Does Anyone else WAIT until school starts to clothes shop?

[angierae]

My MIL will buy DD16 a few things but I normally wait until a few weeks after school starts. As most people have said, the first few weeks they're still wearing summer clothes to school, so buying heavy sweaters or sweatshirts right now is kind of pointless. So come late-September everything will be on clearance and we'll get some stuff.

 

[mdrob214]

My kids are in HS now--a freshman and a senior. We've never bought a new wardrobe for school. One new outfit for the first day--shoes, pants, shirt. That's it. Any other clothes have always been purchased when they outgrow things or are in need of something.

My mom and I used to shop for a whole new wardrobe when I started school. Of course, we weren't allowed to wear shorts (in MN). I remember that I had to come home and change to play clothes, too.

 

[Irin997]

I always wait. We get a new pair of tennis shoes every year before school because DD10 wears them out or outgrows them. This year we also got a new pair of Converse and some flats, which DH doesn't understand why she needs another pair of shoes other than tennis shoes. Otherwise, it's hot here for a while and we make do with summer and the current winter/fall selection and fill in as needed. This saves room for new stuff at Christmas time too.

Just sent this now cause the earthquake hit while I was typing.

 

[YO's Mom]

I am still waiting on my tax return (long story, but it is supposed to be released with a week or so) so no, I'm not buying back to school clothes. I spent over $150 for school supplies for 2 kids (seriously - the ziplock bags, tissues and Clorox wipes add a lot to the real school supplies!) and both girls had to have new gym shoes (darn those growing feet!). Once I have a little extra money, we will go shop. Really, it won't hurt them to wait a couple of weeks. They have shorts and tees that fit. It will be at least another 6-8 weeks before they want to put jeans on anyway, so why get in a hurry?

 

[PHXscuba]

I've never bought new school clothes for the first day of school. I've usually gotten a few things on summer clearance that are new-ish to the kids and that's what they want to wear. It's too hot here in Arizona anyway to wear pants and sweaters the second week of August! (Right now it's supposed to be around 110 degrees all week ) I usually buy pants the first part of October, before we travel for fall break. Buying shoes for my 4 kids is what's killing me right now -- they needed sneakers for school!

OP, I think a 10-year-old is old enough to understand a discussion of not having money right now, especially if your jobs are seasonal and didn't pay much during the summer. It's not a "right" to get a whole new wardrobe, especially when money is tight. My DD12 used some of the money she made this summer to buy some new T-shirts -- maybe your DD can think of a way to help buy what she wants?

PHXscuba

 

[teacup princess]

I usually wait, but this year MIL took DD on a shopping spree for her birthday last week and she got quite a bit. (Hoping that will be a new tradition for her). I do usually hit a clearance rack somewhere and get a couple new T-shirts for the first day, usually something that can be layered and worn in the winter too. I got a few $3 T-shirts from the Gap today for the boys and a couple $6 jeans and shorts from the clearance rack as well. I never ever pay more than $10 for a boys clothing item even when I do regular shopping. They are just too hard on clothes and could really care less anyway. My daughter though, she could break the bank if I'd let her.

 

[eliza61]

I am just curious. We are just flat busted broke right now....This Summer was horrible We were able to pick up a backpack and a few school supplies at 5 Below for our daughter. The issue is school clothes. We simply are not going to be able to afford to buy anything new before school starts. I have tried explaining to her that it's still warm enough to wear her Summer clothes and she will not need new jeans, etc...for a while. But, she is bugging me every day to go shopping...I admit that we can usually buy a few new thing before the first day and last year things were a bit better so she got more than a few things....However, I don't think it's so horrible to wait...I think the sales would be better...and I could afford to get more. Am I being a big meanie (although I don't really have a choice) by waiting or do some of you do the same???

I always wait for exactly the reason you do. It's going to be 90 degrees next week, why the heck would I buy them jeans that they won't wear for another 3 weeks.

OP, I think you have a chance to teach a lot of valuable lessos.
In todays economy every kid should be learning a few new concepts.
A good friend of mines who is a doctor tells her kids this all the time: waiting for a transplant may kill you, waiting for a new pair of jeans never will.

2) Bring her into the family budget. she's part of the family and can learn how the family's income really works. Why are we scared to show our kids the balance sheet.

3) Show her how sales work. My 17 year old is now an expert shopper because we took him to department stores and showed him how end of season stores work. The kid now gets expensive $200 sneakers for 50 bucks simply by waiting.

You are not a meany for being a responsible parent. Wait, your daughter will survive.

 

[pixiewings71]

Yup, I might let the girls get a new outfit but that's about it. We always wait because they rarely need anything new at the beginning of school. My kids are fine with it, they actually prefer to wait.

 

[WantToGoNow]

I won't be buying anything until the weather starts changing. My kids go to school in a non-a/c building so they are definitely still wearing their shorts. I will have them try on last winter's clothes to see what fits and then buy what they need.

 

[abcboys]

I have 3 boys in school and have never done back to school clothes shopping. They just wear what they wore all summer. When it gets cooler around October I will pull out and see what will fit them from last year and what they need new. They get the majority of their clothes from resale/thrift stores. We can usually find pretty nice things!

 

[Ciciwoowoo]

We are actually going to wait on school shopping this year for a number of reasons which include starting high school, ex won't give me any money this year for school clothes, and son started band which includes running a mile a day, so he's losing weight.

I am going to buy him a nice shirt for the first day of school. He is going to probably wear shorts because it is usually warm enough.

He will be able to see what the other kids are wearing and decide what items he will need or want and then we will see what can be done.

Maybe do something for your daughter like get her a new piece of clothing, or even an accessory to help her feel confident for that first day of school? Doesn't have to cost a fortune... JC Penney is running another 10 off of 25 sale this weekend.

Kids don't need a brand new wardrobe each year. Make sure you go through the closets and drawers and take out the things that no longer fit. Maybe you will even be able to match things up to make a new outfit out of existing clothes? Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize!!!

 

[kirstenb1]

OP, I don't do BTS shopping til October. I also don't buy a special outfit for the first day. With the weather, the kids only get to wear their cute summer outfits to school briefly in the last couple of weeks of May, then all of September. So their summer clothes are still usually pretty fresh and new for BTS.

 

[julie4423]

I usually buy my girls a first day outfit. It's typically on clearance because it's summer clothing. I do back to school shopping only if I see a great sale that makes it worth it. I have raised 2 bargain hunters, so they wouldn't expect any less. My girls are 13 & 16. We all went shopping a couple weeks ago, and hit nothing but sale and clearance. They aren't really growing much anymore, so buying shoes and clothes for next season is easy. Also, we have a Goodwill about 30 miles away that for some reason is like a high end dept store. I'm not sure why, but everything in there is super nice. The girls found tons of stuff there, and they were thrilled.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

I am watching Fox Boston right now and they are talking about this. Here is what they are saying:

Stock up on pens, paper, any school supplies now since they are cheapest they will be all year

Wait on fall clothes until late Sept at the earliest. Prices are going up a lot this fall, they are hoping people buy now so the sales aren't as good.

Next segment they are talking about how retailers are doing a lot of tricks this year so an item seems that it is worth more when they do a price increase (decorative stitching, etc...). Costs them pennies to embelish the item and then they jack up the price.

My DD needed all new fall clothes this year and she is really hard to fit. Long torso, short arms and legs and built like a linebacker (very broad back). She hates jeans so I stocked up on leggings, but they are the same that she has been wearing in the past so I know if I am getting a good deal. I am waiting on long sleeve shirts to go cheaper at lands end, DD can wear a regular or plus and the plus always goes cheap on clearance when they sell out of the regular sizes. I bought her one with a puppy on it she had her heart set on, but i am waiting on the rest. A lot of other things I buy ahead on clearance. Snow boots and coat were bought in June. Thank goodness I bought her fall shoes from Lands End back in April. 3 pairs of wide Mary janes for $24 total. Last years full price was $29.99. This year is $39.99, but on sale for $25. I am just kicking myself I didn't get the next size up from them!

 

[Aliceacc]

We do back to school shopping in early to mid October. My kids are still at the point where growth spurts demand lots of new clothes each season (and the girls are pretty much the same size somehow, so the hand me down thing doesn't work as well as I would like right now.)

That's when I take the fall clothes out, and before that my kids are in shorts and T shirts. We do get them a back to school outfit-- one new T shirt on clearance, sometimes with a new pair of shorts if they need them. And most of the time, they're due for new sneakers by this point in the summer.

But the only REAL back to school shopping I do is for school supplies in July when they're on sale.

Oh, and as a teacher, I stock up on pantyhose for myself

 

[shortbun]

I don't know how old your daughter is but my friends and I hit the thrift shops around college campuses and find new-with tags-clothes all the time. Two years ago, one woman found about 10 new shirts for her daughter to supplement Christmas. Granted, there were no receipts for returns but these were all new and from one of The Limited brands.
Items are often as cheap as $.98 and I would never pay more than $3 for clothing. I found a new Coach bag for $12 at one last year. I've found Heisey glass, Haviland china, Steuben glass, Abercrombie-Eddie Bauer-Lands End, brand new shoes, a gorgeous dining room set for $38, sterling silver iced tea spoons and much more just wandering through every Monday morning after people bring things in on the weekend.

 

[puffkin]

DS5 starts Kindergarten this year (on Monday). I did buy him a backpack and lunch bag because he didn't have either. This past weekend I bought him new sneakers for school. He has been wearing his Keens/flip flops all summer and he can't wear those to school and his old sneakers don't fit from the spring. Other than that, I am not planning on buying him anything unless he needs a few school supplies once he gets the list from his teacher.

It should be warm enough that he can wear most of his summer stuff at least another month. I went through his fall/winter stuff this past weekend and made sure he has at least a few pairs of pants and shirts that fit him. We always get one of those cold spells that sneak up on us in September so I wanted to make sure I am covered for that. Thankfully, he has enough left for that so I can hold off on shopping for a little while. We have a big consignment sale here the end of September that I like to hit and then I try to round out the rest of his clothes with clearance sales.

Boys are definitely much easier with the wholes clothes thing than girls though!

 

[jodifla]

I have a different point of view....

Growing up in Florida, there wasn't really the weather to work around. We always did back to school shopping before school started. Having a new outfit the first day was VERY important to me. I bet it is for most girls.

Now here in Michigan, my plan was last year to just put my son in summer clothes, but then the temperature the opening week of school was in the low 50s in the mornings, and all his long pants were way too short. So I had to run out and buy things that weren't necessarily on sale.

I find there are plenty of fall sales in August for kids' clothes -- if you aren't shopping under the gun, like I was. Lands End just had a sale on pants, so I bought 4 in the next size up, so I'm ready.

Not having the money is a different subject, really. I would always try to get my child -- particularly a girl -- a new top to start the school year, though.

 

[leight]

this year things are so tight - I took the kids shopping and bought them each a few new bermuda shorts(we're in tampa fl so shorts are year round.) but wow- I had huge problems getting appropriate shorts for them! Jeans are just too hot- they only need 2 or 3 pairs and dd11 has more than a dozen hand me downs with tags from DD13 who NEVER wore them -(neither she nor I can stand being warm-she's so my child!) But due to the dress code- shorts/skirts have to be below where their fingertips fall level on the thigh-my 13 yr old just slightly outgrew her skirts. Couldn't find any denim skirts that were above the knee but still decent and age appropriate. What is with the short shorts and skirts in all these teen stores? Do they not realize that we can't buy them for school- or is it only in our area that they have dress codes? I did get lucky with dd13 at Kmart (of all places) she chose 3 pairs of denim bermudas in Selena Gomez' new collection. They were not marked on sale- no signs or anything -so I expected them to ring up full price at $16.00 each. (I was still thrilled that I got something age appropriate that she can wear!) Imagine my surprise and absolute delight when they rang up $5.98 each! I'm going today on lunch to see if I can pick up two or three more at that price one size larger since there's another Kmart near me here at work.

DD13 is great with realizing how to bargain shop- she still had $30 from Hollister gift card from christmas and we went straight to the clearance in the back where she picked out her first day of school outfit a cute flower print skirt and bright pink tshirt. We used her gift card as it was $33 total. (that will be replaced with a $25 one from a work award I got) But she said her backpack was still fine after I washed it and didn't need a new lunch box so she really helps out with keeping costs down when I need it. I did get them each new sneakers and a pair of shoes-bogo at payless helps with growing feet! Good luck op!

 

[monorailsilver]

I wait too. My kids usually wear shorts & tshirts & sometimes tank tops pretty much all of September & sometimes well into October.

I wait for the sales & the weather to get colder. Plus they all have a ton of stuff that still fits them from last year.