up several extra covers for under $1. After my daughter potty trained, it seemed silly to basically put solid colored underwear over her regular underwear and she flat out refused to wear diaper covers anymore (she was very proud of being done with all things diaper related) so I bought several of those cheap solid colored cotton shorts that they sell at Walmart (Granimals) and Kmart to wear under her dresses, skirts and nightgowns. I got basic colors that she wears frequently like pink, purple and white and we just grab one that somewhat matches her outfit.
Tania says
And back to the original topic of this post, since I do most of my baby shopping online, I find it is really helpful to get on the mailing lists and/or facebook friend the brands you really like — they often announce special sales, promo codes, etc that way first. Also, if there are any local brands you like, look out for sample sales. Here in San Francisco, Tea Collection runs a great one once a year and I just got some stuff from the Rikshaw Design one.
Jennifer says
Great tips! When you have a toddler in daycare, though, it’s a different story. I never want to send him in my favorite outfits because he inevitably stains them with berries or paint. But I still want him to look cute. So he has weekend outfits and weekday outfits.
Does John ever dress Clara? My husband has mostly given up on choosing my son’s outfits. He can’t keep track of what fits, what is daycare-proof, what goes well together, etc.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I’d say John dresses her 50% of the time! It’s a pretty foolproof system since we have a drawer with those 10-12 “favorite outfits” in it, so he just reaches in and goes for it. Haha.
xo,
s
Meena @ LittleDinos says
Clara looks so adorable in the dresses. Thanks for sharing your wonderful tips Sherry!
Krista says
I always loved dresses for my 2 little girls also. I actually think dresses are the best way to potty train girls. Once my girls showed a little interest in training, I just let them go around the house without anything underneath their dresses. They seemed much more clued into their bodies then and they didn’t have anything to remove when the urge struck. Worked great! My oldest daughter refused to wear anything but dresses when she was 2 and 3. I even made her a dress with a full circle skirt because she loved to twirl. It was the only item of clothing I ever made for my kids, but my oldest daughter truly cherished it and wore it once a week for at least a year.
Cara D says
I love Clara’s style. It is similar to my 9 month old’s. We love dresses too and they fit much longer than onsies. We had some 49ers onsies from last season which I actually altered to tshirts for this season. Got to be ready for football season!
Keri says
My daughter is Clara’s age and we have a four-year son as well. We shop a lot of the same places and I refuse to pay full price for anything. Even the Target stuff can be pricey, for what it is. I get great deals at Gap and Gymboree too. Since we live in San Diego I can buy summer stuff at the end of summer, etc. I really wonder who pays full price for kids’ clothes?
Clare says
Clara is such a stylish little girl! I wish my clothes were as cute as hers.
Lilly says
Thank u for this post I have two girls who we never get to buy any clothes for because our family buys them so much and they also get hand me downs but someday our family will get tired of spoiling them and we will have to start buying them clothes ourselves.
Kim says
Wow, clothes are so much more expensive for older kids. We have a 15 yo son who doesn’t care what he wears, so cargo shorts and shirts with funny sayings are relatively cheap and very easy. Our goodwill has the best t-shirts for boys/men, most of them new. Our 12 yo girl has opinions but is very reasonable so I’ve had great luck at goodwill for her, too. I love finding name brand clothing that is nearly new that other teens have grown out of. Actually, I find a lot of nearly new name brand stuff for myself there, too. We live 5 minutes from a high income beach town, so that helps.
Crystal @ 29 Rue House says
Good post Sherry and cute model! That last pic of Clara and John is so sweet. Our little Ruby was wearing 3T last summer at 1.5 years old (she’s not a skinny minnie :). Thankfully, haha, she really only got taller in the last year so she was able to re-wear all last years summer clothes with a few cheaper/clearance finds at Target to add in some variety. She’s also been wearing a sweatshirt (to be like the teachers at school) – she loves that thing and wouldn’t even take it off to go outside to play in 80+ degree weather last week!
By the time we had Archer, we learned that we could get away with a lot less clothes so the little guy (he’s almost one) literally only has one small drawer full of clothes.
katie says
we live in richmond as well, and there are TONS of awesome consignment sales around here in the fall/spring! i usually spend between $1-5 on each item of clothing for my little guy! and family thrift (across from love of jesus) has the best clothes i’ve found while thrifting! really cheap and usually in great shape!
YoungHouseLove says
Love all these tips guys!!
xo,
s
Teresa @ wherelovemeetslife says
Alas, I am not destined to have a little girl to dress from babyhood. lol, this next one is a boy and we are done with this one!
I tend to do the same as you. If you keep everything where it can mix and match it’s a no-brainer picking out clothes. And a bonus is that daddy can pick out clothes too without getting crazy looks from us. We stopped buying shoes as well…I probably have literally 30 pairs that were never worn by my little guy (luckily almost all were given to me in excellent condition). It does get harder when they are older (12 yr old girl in the house), but if you start good habits now, then it’s not as much fight when they are older. We urged her to pick timeless pieces and steer clear of trends as much as possible.
Laura M says
Since I work at Old Navy part-time, I love that she loves the dog. Most kids RUN at the dog when they first come in, so it’s fun to hear that Clara does the exact same :)
lauren says
Love this post. I adore having a little boy but totally struggle with cute outfits that don’t cost a small fortune. We went to old navy for the first time with him today and he went crazy over the family at the front, and especially the fake dog.
stephanie says
Clara is adorable…but let’s talk about you. And I mean this in the nicest way….you have GOT to get out of all the black! Come on and lighten up a bit for John! Your hubby is way too cute and stylish, and it is not 1988 anymore! again, this is all with love….You are way too young and cute to be wearing so much black! and in the summer! on a bike ride!!!
Check out this style blog, Tina is so very knowledgeable, her posts are helpful and informative!!
http://blog.tinaadamsconsulting.com/
good luck sweetie….again, all in love, I promise! I hope the comment crazies don’t come after me!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, thanks Stephanie! I think I just like what I like (I blame six years of living in NYC). I have grown to love my “mom uniform” (black tops, skinny jeans, and bright bold earrings or a big bold purse or shoe – and the occasional colorful top (I even have one with birds on it, haha!). I still don’t know how I nabbed a man like John, but miraculously he likes my weird “style” (if you can even call it that) too. Haha!
xo,
s
Laurie says
What great timing for your post! I am starting to clear out my daughter’s clothes that are too small for her and starting to think about what she needs for fall. I was trying to come up with my own number of outfits for her that will get us through the week and keep me from overbuying! Kid’s clothes are too cute too resist sometimes and it is so much easier to buy for her than to find anything to fit me. I also buy almost exclusively on clearance or second hand because they will grow out of things so fast! Old Navy is great for clearance sales and I cannot wait until Target finally comes to our area (PEI, Canada).
BTW, I had to laugh when I saw the picture of Clara with the Old Navy mannequins. They are my daughter’s favorites as well and she always notices what “her friends” are wearing when we go in and hugs the kids and dog on the way out.
PS. My daughter had the same hair (thin and only grew at the back) until she was about two and a half. Then her hair started to become curly and now a year later, she has long beautiful ringlet curls which she constantly get complimented on. I’m kinda jealous. lol
Annie says
We definitely reuse clothes from season to season. It’s easier to make this work for girls, but her pants from last year are this summer’s “capris.” Her dresses from last spring are this fall’s “tunics.”
The jeggings from The Children’s Place are fantastic–definitely the best we’ve found. We basically get 5-6 pairs to fit her for the year and pair them with her “tunics” and a cardigan, which makes for a very cute toddler outfit, and easy to get dressed in the morning. It’s also practical since she runs around like a banshee and gets hot, so she can strip down a bit if needed. Cardigans = A+ for toddlers.
Michelle DuPuis says
My son always looks for the mannequins’ belly buttons too. Tries to tickle them. :-)
Pamela says
My tips for boys’ clothes: only buy things the color of dirt and invest in the industrial size Oxyclean. Also, if you are buying for boys consider yourself lucky. There is so much less selection that it is harder to overspend. If you happen to be near Chandler AZ, the baby exchange (on Baseline, I think) has the best values and highest quality around.
Christa says
Rock On! little person. Clara I love your tattoo, totally …. the entire outfit is RAD. Makes me want to channel my inner child.
Allyson M says
I bet you’re also in love with that egg chair in the beach house pictures! :) It’s gorgeous!
YoungHouseLove says
Amen!
xo,
s
Elaine says
My favorite clothing tip for girls who are slim are to keep those cute flowing dresses… they turn into shirt after about a year or two of wearing. Also, I do let my daughter wear whatever she wants… who cares if it matches? She loves the way she looks. We should all be so lucky and carefree. Cheers to your blog. I love reading about your sweet family.