How to Save Money on Kids Clothes (Without Skimping on Fashion): Part 2

Have you gone shopping yet? Did you sign up for the newsletters and get excited about all the money you can save?! I hope so and now I'm going to tell you how to get the most for your buck without over doing it.

How Much Should You Buy?

Being the fashionista and clothing lover that I am, when I found out I was having a girl I went a little crazy. I could have outfitted 3 girls for a year with the amount of clothes my daughter had in her closet. I was finding such good deals and everything was so cute. Plus, I figured I needed to buy everything in every size because that first year can be tricky. So, how do you know how much to buy?

I broke it down like this: (and to preface, I do have a girl so it is tailored toward the feminine gender)

0-3- Winter

3-6- Spring

6-9- Summer

9-12- Fall

12-18- Winter/Spring

18-24- Summer/Fall

2T- All Year

3T-All Year

4T-All Year

and so on...

Think about what age they will be at what season. The first year is broken down into 3 month increments so about 90 days for each size. Let's say I have 5 dresses, 5 pairs of pants, 5 skirts, 5 rompers, and 10 onesies. Essentially I have about 30 outfits. This is if I can interchange the onesies with each pair of pants and skirts. So probably around 25. In this case, my daughter could wear each outfit about 3 times before she outgrows it. However, at the 0-3 age they will go through 5 outfits a day sometimes, so that needs to be taken into consideration. What makes this scenario work is having different pieces that are interchangeable. Make sure you have some solid pants and some solid tops, but feel free go crazy with some patterns too. This way you can create different outfits with the same pieces. If you think about your child's wardrobe like this before you start shopping it will help you save money in the long run. I had a lot of clothes that my Elliott never wore because she had so many!

How NOT to mix and match! (Dr. Suess Day at her school)

I know what you're thinking. "My kid was in a 6 month when she was 3 months". Some kids stay true to the store brand size, but many just don't. I use cloth diapers, and so my Elliott was always needing a size bigger in pants due to the fluffy butt syndrome. Stay flexible.  When you find a good deal, buy in multiple sizes. My daughter is 17 months right now and still very much in her 12 month clothes, for the most part. I had to grab a couple short sleeve 12 month shirts because all I had were 18 month. Who knew? A couple months ago I was stocking up on 24 month and 2T clothes for next winter. I have no idea if my daughter is going to be any where close to a 2T (and I'm kind of doubting it now) but I'm not worried. Wanna know why? If I don't have the right size clothes I can sell and trade for what I need. 

Staples to Make a Little Girls Wardrobe

• White Onesies and/or T-shirts- these are great to have around for under dresses if it's a little chilly, especially when dad is holding her because we know the dress will inevitably be up under her chin. Also pair with some jeans or a skirt and a cute sweater or hoodie. I also like to applique the onesies if I want a special look or shirt to go with another clothing item. (I will be doing a tutorial soon) You can also dye them on your stove top. Ever looked for that solid pink onesie that is no where to be found? Go to Wal-Mart grab a box of Rit Dye in the Laundry department and call yourself a fashion designer!

• Leg Warmers- Baby Legs are a great brand and so are Zooties, however I like to make my own (Tutorial coming soon!). Put her in a cute onesie and a pair of leg warmers. I personally think they are the cutest thing you can do and super functional! Easy diaper change with only 3 snaps and no taking pants on and off. I still put my daughter in leg warmers all the time with dresses. If it's chilly in the morning or at night they are a perfect accessory to be able to take off and on.

• Pants, Skirts and Shorts- When I'm shopping for these items, the softer and stretchier the fabric the better. I never buy a skirt that doesn't have the panties attached. The skirt will no longer be a skirt but a necklace the rest of the day. My secret to these items is Wal-Mart and Target. They have the best skinny jeans at Wal-Mart in multiple colors and the best part is the pockets on the butt. They are easy to get on and off and they are comfortable. Elliott has a pair of red denim skinny jeans from old navy that we got as a gift. They are adorable but when she wears them I feel bad because she looks like a stiff robot. I got her shorts from Target this year and I wish they made them in my size. The key is cotton, not denim. I also like that the shorts at Target are longer and cover her. I don't approve of short shorts on my 17 month old that don't cover her diaper. Disgusting. The best thing about these pants and shorts is that I got each of them for less than $5 each!

Skinny Jeans from Walmart

• T-shirts- These are everywhere and perfect for the park, a play date, or working in the garden. Get a few with cute designs that will mix and match with pants and shorts.

• Good Shoes- Before Elliott was walking I loved dressing her up in the cutest most impractical shoes, and boy did they finish an outfit. Once she started walking I realized I couldn't pay $1 or $2 for a pair of shoes. Every once in a while I'll find a good deal. I got a pair of Wee Squeak sandals at Once Upon a Child for $4 and a pair of MooShus at another thrift store for $3. These shoes retail for $30-$40, so this was an awesome find! Shoes are not something that I skimp on, but I also won't pay full price. Find a few good pairs that have good soles, stay on your child's feet, and are comfortable for them. 

These were some of my faves when she wasn't walking

• Jackets- I love layering and accessorizing. Every season I will have a couple versatile jackets that can be thrown on for that random cold front or breezy evening. 

Saving on Accessories

Bows can get expensive. Trust me, I know. Not only does my daughter have a bow for every outfit but I also used to design and order the bows for a local children's store in Texas. They can range from $5-$30 depending on the size and detail. Whew! $30 bow? How much is the outfit?! Here are a few tricks to get the accessories you want at a cost that makes sense.

• Make them yourself- Ever heard of Hobby Lobby? Every other week their roles of ribbon go 50% off. Please don't ever pay full price. GirlyThingsBows is my favorite Bow Tutorial site. You can do it, I believe in you.

I made this bow

• Get 'em Cheap- Dollar stores are great places to find cheap bows. Sometimes they are kind of pitiful and sad looking. There's an easy fix. Layer them with each other. Take a smaller bow and either clip it into the bigger bow or hot glue it on. You could even layer 3 bows for an extra special look. Take the cheap $1 bow and spruce it up with some curly ribbons, tulle or jewels. Use the above website for ideas. 

Yep, this bow was $1

• Make them Versatile- It's all about mixing and matching. Buy a medium red bow and a large blue bow and clip them together to go with that red and blue dress. Then take them apart and put the red bow with a green bow for the Christmas romper. Buy a bulk package of nylon headbands off a site like Etsy so you can mix and match bows with headbands. I also like the crochet hats too. 

You can find these hats at Hobby Lobby and online

• Find a Friend to Make them for You- Remember all the trading we talked about? Bring that back into play if you aren't crafty enough to make them yourself. 

Making Clothes Last Through Multiple Seasons

Today I put size 6 month dress on my 17 month old daughter and am calling it a top. That's right, take last seasons dresses and turn them into tops for the next season. Most of the time this isn't a problem. This particular dress happens to be sleeveless so that's nice but even if it was supposed to be long sleeved as a dress it was probably supposed to be 3/4 length as a top;) 

Then there's the age old trick of turning pants into capri's or shorts. A lot of times kids will outgrow the length but not the waist. You can permanently shorten the pants or only temporarily. Lightly tack up the hem and create a cute cuff, use iron on hemming tape for a no sew trick, or cut 'em off, wash 'em and throw them in the dryer for a nice thready cut off look. 

So what are you waiting for? Go find some bargains and let me know how you did! And while you're out, don't pass up the clothes with a little bit of food stain because next I'm going to tell you how to get out those stubborn stains from kids clothes without bleach!

-Ashley