When do you start buying warm weather clothes for your kids?

[tasha99]

Never because summer clothes for here are just regular clothes (it's like 65 in August). We just stocked up on coats and gloves, though. DS got a $13 jacket and I got a long coveted down chalet coat from Lands End for $95.

 

[100AcreWood]

Well the t-shirts I bought at Kohl's last weekend aren't washing well. I've never seen t-shirts come out of the dryer so wrinkled.

 

[goofyredraider]

I've never understood paying for coupons? Interesting concept.

I am a very loyal Gymboree shopper - been shopping there pretty much exclusively for 10 years. Not as much anymore though, as the quality has gone way down, and my very long torsoed 8 year old has mostly outgrown the sizes.

Fast forward to a few months ago, we tried out a Crazy 8 store, being that it is a sister store to Gymboree. Well, I thought the prices were not that great, and the sizes were off (size 14 is pretty much size 12 Gymboree?), but we picked up some jeans, underpants and shirts. Wanted to buy leggings as daughter has lived in Gymboree leggings since birth, but they were a weird and hard scratchy fabric - nothing like Gymboree's leggings at all. Found the prices to be high too - even with the sale and an extra coupon, I do way better at Gymboree. And I am comparing to Canadian prices!

Underpants are ok, but shirts not that great (they shrunk too). But the jeans, OMG! The jeans are absolutely horrid! They shrunk and kids wore them for 1 month. Waste of money! Before anyone says it's my laudering skills, no way! I have a front loader, wash on delicate and cold. Nothing shrinks at my hands. Went on a few message boards, and discovered the same thing, that Crazy 8 quality is not that great. Now for $2.50 a shirt maybe that won't be an issue, but I am a very busy working mom who doesn't have time to be replacing shrunk clothes. I won't be buying anything else at Crazy 8 again.

Has anyone else had these issues?

Tiger

I, too, was a loyal gymboree shopper for many, many years. However, probably about 3 years ago, I just fell out of love with the rising prices, and dwindling quality or "flare" that Gymboree of the past had.

My daughter outgrew Gymbo about then, and I started buying Crazy 8 for my boys. I have had not one iota of a problem with the boys clothes from there. 75% of their clothing comes from there, but I only shop sales/if I have a coupon.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Well the t-shirts I bought at Kohl's last weekend aren't washing well. I've never seen t-shirts come out of the dryer so wrinkled.

My mom used to never dry stuff all the way if it was something would possibly shrink or wrinkle. She'd just toss it in the dryer for 10 minutes, and then pull it out & put it on a hangar semi-wet. Seemed to help. I've tried suggesting this to my wife, but she has a whole 'nuther deal going on in that laundry room. Apparently, the "4 types" of laundry I grew up with have grow to about "15 types" today

 

[mjkacmom]

When it gets warm, and everything is on sale. I've never understood people who do back to school shopping in the end of August, when winter clothing is full price, and the kids will be wearing summer clothes for 3 months. We have some from the summer that still fits, and come spring, everything will be on sale.

 

[Tiger926]

Well the t-shirts I bought at Kohl's last weekend aren't washing well. I've never seen t-shirts come out of the dryer so wrinkled.

Kohl's quality is hit or miss. I will not buy Mudd anymore - purchased several expensive denim shorts for DD who is in between sizes, and they ripped by the second wearing. Kohl's would have returned them, but they fit her well, so I repaired them. Both shorts and a shirt were horrible quality, so no more.

I also find their own brand to be problematic with certain products as well.

We are selective about what children's clothes we buy. Have been having good luck with Chaps (Ralph Lauren line), for fancy dresses for DD, and boy shirts.

I usually don't buy Osh Kosh or Carter's there as they are cheaper at the actual stores, but their quality is good.

Hope you have better luck with the shirts! Tiger

I, too, was a loyal gymboree shopper for many, many years. However, probably about 3 years ago, I just fell out of love with the rising prices, and dwindling quality or "flare" that Gymboree of the past had.

My daughter outgrew Gymbo about then, and I started buying Crazy 8 for my boys. I have had not one iota of a problem with the boys clothes from there. 75% of their clothing comes from there, but I only shop sales/if I have a coupon.

You are lucky! Like I said, our first trip has now become our last trip. Maybe we just had a string of bad luck?

Thanks, Tiger

 

[KELLY]

I'm trying to do end of season sales now. I just did this at Justice this past weekend. I went to 3 of htem to be honest to get the good stuff. Everything that was readline was 50% off then another 40% off. So I bought her entire school wardrobe for 180.00.
I got
7 pairs of Jeans all regular 36.00 or more
7 tops a couple were sweaters
1 winter Jacket
1 winter hat
1 robe
1 pair of slippers

I'm trying not to spend more than a 1000.00 on clothes for the 2 girls. Older dd wardrobe is pretty much all Justice and my younger dd is Gap and ON. I have spent around 250.00 so far on summer stuff and can probably spend another 300.00 and be done. I should be able to get younger dd fall wardrobe for 250.00. I did get her a columbia snowsuit at the outlet for 30.00 already. Both girls boot should fit again. They are still big. My parents will also by them 4 of so summer outfits and the same for fall for there birthday and just because at there store of choice. My 4 year old could care less so more than like the gap outlet.

 

[Taja]

We usually buy clothing for the following summer when they go on clearance in late July or August. Usually, we purchase one size larger.

The kids here wear summer clothng throughout the year. We're as likely to have 80 degree days in December as we are 50 degree days--usually somewhere in between! *LOL*

Regardless of the daytime temperature, it can be wicked cold when the sun goes down and even colder an hour or so before it comes up during the winter!

It still seems odd to me to see winter clothing--coats, etc.--introduced in July when the temperature is 110+ degrees.

 

[100AcreWood]

Kohl's quality is hit or miss. I will not buy Mudd anymore - purchased several expensive denim shorts for DD who is in between sizes, and they ripped by the second wearing. Kohl's would have returned them, but they fit her well, so I repaired them. Both shorts and a shirt were horrible quality, so no more.Thanks, Tiger

Thanks Tiger! I sent them an email and they said I could return them with no problems. Wow, I like Kohls even better now! I'm going to give them one more try because dd likes the shirts and if not I have my receipt .

 

[Tiger926]

Thanks Tiger! I sent them an email and they said I could return them with no problems. Wow, I like Kohls even better now! I'm going to give them one more try because dd likes the shirts and if not I have my receipt .

Awesome!

They have a fab return policy, but DD really liked the style and fit, so we kept them. I just know not to buy Mudd (it is a special line made for Kohl's) anymore as everything we bought was defective within a few washings, despite being washed on delicate in cold water.

Good luck with your shirts! Tiger

 

[HelenePA]

I've never understood paying for coupons? Interesting concept.



Tiger

do I like buying them? no but they aren't really in my area and they never send me them for free so I spend 1.25$ and save 60$, makes sense to me. I also have had NO problems with their clothes. I actually just did 2 major orders from them this last week. My last one had aprox 55 items and I spend less than 175$ for all of it... sweaters, dresses, jackets, one hat, jeans, a swimsuit. This was for my 3 younger kids my oldest fits better into size 0-1 junior clothes. None of these are school clothes since they wear uniforms. That's a whole other subject and a very expensive one at that...

 

[Tiger926]

do I like buying them? no but they aren't really in my area and they never send me them for free so I spend 1.25$ and save 60$, makes sense to me. I also have had NO problems with their clothes. I actually just did 2 major orders from them this last week. My last one had aprox 55 items and I spend less than 175$ for all of it... sweaters, dresses, jackets, one hat, jeans, a swimsuit. This was for my 3 younger kids my oldest fits better into size 0-1 junior clothes. None of these are school clothes since they wear uniforms. That's a whole other subject and a very expensive one at that...

It sounds like it's a good scenario for you. We don't really get coupons for clothes around here, except for Old Navy in their flyers once in awhile. But I do get clothing vendor coupons by signing up for email newsletters, so that's cool.

I have never bought anything off of EBAY, so I wouldn't even trust that the coupons would be valid, so that has always been interesting to me that people take that chance. I didn't think coupons were allowed to be sold, and the first time I read about purchasing coupons was on the DIS.

It also would bother me that people are charging for a coupon that is free, but it sounds like you scored a good bargain.

Thanks for explaining, Tiger

 

[diamondpixienc]

Well, to answer the opening question of "when" do I start shopping for summer things. Pretty much year round for example. I usually do alot of TJ Maxx and Marshalls for my girls frilly dresses and DS collared or POLO type shirts. The clearence racks when it is the off season i.e. back in January they had some cute little sun dresses and a few short sets from last summer thay were between 3.50 and 5 bucks. That worked out well for me because my girls are super girly and will live in sundresses if they could. Any who, I also picked up some cargo shorts for my son, 5 bucks on clearence. So, to wrap up I just keep my eyes open and be sure to just survey the racks. Some other places I love - Macys, Belk, Gymboree, Childrens Place, P.S. Aeropostale (the one for tweens) this is now my DS's favorite at this moment, JC Penny for those cartoon network and angry bird T-Shirts, and the Carter's outlet for my little one. Shoes - TJ Maxx, Marshalls, foot locker or Nike.com for DS but my girls pretty much any place they or I find a pair they think is cute and the price is good.

 

[CandleontheWater]

I like to shop a season ahead too, and so far my strategy has been working out because my DS has pretty much been staying true to the size for his age.

The one problem I've run into is that since I'm shopping so far ahead, I tend to loose track of what I've already bought and end up buying way to much.

I did an outlet run about a month ago to finish up summer shopping, and I didn't take a good inventory of how many t-shirts I had already bought him. I think he now has something like 30 different summer shirts!

I don't feel all that bad since I know I only spent about $5 a shirt, and I know he'll wear them, but I really need to make a spreadsheet or something to keep track of what I'm buying!

 

[100AcreWood]

I have to admit I used to be great shopping ahead when the girls were little and I still do for my ds who is 3 but I only buy ahead at LL Bean, Carters and Kohls because of their return policy. My dh is always worried I'll forget what I've bought or will guess the wrong size and we'll waste money .