Where do you buy your children's clothes? - Page 3

[LuxPerpetua]

Originally Posted by PeaceMongerMama 

Does anyone buy from LL Bean? I guess it's harder to catalog shop for kids than adults. I'm just wondering, I know they don't have a lot in selction or style - kind of bland but I would think the quality would be good. I'm thinking of buying DS a few staples, things that he is hard on like jeans and maybe a sturdy jacket, he doesn't need a winter coat where we live, one well made, in between jacket ought to do it.

The few things I've bought for dd through LL Bean have held up really well.  I've done both jeans and coats, and I have been really impressed.

[Coco_Hikes]

Love the LL Bean dresses from a PP.

We get a lot, too much really, of clothes for DD from a friend. I have noticed that lately the clothes are getting to be a bit, meh, older looking than I'd like for DD, so I am keeping an eye on what we get from that friend and keeping the simpler shirts/shorts/jeans and giving away the rest. I just am not a fan of half shirts over tank tops for the 5-to-6-year-old set. And shoes with heels?  YMMV, of course. I still like Osh Kosh and Carters for DD. Carters tops seem to be well made and hold up against my messy eater's spills.  Once in a while we'll go to H&M, Old Navy, the Gap for sale items if we are near a mall. H&M has super cute, age-appropriate dresses that aren't too frumpy. Lands' End sometimes, same for LL Bean. Their clothes always seem so boxy to me, although that shape does still work on DD's body type for now.

We've had good luck with leggings from Basic Brilliance in the past, when DD was a toddler. I haven't looked much but also haven't found any leggings in stores we shop (Target, Kohls, etc.) so will likely turn back to BB for some new pairs this autumn. I plan to use DD's old pairs on DS this fall, especially under snow pants. They are so much easier to slip on over leggings than bulky jeans or cords! http://www.basicbrilliance.com/girls-cotton-leggings.html

For shoes, we did See Kai Run until this year, when I just couldn't justify the wear and tear vs. the price. DD just got a pair of what look like pretty durable, and are washable, sneaks from Stride Rite. After having to return a pair of sandals that just plain broke after a few weeks of wear and having the fabric rip out of the toe of a pair of not-very-old sneakers (both Circo brand from Target) I am less likely to go cheap on shoes for her since she is hard on them more now than when she was younger. (Or we just picked the least-well made pairs at Target!).

Lots of family/friends have given us hand-me-downs for DS, and I have a good amount of gender-neutral stuff saved from DD for him. I'll probably approach his clothes/shoes the same way: spend on shoes more than clothes, except for winter coats. We need good quality winter gear here to ward off cabin fever! It sounds ridiculous to talk about Columbia brand winter coats for toddlers, but we do a lot of winter hiking, and it keeps them warm! Campmor.com has great off-season deals.

[Peony]

We buy some LL Bean clothes. Dresses, fleece jackets, a couple pairs of pants, everything has held up really well. And their lunch boxes get a thumbs up from me as well. 

[Eaglevoice]

We have lots of stuff from Target, Kohls, JCPenny, Old Navy, and Gymboree. Oh and my 6 year old has discovered Justice, so we have several things from there, too.

[La Limena]

Just went back to school shopping this weekend and we had a great time. We have decided to change DS1's school from the uniform-requiring magnet school he has gone to for K-1st to our neighborhood school which does not have a uniform policy. That meant buying a whole lot more of "regular" school clothes so we went to GAP kids, Gymboree, and Macy's. We do jeans, mainly, at GAP because they fit my slim DS well. I like tops from Gymboree, and DS loves Polo so that is why we have to hit Macy's. They are all having pretty nice sales right now. I like to buy shoes at Nordstrom shoe department because they have excellent customer service. The boys get a balloon and I get a thank you note in the mail. I usually buy my boys Geox and Ecco because they are well made and durable. Sometimes Crazy 8 and H&M have on trend items for super cheap. I am finishing my shopping online at 77kids and Hartstrings because since there are no brick and mortar stores here in CA, I can get some unique pieces for the boys this way. 

I buy very nice clothes, shoes, and handbags for myself so I would feel really quite awful dressing my boys in what I would consider raggedy clothes (like what I and my siblings grew up wearing) while spending so much on myself.  Also I save some things to hand down from DS1 to DS2 but I try to limit that as well because my younger sister is still traumatized to this day from having to wear so many hand me downs that were raggedy when I had them and were even more so by the time she got a hold of them. I don't want my boys to feel embarrassed about their clothes like my siblings and I did.

[AiryFairy]

For new clothes, I love Target for the price and cuteness :)  The Children's Place is nice quality, lots of cotton and decent prices if you shop the sales.  I would rather shop at the 2nd hand kid shops like Once Upon A Child.  My absolute fave is hand me downs-Score!  Kids go through clothes so fast, that it makes more frugal sense to me.

[tbone_kneegrabber]

When I do need new clothes that I haven't found in a thrift store I like H&M. You cannot buy online from them though. Their stuff is cute (although recently a lot of hello kitty, but still a lot of plain/blank stuff). Good prices too : pair of organic cotton Tshirts for $10 etc