Let's talk clothes

Andrewsgal

So I am dumbfounded that people day they can outfit a kid for a whole season for $100. How much of each clothing do you have? For babies I am thinking outfits and pajama, for older kids I am talking bottoms (jeans, shorts, skirts), shirts, shoes and extras (pajamas, swimsuits, cold weather gear).

kcisthebombdotcom

I do about $100. I usually have tons of clothes. I get hand me downs from friends, family members that buy the kids clothes as presents, I get some stuff in consignment, do clearance sales at the end of season, use blogs to score sales at stores like old navy/children's place, etc

likeanoldtimemovie

Yeah... I'd like to know this, too. I feel like I drop $100 on just three, mayyyyybe four outfits for each kid. They aren't growing super fast either, and I shop at Old Navy, Gap, Carter's, etc.

But good quality jeans are a must for our 5yo, as well as good tennis shoes/boots that will last longer than three months.

kcisthebombdotcom

for example this summer I had something like 15 dresses, 10 skirts, five shorts, 20 tops and 4 bathing suit for dd. I get lots of clothes.

lexusolsen

amy052006 said:

I feel like I am sort of cheap in outfitting my kids -- basically 30% off sales at gap/ON, big sales at Gymboree and we are done.

But come the hell on -- decent kids shoes alone are like $50.  Stop. Winter coat and gear?

Come on.

Just another reason to live in sunny San Diego.... Except for today. It's 106 today. WTAF?!

I don't spend much because the weather is so moderate that most of the time, they are still weather appropriate. Of course, that wasn't the case when she was growing quickly. But now, I buy t-shirts one size up. The first season she wears it with leggings and the next with shorts. Plus, since her birthday is in June she gets a splurge of clothes at Christmas and another at her birthday and we are good to go. I buy special occasion outfits but normally I budget that as part if the holiday. So I only have to fill out her wardrobe as needed.

kcisthebombdotcom

amy052006 said:

I feel like I am sort of cheap in outfitting my kids -- basically 30% off sales at gap/ON, big sales at Gymboree and we are done.

But come the hell on -- decent kids shoes alone are like $50.  Stop. Winter coat and gear?

Come on.

I got this coat at a yard sale for $2. https://www.carters.com/carters-kid-boy-cold-weather-shop-system-jackets/VC_C214EX24-GRY.html?navid=carters-xsellPDPYMAL winter gear need not be expensive. If your special snowflake has to wear overpriced name brand shoes you can even get those on zulily marked down 40%. Kids clothes need not be expensive.

Andrewsgal

amy052006 said:

I feel like I am sort of cheap in outfitting my kids -- basically 30% off sales at gap/ON, big sales at Gymboree and we are done.

But come the hell on -- decent kids shoes alone are like $50.  Stop. Winter coat and gear?

Come on.

yes I spent $70 a kid alone for back to school shoes.

dizzycooks

I buy snow suits at garage sales, my girls have one pair of shoes typically, currently DD1 has two pairs.  They are bought on clearance or at a garage sale.  I buy basics and use my Kohls coupons/kohls cash.  They have far fewer clothing items that I think it probably typical, but it works.  I found 4 pairs of leggings/2 pairs of pants, a vest, sweater and 2 long sleeve tshirts for $9.  Combined with the dresses (4) and 3 sweaters and 3 pairs of sweatpants I got earlier this summer for $20, that is the majority of DD1s wardrobe.  It's not a lot, but it's enough.  She has 3 pairs of pjs that I got at a garage sale as well.  DD2 wears almost exclusively her sister's old clothes at this point.  I just bought her the first new outfit I've ever bought her.  I figure I'll by her new clothes when she's old enough to care

ConnieRob

I think I'm just cheap

Luckily, we have tons of hand me downs for Will from Jack and our neighbors. He won't need anything for probably another year or two.

Jack wears a uniform to school. His shorts from last year were still in good shape. We bought polos and slacks at Old Navy when they had their back to school sale. $5 polos and $10 slacks, spent $60 total. His jacket from last year still fits too. We did get him new sneakers since his were shot so that was $30 at Famous Footwear. He has casual clothes from the 10 year old next door.

I always, always, always shop sales and use coupons.

dmartin726

I don't get it either. That being said I don't really make a budget for clothes. If I see they need something we go get it, if I see something I like we get it. If there is an occasion coming up, we go shopping. I don't know.. That's how I was raised. Maybe now we are living in a state with seasons we will do more "seasonal" shopping. But I doubt it.

vlagrl29

I have a hard time spending tons of $$ on kids clothes because they outgrow them so fast.  I will get the $10 Kohls coupons in the mail and get DD a shirt and bottom and only spend maybe $4.  That's 1 outfit!  I wait for holidays to shop for her clothes, for example on Labor Day Old Navy had their entire store on sales.  I got a deal on her tennis shoes at $16 (sale plus coupon).  This is the first year I've tracked it and so far only spent $120.  She has plenty of pants and tops already.  Just need to get nightgowns and winter coat and a few more tops.

vlagrl29

I'd say she has about 12 new tops and 10 bottoms.  2 pairs of shoes.  We recently spent $30 on tap and ballet shoes and $20 for 2 leotards.  $5 for 3 pairs of tights.

Keeptruckin

I don't really buy per season. Well, except winter. Friggin Canada lol, she needs a new snowsuit and boots every year. Otherwise, yeah, we are at the mall or target every week. If I really had to guess I would say 300 on back to school clothes, 150 on winter stuff and maybe another 150 through out the year. So maybe 600? She has tons of clothes. But my sister works in fashion, so she buys tons for her too!

jesselayne8

I probably spend $200 a month for both kids. I shop GAP during their 40% off the whole store days but I also buy stuff off zulily. I have a no more than $30/ per outfit rule otherwise I would go nuts. I did consignment sales when my daughter was a baby but toddler/preschool stuff is so worn out. I get no hand me downs for DD but my DS gets some from my nephew. Edit: my kids grow so slow. Their winter coats from last year still fit and all of DD's shoes and pants from last year still fit.

Fallbaby11

I spend around $200 a year. My parents and DH's parents spoil DS with outfits here and there. I don't send him to preschool in nice clothes because he does tons of arts and crafts and gets messy. So he only needs a couple of nicer outfits. I don't understand the need to have 20-30 outfits for each age.  When are they wearing all those clothes?

Andrewsgal

So in conclusion those of you that don't spend a lot get hand me downs.

dmartin726

diapersnwipes said:

I was scratching my head in the other post too. I just spent $85 on fleece pjs at kohls the other day for both kids. I try to keep it around $400 twice a year per kid. I like for the kids to have 2 weeks of clothes before I have to do laundry. That means I shoot for 14 bottoms and 14 tops of some kind. Kohls had $6 bottoms so I racked up. My goal is to never pay more than $10 per item.

That is hysterical because I am the same way.  DD has enough clothes to last 2 + weeks without doing laundry... 

kcisthebombdotcom

CabbageCabbage said:

diapersnwipes said:

I was scratching my head in the other post too. I just spent $85 on fleece pjs at kohls the other day for both kids.

That makes my heart flutter. I buy them used for $1-2 each on a local facebook group.

Right? I don't think I have ever walked in a store and bought my kid a brand new pair of pjs outside of being an excited ftm. Half the time the kids don't even wear pjs. I got dd 20 long sleeved shirts for$15 from a fb group for preschool. They're fine for bedtime.

NicoleWI

I don't get it, either. At all. I think it's easier if you live somewhere warm where you can use most of the same stuff year-round and don't need snow boots, snow pants and jackets. I also buy quality stuff for DD1 in the hopes it can be handed down. I also buy good jackets and winter gear b/c I want the kids to play outside and not just be whiney and cold all the time, and it's COLD here.

It also gets more expensive, obviously, as kids get bigger. I noticed DD1's shoes are all more expensive now that she's out of "toddler." I just got all the kids rain boots (never had them before) and they love them, but that alone was about $90 (3 pairs). DD's tennis shoes were about $40 but should last a long time. After a basic fall start (maybe 5 new pairs of pants each, a sweater, maybe like 5 long sleeved shirts, socks, shoes), I end up buying Christmas outfits at some point, too. And, the afore-mentioned winter jackets, snow pants, boots, hats, and mittens. That is a big expense, too. At least DD2 can wear DD1's old stuff, still. I have no idea how people do all that stuff cheaply.

Andrewsgal

My kids have both skipped sizes so I won't buy ahead. I have never paid full price for anything and still spend way more than $100

mandymack

Just a general observation: most of the replies saying they spend very little are from moms of younger kids and that makes sense because most kids aren't growing into a brand new size every single year until they are older, like around 5-6yrs - at least, that's what I noticed with my older DD - so, of course clothes can carry forward most years, especially dresses because those can be tunics if throw some leggings underneath them when they get too short.

Even my little 3yr Nolan doesn't need an entire brand new wardrobe this fall because pants and long-sleeve t-shirts from last year still fit. Some are stained and need replacing and he had to have new shoes but I definitely spent less - like 75% - on him than I did on Emily this year.

I spent over $400 on 28 pieces of clothing (dresses, leggings, skirts, cardigan, blouses, capri pants, skinny jeans, slip-on shoes) that were 75% discounted on Bodenusa.com and she still needs long-sleeve shirts, sweaters, a coat, rainboots and some fall boots/shoes to get through the school year. I think I spend closer to $1,500 a year on the kids combined.

kcisthebombdotcom

amy052006 said:

diapersnwipes said:

diapersnwipes said:

I was scratching my head in the other post too. I just spent $85 on fleece pjs at kohls the other day for both kids.

That makes my heart flutter. I buy them used for $1-2 each on a local facebook group.

I know I'm going to get my ass handed to me but I just can't do garage sales for clothes. I can't. I wish I had friends to give me hand me downs because I would take them but buying stuff from strangers is too much. And don't try to reason with me because I know it's irrational. I usually try to stay under $10 per item of clothing. It would be nice to pay $1 but I just can't do it.

Who the hell wants to spend there weekend family time doing that for shits and giggles?  Need is one thing.  For fun is another.

It literally takes no time at all if you're a person that scrolls through your news feed. There's groups on fb advertising every fri/sat with pictures of the shit they're selling. If the person is more than 15 minutes away i keep scrolling. I ask what brands they have, the sizes, and price. For five seconds of typing I can tell if its worth my time or not. This month alone I've spent $20 for $200 worth of stuff for maybe an hours worth of work including research and driving to and from. I don't mind working for $180/hr.

Lindsay9911

I guess I know what my UO/FFC will be this week. There is no way I'm spending my weekends digging through garage sales to save a little money on kids clothes. I will shop fb/Instagram resales but I'm still paying $15-30 for $40-60 outfits. I'm not digging through piles of old stuff to pay .50 for a tshirt.

mandymack

amy052006 said:

mandymack said:

Just a general observation: most of the replies saying they spend very little are from moms of younger kids and that makes sense because most kids aren't growing into a brand new size every single year until they are older, like around 5-6yrs - at least, that's what I noticed with my older DD - so, of course clothes can carry forward most years, especially dresses because those can be tunics if throw some leggings underneath them when they get too short.

Even my little 3yr Nolan doesn't need an entire brand new wardrobe this fall because pants and long-sleeve t-shirts from last year still fit. Some are stained and need replacing and he had to have new shoes but I definitely spent less - like 75% - on him than I did on Emily this year.

I spent over $400 on 28 pieces of clothing (dresses, leggings, skirts, cardigan, blouses, capri pants, skinny jeans, slip-on shoes) that were 75% discounted on Bodenusa.com and she still needs long-sleeve shirts, sweaters, a coat, rainboots and some fall boots/shoes to get through the school year. I think I spend closer to $1,500 a year on the kids combined.

Well if you have a special snowflake who must wear Boden 

@amy052006 - shopping for a kid who wears a size 6-7yr is nearly impossible because most of the clothes are total crap in the "girls" sizes 6-12. Seriously, it's ridiculous that no one makes affordable, cute, not-too-short clothes after the 5T size. Trust me, I've been to all the Targets, Old Navys, Kohls, and Gaps this last year.

jensriot

Lots of hand me downs here. I'll also buy from Facebook yard sales for my neighborhood on a rare occasion. I don't mind getting stuff from my neighbors. I get points on an ON card, so I hardly pay for any of our clothes when I combine the rewards with coupons and sales. For example, I just bought two jeans and a sweater for myself and paid $7 OOP. I do buy new shoes though. My oldest is funny, she will get attached to a couple pair and refuse to wear anything else. It's great because she's not asking for all the cool styles...yet.

Andrewsgal

Both of my older kids out grow clothes every year.

kcisthebombdotcom

diapersnwipes said:

I do maybe 1 or 2 consignment sales, I don't have the time or interest In traipsing all around to hit every consignment sale, yard sales, etc. I buy a lot of old navy/gap online when it's an extra 30% off. That's way more convenient to me and worth the money. I bought dd1 a 3 in 1 lands end coat that will last 2 seasons, easy, plus dd2 will wear it. It was last season, 20% off additionally and was still $40. It was $120! There's no way a $30 coat from target or Carter's is as good. And I'm not hunting one down at a sale. So I do spend more than $100, but I'm not spending a fortune either. I haven't had the need to spend $50+ on shoes, either.

I'm starting to hate shoe shopping. A decent pair of tennis shoes/gym shoes is at least $40. I like DD to have at least one pair that fit at all times for when flip flops or boots won't do. I'm fearful of what it will cost me when B gets bigger.

I guess I don't understand why sneakers need to be pricey. For older kids who are in shoes for a while? I get it. My kids outgrow shoes long before they start showing signs of wear. Plus I'm guessing if we are talking about foot development $20 champion sneakers from Payless trump flip flops or boots. Color me confused.

kcisthebombdotcom

There really isn't any benefit to buying expensive for a kids foot though. You're ultimately just paying for a logo. https://www.webmd.com/parenting/guide/buying-shoes-for-toddlers IME pricier shoes have more longevity. When my kids are in shoes for a year, I will have no qualms dropping $70 on nikes but they're growing too quickly to need shoes that will last. I admit my view is colored as four year old is in 1s and has gone through a size in as little as three months so buying expensive shoes seems like throwing money out the window.

notkateanymore

Lindsay9911 said:

I guess I know what my UO/FFC will be this week. There is no way I'm spending my weekends digging through garage sales to save a little money on kids clothes. I will shop fb/Instagram resales but I'm still paying $15-30 for $40-60 outfits. I'm not digging through piles of old stuff to pay .50 for a tshirt.

Ooo we must shop the same FB resale pages.

Well, I know this will shock nobody, but not only do I pay full price, I shop overpriced trunk/home shows for stuff as well. I do buy a lot of FB resale sites and I also sell a lot of there as well, so I'm getting half my money back usually. I have very specific taste in children's clothes, I can't find it for $1. Oh and no no no used shoes ever. EVER.

notkateanymore

Andrewsgal said:

Both of my older kids out grow clothes every year.

See, DD has stuff that she's had since 3rd grade, but it was way more expensive to start with. I just consigned some dresses from JCrew even though they still fit bc all her pictures were taken in them the past couple of years, time for new stuff!

Aussie45

Andrewsgal said:

So in conclusion those of you that don't spend a lot get hand me downs.

Pretty much. DD gets cute clothes from lots people in our lives and I only need a couple of things per season (ex. shoes, jackets, dresses, swimsuits, etc.). When I do buy things, I try to plan ahead and grab stuff on clearance. I saved $80 at Carter's this fall actually and now she has most of her summer stuff minus a dress or two, a swimsuit, and shoes for next summer.

I was going to buy her some shoes this year to plan ahead for next summer and what not. Her feet jumped from a size 4 to a size 6 :-O

orangegoggles

DS is the first born so he probably gets a lot more than he should. I tend to buy GAP/ON or things at Marshalls so they are usually on sale but not super cheap. We tend to go over board on sneakers as well. My excuse is that he is the first born and will likely pass it on to our next child(ren). 

I really don't believe $100. I think ppl are forgetting speciality items and the occasional "just because" when they say that. Also, ppl tend to talk down how much they spend and usually round down. 

mandymack

... I said "most" in my general observation Kids have growth-spurts at different times in life.

For shoes, I get my kids sized and then watch Zulily for sales. We got See Kai Run Mary Janes, Stride Rite tennis shoes, Toms slip-ons, and a pair of Ugg boots more than 50% off store prices for Emily and Nolan got two pairs of Tsukihoski's 60% off the same styles current on Nordstrom.com.

vlagrl29

gwapes said:

Andrewsgal said:

So in conclusion those of you that don't spend a lot get hand me downs.

Or shop sales/clearance racks. I buy t's at ON for like 2-3$ each. I just bought him some cargo pant for like 4. Last summer I found toddler jeans for .97 so I bought a couple in a size bigger.

Yeah, everything I've gotten so far is brand new at the store.  No hand me downs yet.

mandymack

diapersnwipes said:

... I said "most" in my general observation Kids have growth-spurts at different times in life.

For shoes, I get my kids sized and then watch Zulily for sales. We got See Kai Run Mary Janes, Stride Rite tennis shoes, Toms slip-ons, and a pair of Ugg boots more than 50% off store prices for Emily and Nolan got two pairs of Tsukihoski's 60% off the same styles current on Nordstrom.com.

I need to start doing this. I also need to get into my local nordstrom rack. I bet I can get cute kid shoes for cheap.

@diapersnwipes - great idea, we have one nearby and I've never been in there! Zulily can be hit-or-miss but I've honestly never ended up needing shoes and not having a sale pop in on a brand we love. I used to shop Piperlime's 40% back-to-school sale in September but they discontinued their entire Kids shoe line.

Andrewsgal

amy052006 said:

Yeah -- my kid spent his summer at camp, traipsing through mud on nature walks and lord knows what else. He was barely inside. So no, Payless wouldn't cut it.

He wore keens everyday for like four months. That's well worth $55.

Yep my kids both wore their keens all summer (camps, rivers, lakes) Payless is fine for occasional wear like flip flops.

id012

I probably spend $100/$150. But that doesny count all the crap I bought the last year at the end of the season...
For the fall ds is set on what I bought last year at the end of the winter. But that doesnt mean I wont go buying more cute stuff.

NicoleWI

My kids' shoe sizes don't tend to change super fast after age one or so. I notice a DEFINITE huge difference between cheap (Payless) and "name brand" shoes. The cheapies don't breathe as well and fall apart. I like them for something cutesy/special (i.e. sparkle princess flats or something) but not for their basic, everyday shoes. I tend to buy one good pair of sandals for summer plus Nike beach shoes (and then some cheaper others) and one good pair of tennies in fall for each kid (plus a few other options).

I hardly ever pay full price, either. And, to PP who bought the miniboden at 75% off, that was awesome. 28 pieces for $400? That's not bad for good quality clothes with shoes included.  I think the dig about "special snowflake" was unnecessary.

Andrewsgal

NicoleWI said:

My kids' shoe sizes don't tend to change super fast after age one or so. I notice a DEFINITE huge difference between cheap (Payless) and "name brand" shoes. The cheapies don't breathe as well and fall apart. I like them for something cutesy/special (i.e. sparkle princess flats or something) but not for their basic, everyday shoes. I tend to buy one good pair of sandals for summer plus Nike beach shoes (and then some cheaper others) and one good pair of tennies in fall for each kid (plus a few other options).

I hardly ever pay full price, either. And, to PP who bought the miniboden at 75% off, that was awesome. 28 pieces for $400? That's not bad for good quality clothes with shoes included.  I think the dig about "special snowflake" was unnecessary.

you must be new here.

notkateanymore

You are such an asshole @amy052006‌

notkateanymore

I'm trying to imagine what DD would say if I told her I went ahead and bought all her clothes the season before. Ah to have a child who doesn't care...