Where do you shop for your kids clothes?

[mhsjax]

Excuse all the typos in the previous post. I am tired and the old eyes just aren't seeing very well right now. lol

 

[PrincessTiffany]

Here are my favorites:

www.chezami.com
www.kellyskids.com
www.castlesandcrowns.com
www.orientexpressed.com
www.cwdkids.com

I also get A LOT off Ebay from custom sellers.

 

[tiggspring]

I do not have much money to spend on clothes usually about 150-200 per season per child. This would normally mean walmart and target.Howerver when I got my jcpenny card many years ago I was constantly notified about specials and I found a pattern. If. You shop sat when the jcp circilar has the $10 off $50 spent or 15 off $75 you can save a bundle. They will split your order as many times as needed and reuse the coupons. They are good on sale and clearence items. I go in shop clearence first then sales. If not on sale I wait for the next sale with coupon and what I need will inevitably be on the next rotation. I usually save between 40 and 70 percent. I've gotten $24 pants for as little as $1.44 yes a dollar 44cents. School shopping for two is usually 240 from about 480 then I round out with target,walmart and kmart..who has fanominal clearence.This past febuary we searched the sales racks in the mens coats with a coupon got a leather jacket that was $300 for $24 I just about died with excitment beacause I thought the $300 coats I got at the after christmas sales for $58 were a deal. It feels good to know that the majority of my kids clothes are quality items that will not fall apart like the big box clothes do. I also shop the next size up in clearence every time I walk into any store. That way when my kids grow I already have a stock of clothes that are at deep discount waiting. No need to buy full price and we can ease from one size into another. Sears also has a program where if you spend $100 in childrens dept you get a coupon for 10per off next purchace. I get sale-clearance stuff up to the limit have them print out coupon and use on the rest of my shopping. They will keep track so if you spend less the next time I shop I ask how much I need to spend go to that limit then use coupon for the rest. I know macy's and other stores do this too it's just the above stores work best for our family.Hope this helps.happy bargin hunting!!

 

[riley2008]

Wow I thought 500.00 for 2 kids is kind of cheap. I'm surprised someone thought that was alot. I used to easily spend 1000.00 to 1500.00 a season on one kid.

Welcome to the Budget Board. (I may be hitting that amount just now on for BOTH of my boys since birth and they are 5.)

And I've NEVER had a problem with Target clothes washing well.

You may learn a LOT from the posters on this board. They can really help you save. Trust me, they'll help you see that a "Gap Fix" isn't necessary and you'll be putting away money like crazy! (And you kiddos will still be a cute as ever.)

 

[peyjax]

Anyone have a problem with clothes fitting their kid?

I could shop anywhere and everywhere for my oldest. He could have been a model as everything seemed to fit him so well.

My youngest is a different story. I want to scream. He is so skinny and tall. All his shirts barely fit around the neck. They are falling off his shoulder and if I go smaller they end up being too short at the waist. I love the gap as that is the look I prefer, however I noticed that they are not fitting anymore. Gymbo is out as they run too big. Not a fan of old navy and other basic stores. Like the OP I find Target does not wash well at all. Hannah Anderson is overpriced and too baby like for my taste. Any unique suggestions out there.

 

[java]

Hannah Anderson is overpriced and too baby like for my taste. Any unique suggestions out there.

Check out miniboden.

 

[mom2val]

My dd is very picky about the way clothes feel. Does not care how they look only how they feel. Soft cotton only, must be able to pull shorts/pants on without unzipping or unbuttoning. She is thin and tall so elastic waistbands are often to big- adjustable waists are a must for us. I shop the sale racks at Gap, Abercrombie, Childrens Place & Gymboree. I also hit the Disney store for cheap tees and PJ's.

We buy Hanna Andersson - yes its expensive but it lasts- she has stuff she wore for 2 years that are on cousin #3 and still looks great. I only buy when stuff is on sale and they sometimes have special in store sales- like Gymbucks. We have one 30 mins from here.

I also buy Lands End clothes. I love to check out Goodwill, our church thrift store and 2 local kids resale shops. I have several freinds and we all look out for deals forr each others kids. I just got my friend 2 pairs of Lands End boys jeans that look brand new for $1 a pair at the church thrift store.

 

[QVCshopper]

I like Gymboree, Carters, and Children's Place outlets. Just got my DD $4 shirts & shorts for next year at Gymboree, and 99 cent shirts for DS at Children's Place. My price limit is about $4/separate (I do pay more for dresses). I do hit Goodwill sometimes, but they charge $2.50+ for each separate, and I can usually do better at retail stores. But sometimes I find great tag sales/flea markets and get away with 50 cents - $1 per piece...

 

[leagirl12]

I used to be pretty much Childrens Place exclusive. If you catch their clearance you can really rack up. It was a sad day when we had to come to the realization that DD had outgrown the store. She actually sat in her daddy's lap and cried because she loved to shop there too. I still shop there for DS.

For DD it is primarily Justice and Target clearance. Justice is always bought with sales and J Bucks and things like that....never full cost.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Target clearance and have never had a problem with their clothes. Wal-Mart to me though is too expensive for the quality of clothing.

We also love Kohls....especially DS. He loves Tony Hawk wear.

 

[christa112]

Gymbo for my DD and Children's Place for my boys (Gymbo is to babyish for them now)

 

[HelenePA]

Check out miniboden.

I LOVE miniboden! But I can't afford it Too expensive for me.

I'm sure it will change when they are older but my kids have no idea what "brand names" are yet, although 99% of their stuff is. They dont care what I buy them to wear. I'm savoring these days! I use buy ahead but its getting tougher now that the girls are older, and my boys are giants. I have no idea what size to get either of them for next year. The baby is in 24m and some 2t's already

 

[LauraR]

Wow I thought 500.00 for 2 kids is kind of cheap. I'm surprised someone thought that was alot. I used to easily spend 1000.00 to 1500.00 a season on one kid. We mostly buy fall winter. We pretty much skip spring and just buy some new spring type tops to go with there basic jeans. Spring here is maybe a month. I think I may got to TCP and buy the major purchase there for the fall and than some at the gap outlet. I have to have my gap fix.

When my kids were under 10, I did most of the family shopping at Salvation Army. One year I spent a total of $200 for myself, my husband (who works for federal government so has to dress nicely) and two boys. Now that we have more income we've loosened the purse-strings and the boys, who are 12 and 14, are more into name brands like Hollister (but they also shop at Ross and Marshalls). They've learned my penny pinching skills and tend not to spend more than $15 on an item of clothing, though! I still mainly shop at Salvation Army for myself. I got a bunch of summer tops (8) for about $20 this year (some Ann Taylor and Banana Republic), and 4 new looking pairs of jeans for $3.50 each. The thing I really liked about Salvation Army when the kids were little was, if they messed up their clothes with paint or dirt---I didn't care!

 

[java]

I LOVE miniboden! But I can't afford it Too expensive for me.

I'm sure it will change when they are older but my kids have no idea what "brand names" are yet, although 99% of their stuff is. They dont care what I buy them to wear. I'm savoring these days! I use buy ahead but its getting tougher now that the girls are older, and my boys are giants. I have no idea what size to get either of them for next year. The baby is in 24m and some 2t's already

I only buy it when it's free shipping with a 20% off your purchase. They don't have everything when they get to that point. But at least it's a little more affordable. And I hear you on buying ahead- it's hard when they are in growth spurts. My 15 year old appears to have grown 2 inches overnight! (Well probably not overnight but we just noticed when he stood up straight that he has gotten tall)
And I wish we had a goodwill or salvation army around here.

 

[tnd]

I pretty much buy anything from any store if it is one sale. What I don't understand is all so many of you buy for the next season. Ex: my sone has gone up 2 sizes in length and gone from husky to slim in a matter of about 6 months. I just won't risk spending money on cloth that may not fit next season.

My son has pretty much always fit into his exact age-size since he was 3 months old. He is turning 4 next month and wears 4/4T with room to grow, and a few bigger 3s thrown in. I've been able to buy ahead every season because his growth is pretty predictable. If he starts having growth spurts all over the place, I will have to stop this practice.

 

[KAMKIM]

I shop at Gap, Target, and Penney's for my girls 8 and 4. I only shop at Gap when they have sales ....for fall/back to school/winter shopping I usually allow $500 each...with that I can get underwear socks pjs jeans sweaters shoes sneakers etc. I do not include winter coats/boots/snow pants in that $500 each because that is easily another $150 each. For summer I spend approx $350 each including sandals bathing suits crocs and a new pair of sneakers. They grow so fast, will be nice when I can get more than 1 season out of each wardrobe.

 

[Jennifer in MI]

I so wish I had shopped at Goodwill when my kids were smaller. Think of how barely worn the outfits are!! Oy. It's a GOLD MIN. I walk out of there with so many outfits for $25! Find a nice part of town and shop til you drop!!!

I'm now even shopping a little for myself and DH.

And all the tshirts that I made for Disney [thanks to CreativeDIS forum] I bought at GoodWill...much nicer quality and cheaper.

Trish

AMEN!!!! We find a lot of the more popular brands there. This year I've spent $50 on clothing and shoes for all six of us. (And, $25 of that was for new underwear - I do refuse to buy that used!!) We will probably need to spend another $25 or so for the rest of the year - we'll need boots and winter jackets.

This year before baseball season, my ds11 was VERY upset because I told him we weren't going to be buying the Underarmour brand shirt for under his baseball shirt. We were going to see what they had at the local thrift store. Well, wouldn't you know it - we were able to find a NEW one - tags still on it - for $0.50 - in the right color!!! My son practically skipped out of the store! That same trip we also found him a bunch of Disney - Pirates of the Caribbean type - tshirts for bed for a quarter.

I also think that people have too many clothes these days. We buy fewer clothes and pass them down from child to child. They are worn until they wear out. My oldest has:

1 pr dress shoes
1 pr sneakers (my old running shoes!)
1 pr sandals

4 pr shorts
5 short sleeved shirts (all shorts and shirts match)

2 sets pajamas (just shorts and old tshirts)

2 pr dress pants
2 short sleeved dress shirts
1 long sleeved dress shirt
1 tie
1 sport coat

3 pr pants
5 long sleeved shirts (all pants and shirts match)

I think that's it! Of course, they also have their sports equipment for sports that aren't included here. But, each of my boys has around the same amount of clothing.

Sorry for being off topic!! But, this is one area where we save a TON of money (more for Disney - right? LOL) and this is the budget board . . .

 

[Nik's Mom]

When I was still working, we probably spent at least $500 for each kid. I had to buy uniforms and regular clothes. And since my boys blow holes through the knees of their pants, I always bought Dickie's school pants with double reinforced knees.

I'm a stay at home mom now, and the kids no longer wear uniforms. Plus, we moved from always warm California to sometimes cold Kansas, so the kids needed a completely new wardrobe last year. So we probably spent way more than $500 per kid, when you include winter coats, snow pants to play in, etc. This year, I'm aiming at spending about $500 for both kids. I bought some stuff on clearance from Crazy 8 at the end of winter. But I still need quite a bit more. I have to be really picky on the pants though, since my kids are so hard on them. I have found that Gap, Land's End, and Children's Place hold up well. But even then, the pants will not last the entire school year.

 

[HelenePA]

I only buy it when it's free shipping with a 20% off your purchase. They don't have everything when they get to that point. But at least it's a little more affordable. And I hear you on buying ahead- it's hard when they are in growth spurts. My 15 year old appears to have grown 2 inches overnight! (Well probably not overnight but we just noticed when he stood up straight that he has gotten tall)
And I wish we had a goodwill or salvation army around here.

20% off? I usually only get emails for 25% off one item I can't afford to pay full price on the rest! I need to look for these 20% off coupons!! Maybe for school! Our Salvation Army and Goodwill sucks.. They are more expensive than walmart for clothes I'll keep going to the outlets.

 

[SaraJayne]

AMEN!!!! We find a lot of the more popular brands there. This year I've spent $50 on clothing and shoes for all six of us. (And, $25 of that was for new underwear - I do refuse to buy that used!!) We will probably need to spend another $25 or so for the rest of the year - we'll need boots and winter jackets.

This year before baseball season, my ds11 was VERY upset because I told him we weren't going to be buying the Underarmour brand shirt for under his baseball shirt. We were going to see what they had at the local thrift store. Well, wouldn't you know it - we were able to find a NEW one - tags still on it - for $0.50 - in the right color!!! My son practically skipped out of the store! That same trip we also found him a bunch of Disney - Pirates of the Caribbean type - tshirts for bed for a quarter.

I also think that people have too many clothes these days. We buy fewer clothes and pass them down from child to child. They are worn until they wear out. My oldest has:

1 pr dress shoes
1 pr sneakers (my old running shoes!)
1 pr sandals

4 pr shorts
5 short sleeved shirts (all shorts and shirts match)

2 sets pajamas (just shorts and old tshirts)

2 pr dress pants
2 short sleeved dress shirts
1 long sleeved dress shirt
1 tie
1 sport coat

3 pr pants
5 long sleeved shirts (all pants and shirts match)

I think that's it! Of course, they also have their sports equipment for sports that aren't included here. But, each of my boys has around the same amount of clothing.

Sorry for being off topic!! But, this is one area where we save a TON of money (more for Disney - right? LOL) and this is the budget board . . .

Handing down clothes is a practical idea when you have children that are the same sex...not so much when they are different sexes.

And speaking from someone who rarely had "new" clothes (due to an older sister) I hated it and resented the fact that I never got anything new..it was always old and used.

I swore I wouldn't do that to my kids and luckily, I got a boy and a girl, so I didn't have to worry about it.

 

[NotUrsula]

I swore I wouldn't do that to my kids and luckily, I got a boy and a girl, so I didn't have to worry about it.

I've got a boy and a girl, too -- in that order, which is crucial. DD wears DS' old playclothes all the time. She's a bit of a messy eater at this point in her life (she's 23 months) and yesterday I needed to send 4 extra outfits to daycare. Everything I sent was out of the boy box; I wasn't going to send 4 good outfits to sit in her cubby for "just in case". A solid-color t-shirt is a t-shirt on a little kid; gender doesn't matter.

I have ALWAYS bought used clothing for my kids; they really don't know what new even looks like (DH and I buy used, too, for everthing other than our work clothes.) DS is now 12, and starting to get too big for OUAC's stock. I always knew that as they grew older they would start caring about how their clothes looked and what brands they were, so I decided to make hay while the sun shone, and save money when they were little and didn't care.

We have started to buy new for DS now as he starts to care about brands and fashion, but the only time he is every going to be getting something like a pair of Lucky jeans is if he buys them used or on clearance. I have my limits, and I won't pay THAT kind of retail premium for a "hot" brand.