I would dare to say that some people might describe me as a fashionista. I adore a great outfit, a new style, and little edge, so it's no surprise that my daughter's wardrobe would be the same. Some people are all about the "baby" attire (smocked dresses, Janie and Jack, and Angel Dear type stuff). While beautiful and appreciated, it's not me.
Just to give you a couple examples of my daughter's style:
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| What SHE thinks she should wear! |
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| What her Dad thinks she should wear |
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| What she came home in! |
Occasionally I will splurge on an outfit or definitely let Grandma splurge.
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| (Thanks, Rara!) |
Though I'd love to dress my daughter in Giggle Moon, Mustard Pie or even Gap on a full time basis, our budget just does not allow it. So, how is the majority of my daughter's closet name brand clothes? Here's how I do it!
Know Where and How To Shop
1.
Garage Sales and Thrift Stores
Especially garage sales because you can buy in bulk and make them an offer. Don't be scared, negotiate, you'll love the feeling of accomplishment. Know when the local church's have their garage sales because they sell cheap! Watch your local thrift stores for bag days or big sales. That's right, I don't even pay full price at Goodwill. Back home in Abilene, Texas I knew when the shipments would come in from the metroplex area and when they would have the best selections, as well as sales. There was also one store in particular that had the best selection because they were the truck's first stop. Ask questions like this, call to see when the sales happen.
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| Complete outfit bought second hand |
2.
Big Baby/Children's Sales
In Abilene they had a sale called Dittos, in Oklahoma we have Among Friends. This is a massive baby/children's consignment sale that usually happens semi annually. This kind of sale is a wonderful opportunity to make money and find good buys. You can consign your old items and usually volunteer so that you can get in early to shop before the crowds. At the end of the sale there will be a discount day or two where almost everything goes 25%, 50%, or 75% off. I like to come back for this to grab play clothes and shoes.
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| Mud Pie, $12 |
I happen to live about 10 minutes from an outlet mall with a Gymboree, Osh Kosh B Gosh, Carter's, Children's Place, Gap, and Polo. It's an outlet mall, so there are great deals to be had, but do I ever walk into the store without a 20% off coupon? NEVER! Sign up for the store's newsletters. If you don't want to fill up your inbox with random mail create a separate email just for signing up for store mailings. They are always having a promotion or sale of some sort and most of the time I just show them the coupon in my email on my iPhone. No printing. Now what do I use my 20% off coupon on? End of season sales. I wait until the racks are at least 50% off if not 70% and then I get to use my coupon on top of that. Stock up for the next season on basic items like shorts, t-shirts, play dresses, tights, and hats. I average around $2-$3 an item when I do this at the Children's Place. Target is one of my favorite places. It's as close to Disney Land as I'm going to get. Did you know that they have online coupons and they will text you coupons weekly? I know, music to your ears. Sign up for the texts and emails. Right now there is a coupon for $5 off any $20 Children's Shoe purchase. Not bad if you've had your eye on something. A lot of times there will be a coupon like this for the clothing. Go to the sale rack and buy $20 worth of $3 shirts then get $5 off. Remember to shop for the future, that's what makes this work. Most likely you don't need anything for the current season that's on sale. That's the reason the clothes are on sale, the new stuff is coming in. I promise that the blue t-shirt with the dinosaur will still be in fashion next spring!
Some of my favorite stores to frequent for current sales: all the stores listed above, along with Old Navy, Ross, Marshall's, TJMax, Kohls, Sears, JCPenny, Macy's... among others.
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| Target outfit, 7$ |
4.
Online
Have you heard of
Zulily? I'm addicted. It's a discount website where the deals change daily. SO many brand name clothes and toys for fractions of the price. This is where you're going to spend a little more money but it's for the special occasion outfits or nicer attire. Don't make multiple purchases at once. Purchase everything separately because after your first purchase you get free shipping for the next 24 hours. If you see something cute, post it to your Facebook. If someone purchases an item from Zulily's website after clicking on your link you get a $20 credit! They have great customer service and I've never been underwhelmed. A lot of times I've seen something really cute that I want but I'm not about to pay $80 for an outfit so I Google it. Maybe there's a boutique in Indiana that's having a sale. Amazon is a girl's best friend and how about Ebay? Ebay is a great way to get really nice clothes for half off and to sell your stuff to make money to pay for the new. At least it's a good way to justify it to your hubby;)
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| Mud Pie Skirt, Zulily $5 |
5.
Shop Local
I know I just finished a whole spiel on shopping online, but support your local businesses too! Find some of those cute boutiques and like them on Facebook, and sign up for their newsletters. Most will have sales, specials, and giveaways that you will only find out about through social media or print advertising. I've always found a sale rack that's calling my name at my local stores.
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| Isabella and Chloe, $15 |
Friends have kids with closets and lots of outgrown clothes. These places are a great place to shop! Maybe you could make some trades. Even if you don't have any clothes they might need, maybe you have a garden overflowing with squash and black beans. Or you have a skill they could use like alterations, or even better: your husband or significant other has a skill like changing the oil in a car! How about stocking up their freezer with a couple frozen casseroles? The ideas are endless. This works for toys as well. You could also host a Swap Party. Invite a bunch of friends with kids over for appetizers, finger foods, wine and swapping. Everyone bring a bag (or 5) of kids clothes, shoes, toys that they no longer need/want and swap for stuff you do! All the while enjoying your friends in the process.
Whew! That's a lot of information. Stay tuned for Part 2 to learn how to make clothes last through multiple seasons, what to buy, and how to save on accessories!
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