Teach me how to buy clothes

[trumpcard]

a year in advance. DD is 4.5 months old and has mostly worn hand-me-down clothes. We recently moved to cold climate and I am looking at the cost of snowsuits in disbelief. I'd like to take advantage of the end-of season sales for all of her clothes but feel completely unable to estimate her correct size. She was an average weight at birth, 7lb. 12oz. but is BIG now (95th percentile) and is well out of 6 month clothing with her puffy cloth bum adding to her size. How do you estimate next year's sizes for your kids?

[Biscuits & Gravy]

I used to buy most of my older DS's wardrobe in advance. He was always very predictable so it worked. I'm not doing that anymore because I've found that there are tons of consignment sales in my area for childrens clothing. I can go to these sales at the beginning of the season and get great stuff for less than I would find it used at a resale store, or even on clearance at the end of season. They typically have a 50% or even 75% off day at the end of the sale, and that is when I go. I can get pants and shirts for $1, no more than $2. I can build a wardrobe for him for less than $50, easily. So my advice would be to look into consignment sales and hit them at the beginning of the season so you'll get the size you need without taking risks. Here is a great site with listings of sales by state

http://www.kidsconsignmentsales.com/seasonalsales.htm

[weliveintheforest]

Things like snowsuits fit a range of kids, so I would go for an 18-24 month one for next year.

[Think of Winter]

I wouldn't buy too much ahead. Whenever I do, no matter how great the sales, I have too much. You'll find sales, coupons, yard sales, and people will give you things. Unless it's a really fantastic deal, and you know it will fit and be needed, just don't buy it. It's a lot of work to sort, store, and keep track of clothes, too.

For expensive things, like winter outer wear, check Craig's list and second hand shops.

I also find that my dc don't really need that many different outfits. If I do wash daily, then 5 outfits is enough. I also only buy them one pair of shoes per season, but I buy good ones. Less is so much easier.

[BetsyS]

I'm a consignment sale shopper, too. I start the season with 10 outfits, but I'm amazed at what I end the season with. Grandparents, a random aunt present, a cheap clearance shirt at Kohl's, yard sales, whatever. It just adds up, and at the end of the season, I have much more.

[GardenStream]

I never bought ahead at that age. I do now, but it's pretty easy to know that DS is going to be in a size 5 next year vs the size 4 he is now.

I always went to a good second hand store and bought whatever I needed. I could get an entire season's worth of clothes for less than $20. Between that, hand me downs, and gifts I was set for the season. You could always check out freecycle, I've gotten some really good stuff on there.

[Norasmomma]

I have barely bought my son a thing since he was born, a few outfits, a nice winter coat(which is too big for this year). I do buy a variety of things for my kiddos, I purchased $100 worth of clothing for the both of them last spring, this included very nice outwear that was Lands'End(lots of it is for next year too). Like the other posters there are so many yard sales, freecycle, craigslist finds out there you really don't have to worry, for me some great sales came along and I got SO much for that $100 bucks.

I like having a bin with a variety of sizes that are approximately the size I think my kids will be in at a certain time. I currently have a box of 24-2t stuff for DS, DD is getting bigger so I'm starting a 6-7 box for her. I just pick up nice shirts etc at our local senior center. Both are outfitted in Gap, Gymboree, Osh-Kosh for free or cheap. I got DS an REI snowsuit for free and a Patagonia fleece bunting for $2.

Kids clothes are easy to find.

[just_lily]

I only buy ahead if an item is so cheap that if DD never ends up wearing it, I won't feel like I am being ripped off. Like just $1 or $2 an item.

My DD is the opposite end of the spectrum and is little. She turned 2 in July and most of her size 2 pants are still a little big. I'm not sure that I would purchase winter outerwear in advance, just in case. I have picked her up lightweight jackets, vests and a raincoat at used sales though, because they have a longer season so I know she will get a chance to wear them.

[Ruthla]

I wouldn't buy ahead for an infant. Next year she'll be a toddler, and a too-big snowsuit will limit her movements, while a too-small snowsuit obviously won't fit. If you end up buying another snowsuit next winter, then you've wasted money by buying something now. You have no way of knowing if she'll keep shooting up like crazy, or slow down once she gets mobile.

I wouldnt buy winter boots ahead until her growth slows down enough so that one size will fit for a whole year, or even half a year, as boots can be a size big.

It's OK to buy ahead on things that can be used in any season. The kinds of tops that work for winter clothing also work for cool summer evenings. Pants can be worn 3 seasons a year (4 if you get cold snaps in the summer.) Layering pieces are also good, as you can use them individually in warmer weather or combined in cooler weather (dresses to be worn with or without leggings, the leggings that can also be a layer under jeans, etc.)

I wouldn't buy a snowsuit ahead, as those need to fit fairly well, but sizing is a bit more fluid on separates. You also don't need to worry about sizing up on jackets due to cloth diapers. A winter jacket in a 3T is probably a safe choice- it will fit like a coat in the fall, may still fit in the spring, and then add snowpants for the wintertime.

[mnnice]

Originally Posted by trumpcard

a year in advance. DD is 4.5 months old and has mostly worn hand-me-down clothes. We recently moved to cold climate and I am looking at the cost of snowsuits in disbelief. I'd like to take advantage of the end-of season sales for all of her clothes but feel completely unable to estimate her correct size. She was an average weight at birth, 7lb. 12oz. but is BIG now (95th percentile) and is well out of 6 month clothing with her puffy cloth bum adding to her size. How do you estimate next year's sizes for your kids?

Every kids growth curve is a little different. DS1 and DS2 were both about the size of you DD at birth. DS1 wore 18 month clothes from about 7/8 months untill 18 months. DS2 wore them from about 20 months until 2 or 2 1/2.

[diana_of_the_dunes]

I also agree with shopping consignment and secondhand stores rather than buying too far ahead. Our St. Vincent dePaul just put out winter coats, and they're almost all less than $5.

I shop Once Upon a Child and ebay the most. I recently bought a bunch of Gymboree clothes for about $3 or $4 a piece, and that includes 3 or 4 hoodies (which are unreasonably expensive, even for off-brands!). Both are nice, because they always have all seasons available.

I try to buy a size ahead so that I won't be out of clothes when DS suddenly has a growth spurt. I already have some 24 month and 2T items ready to go, even though he's just getting into 18 month. It helps that he's really slowed down; he was up to 6-9 month clothes by the time he was 3 or 4 months old, so we were really blazing through the stash I had accumulated before he was born. Now I can pretty much tell that he'll be in 24 month before winter is over, and he'll almost certainly need 24 month summer clothes as well. But in the beginning, I needed winter clothes for 3 month, 6 month, 9 month, and 12 month because he grew so quickly.

[redvlagrl]

I don't buy ahead. DD was 7lbs 13oz at borth then also jumped up to 95th percentil (19 lbs at 6 mths) but by a year she was only 20lbs and has stayed on the 55th percentile curve ever since.

I buy in season but Gap has their stuff way ahead of when you need it. I wait until there is 40 or 30%off coupon and then buy, often off the sale rack. I also use my once upon a child which is like a consignment shop.

[beebalmmama]

I don't really buy ahead. But since I frequent thrift stores and consignment shops a lot, I will definitley pick up an item if it is a good deal and "should" fit ds at such and such time.

I agree with a pp, things like toddler outerwear have a much longer size range so is easier to estimate. If unsure, I'd go for larger. Many of ds's snowsuits and coats were worn for more than one season. I would go for 18-24 months since some of the 12 months may run small. Then you may get another winter out of it.

[TheSavedQuarter]

I'm going to voice the other side of this. Both of my kids have been on the same growth curves their whole lives and it makes it easy to predict what size they'll be. This is my method for clothing them for next to nothing.

I buy nearly all of their clothes at end-of-season sales, often with coupons, and haven't had much go unworn. They're 5 and 2 now. I keep a list in my purse of what I have and what I need for each size so I get a complete wardrobe, and at this size they're in the clothes for a year so it's okay to get both seasons. Starting at 18 months, we got at least 6-9 months out of clothes, and 2T is the turning point for my kids where clothes go a long time.

I don't buy shoes in advance except for sneakers because I have no luck at predicting shoe sizes and sneakers can be worn year round.

[Hey Mama!]

Originally Posted by TheSavedQuarter

I'm going to voice the other side of this. Both of my kids have been on the same growth curves their whole lives and it makes it easy to predict what size they'll be. This is my method for clothing them for next to nothing.

I buy nearly all of their clothes at end-of-season sales, often with coupons, and haven't had much go unworn. They're 5 and 2 now. I keep a list in my purse of what I have and what I need for each size so I get a complete wardrobe, and at this size they're in the clothes for a year so it's okay to get both seasons. Starting at 18 months, we got at least 6-9 months out of clothes, and 2T is the turning point for my kids where clothes go a long time.

I don't buy shoes in advance except for sneakers because I have no luck at predicting shoe sizes and sneakers can be worn year round.

I read your link and that is pretty much my buying strategy as well. I have three girls so I buy in a size range from 6-12. I know it will fit someone and if not I will turn around and sell it in a large children's consignment sale and recoup my money. I only buy ahead if I can get an item for at least 60% off the regular price, which is not that hard to do. I get emails from several stores I like to shop at and just wait for the perfect combo of sale and coupon to stock up.

[Logan]

I tend to buy one for each size, but I know Im having more kids. We dont have snow here, but each size of clothing has one big raincoat/warm jacket for example. This may not work if you were not planning more kids though as you may end up with sizes that wont get used. But after the 6-12 months size, kids tend to stay in one size for a year. So I figure winter will fall at some stage of that age/size range. And vice versa for summer clothing.

[WorldsBestMom]

That is really hard as you cant really predict your childs growth pattern sometime. One could buy clothes that are a little bigger that way the child will grow in to them and one will not have to go get another set of clothing again until the baby has another growth spurt