I am, in all things, cheap. But when it comes to kids' clothes, I'm even more so. I don't generally care about brands, especially for kids, and I know Lou's going to trash anything I put on her. Anything that's not trashed she's going to promptly outgrow. Plus - and this is important - kids are cute. They can rock almost any hideous shroud you foist on them, so it doesn't have to be a designer dud.
So I have some pretty low price points in mind for most of Lou's clothes - the every day stuff that's not too special. For that, I try not to spend more than $8 for any one piece. For shoes, I'll spend more, but I really work hard to go as cheaply as possible. I also spend more on special stuff, by which I don't necessarily mean holiday dresses, but more along the lines of artisan stuff or things I think are special enough and will get enough to wear to warrant a higher price tag. Still with me? I'll break it down for ya!
Dressed cheaply, and sharply, to boot. Thrift store jacket (Unique in Silver Spring, MD) (from Osh Kosh) $3. Winter Water Company shirt $10. Goodwill skirt (I think Target) $1.50. Salt Water sandals from local shoe store, bought last summer for about $17.
1. Thrift, thrift, thrift. I can't stress this enough. Yes, thrifting for kids' clothes requires the same willingness to wade through other peoples' used stuff as thrifting for anything else does, but the rewards are potentially better. Because kids do outgrow things quickly, you can find stuff in amazing condition, and kids clothes tend to be priced really reasonably. On the first day of school (above), Lou wore a thrifted (and outgrown, but really cute when the sleeves are rolled up!) jean jacket for maybe $4 a couple years ago, and a thrifted skirt for about $1.50 last month. Here's something to remember: even thrift stores have sales. Often, different colored tags are on sale throughout the week, and if you give your email address to the shop, they'll let you know of other promotions. Best sale so far was on National Thrift Store Day (yes, that's a THING) in August, which Goodwill commemorated with 50% off almost the entire store. Lou and I bought her fall/winter wardrobe and a cool firefighter's jacket on that day.
The tee shirt she's wearing above is not thrifted: It's from the Winter Water Company, which makes lovely screen-printed designs. I got it for $10, which for me, for a kid's tee shirt, is pricey - and I believe it started out at $25. No joke. But, the company is Brooklyn-based, the stuff is all organic, and the designs are unique and beautiful. So it's a great example of a good splurge. But it's also a good example of tip number 2: Buy Ahead.
2. Buy ahead. Buying ahead - or stocking up on clearance goods at the end of the season and saving them for the next year -is tricky for kids, because you don't have a Magic Eight Ball to see just how much they're going to grow between seasons. You probably have a decent idea, though, and it's always better to err on the side of too big. So the Winter Water Company tee above was only $10 because it was in a summer clearance bin, and I bought it in a size Lou is almost certain to still fit next spring/summer. Those shoes - Salt Waters - are the same deal. You practically have to have them in Brooklyn, or they take away your parenting card, but I was already sold by how well they hold up. I've seen used ones at stoop sales and the like, and these are much sturdier than any cheap sandal I've ever bought (which would never make it to a second kid). And cuter. I got mine after scouting end-of-season sales last summer. It was a bit of a gamble, but I estimated what shoe size she'd wear this summer. And well, nailed it. I think I paid $17 - but I honestly don't remember. Certainly less than the $40 retail they can go for around here. But if you're interested, check out Amazon - some models are pretty well-priced right now. Between my mom, mother-in-law and I taking advantage of end-of-season stuff, Lou is set til pretty much next September. Any grandparents reading: really :).
Super clearance Baby Gap Dress, $9, Goodwill vest (from Zara kids) $3, Yard Sale White Sneaks (from Stride Rite) $2. Expensive boutique socks (Area Kids in Brooklyn) $6. Worth it.
3. Shop Super Clearance. Relatedly, know just when your goods are as cheap as they're likely to get. (Of course, if you spy one of something in the size you want on the sale rack, better to snag it than wait for a couple more bucks off). But in general, I find that when you see an extra 20/30/40/sometimes more additional off of sale prices, you have a good indicator that you're at the cheapest point. We recently wandered into Kmart in Manhattan, no idea why, and they were having an extra 70% off already reduced sale stuff. We bought Lou next year's bathing suits (Including matching sun protectant shirts) for about $3 each. Plus cartwheel shorts (what they're calling bike shorts these days, and fairly indispensable for a young one in a skirt) for $1.50 each. But in general, I find the extra 50% off sale sales are best at more upscale stores -- Baby Gap and Macy's are two really, really fun places to hit a serious sale.
For discount stores like Marshall's and TJ Maxx, the final-clearance goods have yellow tags. If it has a red tag, that means it will be marked down further. There are reams of info about Target clearance tags on the interwebs, but in general, it'll go from 30% to 50% to 70% off. Only really seasonal items will tend to make the 90% markdown - maybe swim shoes and the like.
4. Shop regular sales for basics. While I'll often disregard pre- and mid-season promotions in favor of waiting for bigger savings, my exception to that is for real basics. Things like leggings and plain tee shirts and undies and socks. Clearance is the dregs, after all, and it's unlikely plain white tees will last 'til then. My go-to for that sort of stuff is Old Navy, with some Target thrown in. Old Navy has a sale basically every day - I know this because they gave me $5 to sign up for texts, so now they routinely make me think I have a friend when it's just them with some new 15% of something. Anyway. I would never pay full price for anything at Old Navy. It's going to be promoted. Just sign up for texts or ask your sales clerk when that will be. Also, this year, I saw some pretty decent pre-season sales at Target: 30% off everything in the kids' department in August, which is a good deal for having the pick of the store.
5. Be a loyal customer. I would be a tiny bit on the fence about this, what with the data sharing and all, except it works. I have a TJ Maxx/Marshall's card, so I get reward points for purchases that convert to cash to use in the store. My mother-in-law is a Carter's loyalty member, so she gets sick coupons to stack on top of promotions, often with amazing results. Even thrift stores are in on the game: Goodwill in New Jersey, New York and PA all also have loyalty programs, so I get $10 back for every $100 I spend. And recently/embarrassingly, got an extra 25% off for being one of Goodwill's best customers. I also use Target's Cartwheel app, though I find that it rarely offers savings I think are fantastic. Still, it's worth it to sign up, especially if you're looking for something specific. Often, you can get some percentage off an entire line or department there.
Super Cheap Kids' Clothes. The Bandaids are her own statement. She treats them a little like temporary tattoos.
6. Consign. So, consignment is when you take your stuff to a store that sells it for you and takes a cut. Usually, the cut depends on whether you take cash or a store credit, with the latter being higher. I find consignment stores, and consigning my stuff, to be a total pain, but I do it anyway. To consign clothes, the clothes have to be in good condition. And each place will have its own rules - the shop near me only takes "Baby Gap and up," brand-wise, whatever that means. What it means, actually, is a lot of upset parents (mothers) who've taken the time to clean and prep their clothes for selling, only to be told that what was good enough for their kids' stuff isn't good enough for these snobs. So call in advance. Find out with as much specificity as you can what season they're looking for, which brands, and what they definitely won't take. Then, take the store credit. It's usually a much better deal than cash - 50% of resale price rather than, say, 30%, so it's almost an even exchange on buying the stuff in the store.
As I say, our consignment store is pretty hoity toity, but that can be a good thing - it means that I know to go there if I'm looking for something special and/or specific. We recently trouped over there for fall/winter boots for Lou, and though the prices of the goods still seemed pretty high to me, by the time you factored in the credit I had stored away from consigning our stuff, it wasn't so bad. The orange boots she's wearing in the picture above were $30, but I paid $15. I can't lie - I was just about to write how that's still a tad expensive, for me, but I looked up the brand: It's called Il Gufo, and it's Italian luxury for kids. I weirdly can't find actual prices for their shoes, but their kids' shirts run in the neighborhood of 150. DOLLARS. So let's assume I got a pretty good deal there (and that Il Gilo is Baby Gap +).
7. Hand-me-downs & Swaps. I think this may sound obvious, but I don't know how many people actually set up a good clothes sharing network. My sister-in-law is really great about keeping all her kids' stuff, and passing it along to us and to everyone else who could use or want it. Though we've phased that back a bit as Lou gets older and her personality and preferences emerge (she pretty much picks this stuff out - I have to drag her out of the store at this point), we've done it a little less. Still, it was/is a lifesaver in terms of filling out a closet for just a little money (Also, my nieces are twins, so I especially in the early years when you need to have a change of clothes with you at all times, it was awesome to have two of everything!).
And if you're not lucky enough to have two nieces or nephews a year and a half older than your own child, you probably know someone you can tap. Or, consider a swap. Swaps are fun, because you can add alcohol to them. There are lots of different ways to organize them, but it's rare to leave without something you wanted. And, almost as good, without stuff you no longer needed. Just gather together a bunch of parents with kids of differing ages and have them bring their stuff - limit to 5 or 10 items per person to keep things fair/congenial - and swap away.
8. All the rest. I didn't really mention coupons, except to note you get better ones by being a loyalty member, but of course they never hurt! I also didn't really talk online, but I'll note this: you are going to get the best deals in stores. They have actual space they need to preserve, so they're going to go lower, in an absolute sense, than online will. But, for sizes that you can't find online and general promotions, shopping online can still be a really great deal. The loyalty perks all apply there as well. Check shipping and return policies before you buy anything, and good luck!
I know this was long, but I hope it was useful in some way. One of my favorite things to do is dress my small bug, and that's made funner by less expensive clothes. I am relaxed about them, don't think they're precious (though I'm rethinking those orange boots), and think the whole thing is just sorta fun. You know - the polar opposite of dressing one's self. Thank for reading and have a stellar weekend.