Estimating Clothing and Shoe Sizes?

[bender]

How do you do this? With clothing, I can see using the WHO growth chart, but how do you figure out shoe sizes in advance?

[Tummy]

Not sure exactly what your question is...

I can tell you something that I have done since being a mother. When the department stores put their 'seasonal' clothes on clearance, I ALWAYS buy one size up for next year. Even if my child(ren) do not grow fast enough to fit into what I have gotten, they will eventually, lol

[kirstenb]

I do the same thing as Tummy- I buy clothes on clearance a year in advance one size up. There is no way I can buy shoes in advance. DS has XW feet and I will always want to get him sized correctly before I buy shoes.

[Everrgreen]

Shoes - Not possible where I live! I think if you live somewhere with consistent weather all year round, then you could just buy one size up (they will fit them eventually, right?). But where I live I wouldn't know if he would need runners, sandals, or boots!

Clothes - Still tricky. My DS is sort of starting to match up with clothing sizes (ie. he is 14 months and is just starting to fit into 18 month, so I figure he will fit 18 month clothing at 18 months), and I would feel pretty safe buying him fall/winter clothing in a size 2. I wouldn't go out and buy his whole wardrobe for next winter, just in case, but picking up a couple of things on clearance would be okay.

[llwr]

Sometimes shoes have an estimate under the size -- like size 3, 9-12 mos. I saw a whole chart of this once; I think it was at BRU. You might be able to find something like that online. It's a guideline rather than a guarantee, but it might help if you're buying ahead and it's a good price. The tag for clothes gives me a pretty good idea.

[Peony]

Shoes are tricky with younger children IMO especially one year olds! DD2 at that age went through 3 sizes in 4 months, I usually wait until a couple months before and then buy a little big. Once they get 3 or so then I do the buy one size ahead, sometimes two and it has always worked out. Last summer my then 2y old by the end of the summer had moved into a size 9, so I bought clearance sandals in a 10 knowing that would work because her feet wouldn't grow again for a while. She jut recently moved into a 10 and they should last through the summer so it worked out. The one size ahead has worked for my DD1 for 5+ years now. We do need a variety of shoes here, two pairs of snowboots, keens for the rivers in the summer, sneakers, regular sandals... so I buy as much as I can when they are cheap.

Clothes, I have my own system based on my different children's growth. One size ahead works for DD1, but not DD2 because she is growing a lot faster then DD1 ever has. And now poor DS having two big sisters, has no clothes to pass down so I am figuring out a system for him, he is 10 months and wearing 18 month clothes. I am buying size 2 for this fall to put away.

[JBaxter]

Clothes I can guess pretty well. Shoes no way. My boys are all over the place and do not grow at a consistent rate.

[butterfly_mommy]

I usually buy 1-2 sizes up in clothes.

Shoes I have sometimes bought a few sizes ahead if it was a great sale of shoes like running shoes/casual shoes/dress shoes as even in the winter these types of shoes are worn inside like at school, party, event, mall, science centre, etc

Boots and sandals I can not really guess what size DS will be next season. However last summer we found some great sandals on sale in a size 10 (DS was a 7 at the time) and DH wanted to buy them so we did and DS is a 9 now so we may be in luck

[bender]

Bummer. I was hoping that there was some magical formula moms had figured out to accurately estimate what shoe size their kids would be in a year ahead of time.

Thanks for the hints everyone. Hopefully i can take advantage of some of the sales.

[sapphire_chan]

I'd only buy shoes in advance if they're season neutral.

[gbailey]

I've never purchased shoes in advance but for clothing I do especially since I buy most of DD's clothes in advance. I buy two sizes up sometimes three depending on the brand and how they clothes ran that particular season. I'm nervous about buying shoes in advance because I'm afraid they'll run too big or too small. Hope that helps

[Latte Mama]

I've been doing the guessing game and not doing too badly. Last summer, I bought sandals in May which then fit for about 3 weeks so I then bought the next size up. Well those lasted for about six weeks , man his feet grew quickly!

So this time around, I bought his sandals a month ago 2 sizes bigger. He's a 7 now and I bought 9's. They are adjustable type sandals too so even if a tad big, they'll be ok. And they actually look like smallish size 9's. I also buy sneakers on clearance in bigger sizes because you can't go wrong there!