Gymboree - I don't get it!

[CapnJacksGirl]

Am I the only one that doesn't get Gymboree? To me, their clothes aren't all that great and the prices are ridiculous. If you're one of the many, many Gymboree faithful, can you explain to me why? I must be missing something. I enjoy keeping my boys in great looking clothes and don't mind spending a little more for things that I really like, but I can't get into Gymboree's stuff. Any help?

 

[mickeyplanner08]

I dunno, I'm with you
Way too expensive and not THAT cute.
Definitely beyond my budget.

 

[mom2boys77]

I buy a lot of my son's clothes there but I try to wait until there is a sale or I have some gymbucks..now if I had a daughter I think we'd be in the poorhouse. They have really cute little girls clothing. I did get my son a pair of pj's from there last week..they are skeleton pj's that glow in the dark..He loves them!

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

Maybe that's it. Maybe if I had girls, I'd understand. Their boys' stuff seems too "little boy-ish" for me. I've always dressed my boys like little men, no cutesie stuff. I've bought a couple of things at second-hand stores with construction equipment on it, but beyond that, we're better off with Old Navy, Oshkosh, Children's Place.

 

[MoniqueU]

I never really liked much of their boys clothing. It was hit or miss for me with some of the colors like one year almost everything was orange for the summer line.

I did buy a fair amount for my girls once they finally went to adjustable waistbands.

I was never that into it though. The sales were always great though.

 

[madge]

Am I the only one that doesn't get Gymboree? To me, their clothes aren't all that great and the prices are ridiculous. If you're one of the many, many Gymboree faithful, can you explain to me why? I must be missing something. I enjoy keeping my boys in great looking clothes and don't mind spending a little more for things that I really like, but I can't get into Gymboree's stuff. Any help?

I didn't dress my boys in Gymboree. I found much cuter stuff elsewhere.

But for my DD, I love it. I think the quality is good, it looks like little girl clothes ... and it has tremendously high resale value.

I don't pay much for what I buy. I watch the sales and use coupons. I rarely, if ever, pay more than 50% of the retail price.

 

[java]

It's hit or miss if I like it or not- like I loved the pirate line and they have GREAT sales. So if you are on top of it you can easily get 30% off the price of the stuff in the store.
Why do I like it? It is great quality- as in I can hand it down. I have 4 children- 2 little boys close in age- so I know anything I buy for the older one will still look great by the time it gets to the younger one.

The Long sleeve tees I can get for around $6 that to me is a good price and the quality is better than I would get at Target.

 

[mom2boys77]

See and I think that's probably exactly why I do like them..my son IS a little boy and I'm just not into dressing him like a mini adult. It's getting harder for me though because my younger ds is 6 and looks up to his older brother,ds 12 and wants to start dressing like him. The new pirate and cowboy line at Gymboree is really cute and not too "little boyish"!

Maybe that's it. Maybe if I had girls, I'd understand. Their boys' stuff seems too "little boy-ish" for me. I've always dressed my boys like little men, no cutesie stuff. I've bought a couple of things at second-hand stores with construction equipment on it, but beyond that, we're better off with Old Navy, Oshkosh, Children's Place.

 

[eclairemom]

I have a DD and love their clothes and the matching accessories. They hold up really well and I only purchase sale items and items with gymbucks. After DD uses the clothes for a season I'll wait and sell them on Ebay the following year and recoup almost all my money, somtimes I'll get more for the used item then I paid for it new.

 

[peyton18]

I loved dressing my girls in Gymboree. Now that they're older, I shop at different stores but I still buy some things for my son. I really like the quality & think a lot of the girl clothes are very cute w/o trying to make them look older. The boys' lines are definitely hit & miss. I love when they have lines that are different - I can only take so much orange, brown, camo & animals!! I also don't like the distressed look, which everyone seems to carry now.

 

[imthatgirl]

im not a fan of their clothes, they always seemed to have a strangely placed poodle or bear. i cant see spending that money on them.

but i also feel the same way about childrens place clothes. i find cheaper clothes at target and they are normal colors.

 

[IndianaPrincess]

I really think it's the gender thing. I love most of the lines for my daughter - but I can find stuff cuter at Target for my son. They do have some cute boy stuff, but nothing like their girl selection.

I never buy full price there either. I can always find stuff I love on the sale rack.

 

[mom2boys77]

I HATE that distressed look. I have the worst time with my older son because especially with jeans..they are all made to look ripped or destroyed. I am confused as to why you'd want to pay all that money for jeans that look dirty and old.

I loved dressing my girls in Gymboree. Now that they're older, I shop at different stores but I still buy some things for my son. I really like the quality & think a lot of the girl clothes are very cute w/o trying to make them look older. The boys' lines are definitely hit & miss. I love when they have lines that are different - I can only take so much orange, brown, camo & animals!! I also don't like the distressed look, which everyone seems to carry now.

 

[snickerboo]

I Gymboree. I think their clothes are good quality and they're one of the few stores that keep the little girls dressed like little girls. My dd is 8 and I don't like her to look like a mini-teenager. I can usually find things at Gymbo that are a more innocent version of what her friends are wearing. She'll wear them 'cause they're trendy enough and I'll buy them because they keep her looking 8. I find Gymbo very expensive here in Canada and usually buy it when it's on sale in the US.

 

[shelly3girls]

I have a question for Gymbo fans. I almost never buy their clothes but when the girls were younger I did. I thought I remembered their clothes running smaller than Children's Place. DS wears a 3T from CP. I want to order a denim jacket from Gymboree but the sizing is 2T/3T or 4T/5T. I am worried that the smaller size will be too small. What about sweatshirts? Could DS get away with a 4T? He is tall and thin for his age (2 years 3 months). He is about 38" and a 4T starts at 39". TIA!

 

[eh24fan]

I thought I was the only one not in love with Gymboree for my boys! I got them a matching outfit this year from there, my first time. It was from the cowboy line...brown & burgundy/rust plaid shorts with the rust colored polos. I'm really not in impressed with the quality of these clothes! The shorts wrinkle way too easily and the shirts seem thin and just not that great. If you hold the shirts up, you can see through them. They have only worn them about 6 times this summer and the shirts have faded as well. I can get better quality (IMO) for less money at places like Children's Place and even Wal-Mart and Target.

Now the girls clothes...I know that I'd have a hard time resisting. They are super cute!

 

[Kae]

I have not shopped at Gymboree in a long time. When DS was little they had the cutest stuf(collections) I remember just dying over some of the girls stufff & I had a boy. the boy stuff was cute & I bought hime lots of stuff there but the girls stuff was just awesome. now when I had DD the girls stuff was just ok, nothing I had to have which was a bummer. DS wore stuff that went thru 2 cousins before he got & it was still in great space-colors hadn't faded etc. So I think they go in cycles. But I really didn't buy much at Gymboree once the kids were over 2.

Kae

 

[retire2disney]

My DD almost 8 wears mostly Gymboree. I love the fact that things hold up like they do. I could wash them a million times and they look brand new. I use to resell my daughters gymboree on Ebay when she was very little but have since stopped due to lack of time. I like the fact that she doesn't leave the house in the morning looking like a teenager yet. I'm not quite ready for that. I figure I may have another school year to shop there. I will also say that I do my shopping ONLY when I have a 30% off coupon and/or when gymbucks are being offered. I do agree that the boys clothes are no where near as nice as the girls.....when my son was little we did most shopping at the Gap or TCP for cute things.

 

[holden]

I used to shop at Gymboree, but I haven't bought anything there in about a year. The only thing I do like is that you can mix and match shirts/pants from the same line. I used to get a ton of combinations that way, but the latest designs/patterns don't appeal to me. I've been buying more at Hanna Andersson. They are pricey, but their sales aren't bad and I get two seasons (i.e. this fall and next fall) out of the clothes because the sizing is different. For example, I'll buy DD a size 110 this fall/winter and she'll be able to wear it again next fall/winter. I can't do that with US sizing. Also, Hanna's quality is top notch! They wash and wear well.

I'll still keep peeking in Gymbo. Maybe I'll shop there again someday.

 

[tinker&belle]

I used to shop at Gymboree, but I haven't bought anything there in about a year. The only thing I do like is that you can mix and match shirts/pants from the same line. I used to get a ton of combinations that way, but the latest designs/patterns don't appeal to me. I've been buying more at Hanna Andersson. They are pricey, but their sales aren't bad and I get two seasons (i.e. this fall and next fall) out of the clothes because the sizing is different. For example, I'll buy DD a size 110 this fall/winter and she'll be able to wear it again next fall/winter. I can't do that with US sizing. Also, Hanna's quality is top notch! They wash and wear well.

I'll still keep peeking in Gymbo. Maybe I'll shop there again someday.

OT:

Hanna Andersson, any tips for getting good deals? I LOVE this designer, but it all seems so pricey. Any suggestions?