So confused about 2T and 3T

Dancer6978

*In theory* (because I know every child is different), is 2T supposed to be for children between ages two and three, or is 2T supposed to be the upper limit of 24-ish months

 

And same for 3T: Is it for children between ages two and three, or is it for children between ages three and four? 

 

The reason I ask is because I'm trying to buy end-of-season clothes in larger sizes but am not sure if I'm buying the correct size for the future seasons, if that makes sense. My son is quite true to size in Baby Gap and Old Navy.

StatlerWaldorf

I think 2T is supposed to be for 2 year olds and 3T for 3 year olds.  DD has been in 3T since 2.5, but she is also big for her age.  Last winter she was in 2T.

PrincessFiona9

Well I have found that 2T seems to fit LO's who are just over 2 years old. DD is in the 70's-80's for % so she has pretty much outgrown 2T already. It's mostly just the length...her tshirts are turning into belly shirts and she looks like she's getting ready for a flood :P

Dancer6978

Thank you.  My son is on the small-average side (26 months-36 inches-26 lbs), so I should assume that he'll be a 2T until he's about three, huh?

Abinormal

Well... I feel that a child would wear 2T clothing from the time they're 2 until they're 3. However, all kids are different and some don't always fit into specific clothing sizes just because of their age.

I will tell you this... my daughter has always been in the 10-25th percentile for both height and weight. She's always been able to fit into sizes at some point during the recommended age. For example, she wore newborn clothes until she was almost 10 weeks old, but she did manage to make it into 0-3 month clothes before she was 3 months old and she continued to follow the pattern of making it into the next size about halfway through the months of the size.

Anyway, she's currently in a size 24 month/2 T in tops and wearing a combination of 18 and 24 month bottoms. So.. for this summer, I'm buying 2T/3T in tops (depending on the size/length) and 24month/2T in bottoms. For next winter, I'm buying 3T/4T tops (again, depending on size/length) and the only bottoms I'm planning on buying are 3T leggings, since I'm beginning to think she may not be in 3T actual pants by next winter.

Abinormal

Dancer6978:

Thank you.  My son is on the small-average side (26 months-36 inches-26 lbs), so I should assume that he'll be a 2T until he's about three, huh?

My daughter is only 33 inches, but she has a long torso and short legs, so I'm 99% positive that she'll be in 24 month/2T bottoms until she's at least 3, if not a bit older. Children grow, on average, 3 inches between their 2nd and 3rd birthday, so if your son is currently 36 inches, that's actually at the top of the normal length for 2T clothing. If he seems to still have some length left in his current pants, then I'd say your probably good to go with 3T for next winter.

PrincessShay80

For me it's really hard to buy stuff more than one season ahead- I cannot even fathom trying to buy stuff for next fall and winter- I have given up on trying to figure out kids clothes and the sizes. For spring I have been buying 2T tops- we need them for length, and 18-24 month bottoms- DD is tiny- she's barely 26 lbs at 25 months and on the short side. And every brand is different- Gap stuff I have to buy 3T tops and 2T dresses, but in Carters 2T dresses are way to big.

Normall I would think 2T is worn when they are 2 and then 3T is when they are moving up and closer to 3.

MamatoA2010

I was under the assumption that 2T is for a 2 year old and 3T for a 3 year old. But my DD is 22 lbs at 2 years old and about 34 inches tall. She's tiny and is currently wearing 18 month clothes. I am thinking that next summer when she's 2.5 she will move into the 2T size. HTH!

ryry1977

For most kids I know 2T is for a child once they turn 2 years old.  Three T for a 3 year old and so forth.  My DS is very on target for this sizing and stays with the sizes according to age.  He is a tad small though and goes into the size a month or so after the age.  So I am buying 3T for his 3 year old year and 4T for his 4th and so on.

mrsolsenk12

When my son turned 2, he was wearing 2T on top and 18 month on the bottom. At 2.5, he had moved to 3T on top ad 24 month/2T on tge bittom. He is long torsoed and short legged. I have 3T tops and bottoms for spring/summer  and a few 4T shirts just in case. He is 60th percentile for height and 65th for weight.

Amy&Andy

My kid is about to turn 2 in Feb. He's a little bigger than the average 2 year old (75% for weight), but I'm buying 3T stuff for summer. He's wearing 3T in ON shirts right now. But I find ON clothes to be smaller. GAP 2T is big on him. He still wears the 18-24 month toddler size at the GAP. I'm not buying for next winter though, unless I find stuff for like $1, cause I have no idea how much he's going to slow down or speed up. I thought that all the 2T winter stuff would be big on him this winter, but he's growing out of a lot of it already.

CMDR513

DS just turned 3.

 His pants are 2T/3T and shirts are 3T/4T. 

llc730

I always buy DD's clothes a season or two ahead and have not been burned....yet. She has consistently been around 80-90% in ht and wt. Just an FYI based on my experience. Old Navy and Oshkosh tend to run small (DD got a 2T outfit for Christmas that does not fit her). Gymboree tends to be somewhere in the middle and Carters runs big.

Dancer6978

fredalina:

Mine is cursed and always outgrows clothes mid-season lol,  

 

We are always in the same boat!  His birthday is in November (so he's 26 months now), but he's at the point in his 24-month pants from Old Navy/Gap where he is starting to push it on the belly.  Ha, ha!  I really didn't want to have to buy him all new pants for a few months.  Oh, well! 

Dancer6978

ryry1977:

My DS is very on target for this sizing and stays with the sizes according to age.  He is a tad small though and goes into the size a month or so after the age.  So I am buying 3T for his 3 year old year and 4T for his 4th and so on.

 

Oh, so good to hear!  That sounds similar to my son: outgrowing the size a few months after his birthday.  If that is the case, he should be gtg with a 3T for this time next year (*hopefully*).

MaxandRuby

Dancer6978:

*In theory* (because I know every child is different), is 2T supposed to be for children between ages two and three, or is 2T supposed to be the upper limit of 24-ish months

 

And same for 3T: Is it for children between ages two and three, or is it for children between ages three and four? 

 

The reason I ask is because I'm trying to buy end-of-season clothes in larger sizes but am not sure if I'm buying the correct size for the future seasons, if that makes sense. My son is quite true to size in Baby Gap and Old Navy.

I consider 2T more for 2yr olds and 3T for 3yr olds but it completely depends on your child and their growth pattern. If you are trying to buy winter clothes for NEXT winter, then really your guess is as good as mine as to whether or not they will fit into them at that point. 

My 27mos old (26lb, 34" - measurements as of last week) mainly wears 18mos clothes (shirts and pants). Most 24mos/2T bottoms are good for length but suck for waist. 24mos/2T shirts are just a bit too big. I expect him to be wearing 24mos/2T and MAYBE some smaller size 3T next winter but I've been getting 2 seasonal wearings out of his clothes (he wore 18mos last winter and this winter). Shoot - he was wearing 12mos size bottoms this past summer (agewise he was between 18-24mos).

Really, trying to buy clothes in advance is a complete crap shoot. You may win on some choices but not on others. If I do buy clothes in advance, I don't buy much.

ETA: DS1 (will be 4 in May) is BARELY fitting in 3T stuff right now. So you see, it really just depends on your kid. He was wearing 18mos bottoms this past summer. That is right...a 3yr old was wearing 18mos shorts because 24mos shorts were too damn big on his waist.