I admit that I can splurge on beautiful clothing for my kids.
I like pretty things. They like pretty things. Our closets have exploded in dresses some seasons. I like quality clothing and fine fabrics. I’m a kids clothing snob. I know this. I own this.
I admit to my sins.
But I have reformed somewhat because while I like my kids to look nice and have a closet of pretties..I realize that perhaps paying for college one day should trump buying the finest dresses from France.
Damn.
Anyway – you can still dress your kids like a princess in the finest boutique fashions on a budget if you truly try harder. I’m trying.
Here are some tips.
1. Buy used – we have a few great consignment and used clothing shops here. I have also found Oilily and Mini Boden and many other brands at the local thrift stores. Yes, it takes some time to dig but you will get name brand boutique merchandise for pennies on the dollar truly. I go thrifting and to consignment shops about one per month.
2. Buy on eBay. Now you will not always get a bargain but many times you will be surprised at the deals you can get. Also if you don’t care about what season an item is from you can score last years ‘must have’ Euro $200 dress for less than $50.
3. Participate and shop at a local weekend kid clothing swap/sale. These have popped up everywhere over the last few years.
4. Garage sales. I admittedly am not a huge fan of scouring garage sales as the boutique clothing is few and far between but if you are looking for some basics this is a great way to go.
5. Clothing co-ops – get a group of friends together with your own ‘issues’ with buying upscale kids clothing and organize a shop/buy night for you all to buy each other’s goodies. It’s new to you!
6. Buy off-season. Right now most Winter clothing is 50-70% off so you can buy ahead for next year.
7. Sell your kids gently used clothing on eBay. I find that consignment stores don’t pay enough to make it worth my time so I would rather just donate, but my finer items I sell on eBay and then just use those funds to buy next season’s new wardrobe. It’s kind of like free that way, right?
8. Buy quality to hand-down or sell. As much as I love a cute Target top or cardigan – I also know it’s usually just like throwing money down the drain(don’t tell them I said that). I can usually find a similar(better) item at Crewcuts or Gap or Boden on sale that really doesn’t cost that much more but will last through wash after wash and still look awesome to resell or hand down thus costing less in the long-run.
9. Learn to sew! Upcycling is huge right now.
10. Keep current on store coupons and what will stack and only buy on sale. There are many times that you can stack coupons and sales. Always wait for a sale.
11. Host a party for a brand of clothing that you love. House parties are on the rise again. Brands like Matilda Jane Clothing have local trunk keepers – so invite your friends over and you can earn free clothing for yourself and your kids!
Have fun shopping!! Do you have any other tips you use to buy the best for less?
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Linking up to Small Style:
You forgot “befriend people with kids older than yours who love great clothes.” But I guess that goes without saying, huh?
Great tips, my friend!!
Perfect timing. Xander and I just finished up the ebay photos and I hope to get listing tomorrow (but not before I write the Tracy expose). I am so bad, so bad. Really, the amount of lovely stuff I’m selling and giving away is RIDICULOUS. But will it stop me from buying more as soon as the $$ rolls in? Not a chance. Someday I’ll reform. Not soon.
I still need to find time to have you teach me how you list on EBay – with wine in hand of course – I haven’t forgotten. I too rely on Consignment stores. It’s getting harder as Munchkin gets older though to find gently used. I do buy end of season too. Just bought next year’s winter boots at Lands End Inlet for 40% off the marked down price, so they were only $13 & if he outgrows them before next winter I can return them thanks to a no time limit return policy at Lands End. Great tips!
Good Will and Salvation Army, Baby!
Except John who is driving us to the Poor-House with his Mall Shopping. Ugh! I used to like my kids growing up. But it’s too damn expensive!
m.
I am still a clothes snob. I guess living in Europe will do that you. I love all of the boutiques with the adorable clothes and then there is Zara. The good thing is that baby #2 is also a boy so he is living in the hand-me-downs.
VERY good tips! I have only one child, and when he was a baby he ONLY wore Carter clothes. Geez. I look back at all the money we could have saved… But we have a very nice thrift shop about 30 minutes from here…they only sell NICE clothes that smell good and aren’t all pilly and worn. It also helps that my husband has 2 cousins with boys older than my Jacob, so we get MANY hand-me-downs, which are especially nice for play clothes.
Stopping in from SITS!
you can sew too?
damn…
um, I can peel a banana with my feet
Thank you for these tips, my clothing guru.
find friends with the same “issues” – ha! Uh yeah, that works. But then I inevitably end up spending more money once I see all my friends’ cute kids in their stuff… double edged sword. PS. #1 still wears those pink Uggs you handed down to us a couple years ago. They are well loved!
I need to get better at second handing. I do the end of season stuff. Long sleeve t-shirts are on deep clearance a lot of places now, but we still have months of colder weather here, so I buy on the larger size now (for the older kid) and hope that some still fit in the fall. I buy short sleeved t’s always slightly bigger to get them to last for more than one season. (I have a tall skinny kid so that helps).
I have good friends who have good taste in clothes, I sew some, I do some garage sales, and I have two girls, which makes hand me downs work pretty well. I wish I had discriminated more in what I kept, since I’m not using all of it, but a lot of what I did keep has helped out.
I definitely do the off season shopping (although, seriously, some of the tank tops and shorts are pissing me off b/c I NEED THE SUN!). And yes, I know it is the tail end of winter, but I lost my hat and need a new one and of course there’s nothing out there in bargain land now besides sun hats and tacky visors.
If Astrid got an ounce cuter my eyes would explode.
You’re incredibly smart and I say that with a huge tinge of envy. Thank you for the tips!
Next, tips on how to get your toddler to pose for pictures. Because mine won’t!
I definitely do end of season, but I can’t seem to get to consignment shops. For some reason I find looking for the diamond in the ruff more stressful than fun.
Such great tips, Tracy!
(And oh my your love is truly a love!)
12. Have a rich cousin who buys all the ridiculously priced kids’ clothes, and hands them down to you, some with the tags still on them.
Ay yay yay!!! I’m guilty of this too!! And with only one kid, a daughter, oh my! From clothes, to shoes, to accessories… so many cute stuff… and college? pfft! That’s still ages away, isn’t it? Isn’t it???? LOL.
Yeah, I definitely need those tips! Thanks for sharing them. And for reminding me
What consignment and used clothing stores do you shop at? Would you be willing to share? I’m in the Twin Cities as well, but not quite ready to go sifting through thrift stores, yet.
I love nu-look at 50th/penn and also Once Upon A Child – but only the Eden Prairie or Minnetonka stores.