1. Only spend $20+ on an item of kids clothes IF it's unisex, and IF I love it enough to pass down to my other kids. This means it has to be comfortable, washable, durable, and timeless so that I don't spend loads of money on something and then later decide against putting it on my next kid because it's out of fashion or hasn't stood the test of time.
2. If a clothing item isn't something I plan on passing down from kid to kid, spend as little money as possible (I'm usually somewhere around $5-$10 per item), and then don't sweat it when something rips, tears, stains, or gets lost.
3. Buy clothes both my kids and I like. If one of us likes it and the other doesn't, there will almost always be a fight on a rushed morning when we don't have time to work through it. This means finding vintage super-hero shirts that don't TOTALLY make me want to puke, and it means finding more classic clothes that I love that are comfortable enough that my kids love it too, even without their favorite tv character plastered all over it.
You might be interested to know that I do almost all of the shopping for my oldest (7 year old boy) at HM. They have a huge selection of things we both agree on and while the clothes wear out quickly compared to more expensive brands, they are inexpensive enough that I'm not constantly following him around making sure he doesn't rip something, jump in any mud puddles, or have any fun.
But I will say, I'm constantly seeking sources and inspiration for other options for him. SO if you see any cute 7 year old boys, ask them where they shop! :)
With my younger two, (3 year old girl and a 1 year old boy) I am building both wardrobes essentially from scratch. Obviously my daughter doesn't have anyone to pass down clothes to her, and my boys were born in different seasons and are wildly different in size, so he hasn't had a lot of hand-me-downs, either. I have no interest in breaking the bank, and loads of interest in cute clothes, so here we are.
Now that you know generally what I am working with and looking for when shopping, let's get to it.
#1. Black Romper
Price: $10.99
Buy Again: MAYBE
Comments: Super soft and cute, but seems to be made cheaply and there's not an easy way to change a diaper without taking the whole outfit off.
#2. Long Sleeve Dress With Floral Collar
Price: $15.90
Buy Again: YES
Comments: So soft, fits nicely, pairs with any color of tights, and just so adorable! My little girl says it's very comfortable. I washed it, but laid it out to dry in stead of putting it in the dryer, was still soft!
#3. Linen Long Sleeve Dress
Price: $14.90
Buy Again: YES
Comments: The linen leads me to believe I'll be able to pass this one down, and this dress alone may be the biggest motivation to have another girl. Such a sweet dress! Bought it in blue and pink.
#4. Unisex Long Sleeve Playsuit in Dark Green
Price: $6.98
Buy Again: YES
Comments: So soft, washed and dried without any shrinking, inexpensive but will likely be able to be passed down.
#5. Gray Romper
Price: $10.99
Buy Again: MAYBE
Comments: Super soft and cute, but seems to be made cheaply and there's not an easy way to change a diaper without taking the whole outfit off. (Same romper as #1)
#6. Unisex Romper Sleeveless Orange
Price: $5.97
Buy Again: MAYBE
Comments: I ordered this one on August 24th and it's set to arrive sometime between September 20th and October 12. I'm guessing this is shipping from some overstock yard across the ocean. This is inexpensive enough that I might love it for that reason alone, but I'll have to let you know more when it arrives.
#7. Unisex Romper Sleeveless Navy Blue
Price: $5.97
Buy Again: MAYBE
Comments: Same as #5 just in a different color. I'll keep you posted.
#8. Linen Strap Romper In Gray, Unisex
Price: $6.39
Buy Again: YES
Comments: I was so worried that the straps would break during playtime or in the washing machine but they've held strong! This is so adorable with or without an undershirt and it's inexpensive enough that if it breaks I'll just buy another one. There's not fast access to a diaper change but I just tie the straps in a bow for a quick release which is way better than buttons.
#9. Sleeveless Cotton Romper In White
Price: $7.79
Buy Again: YES
Comments: This ran quite small, especially after washing so I re-ordered the next size up and will use the smaller one on *hopefully* future children. I also tried this one which was almost the exact same thing, and not worth paying the extra $4.
#10. Unisex Cactus Romper
Price: $1.59
Buy Again: YES
Comments: I was skeptical about this one due to the price but if you like this one even a little bit, BUY IT NOW! It's soft, easy, washes well, and totally cute.
#11. Unisex Linen Romper In Blue
Price: $8.50
Buy Again: YES
Comments: This ran small and did shrink a bit in the dryer but the quality seems great, and though it didn't fit my little one for as long as I'd have liked (see the wedgie picture above), I'll absolutely save it for the next babe.
#12. Unisex Linen Romper In Biege
Price: $8.50
Buy Again: YES
Comments: Same as #11, just a different color. We loved this one for church!
#13. Toddler Mary Janes
Price: $9.99
Buy Again: YES
Comments: These might be my favorite find! The product photo doesn't do them justice, they're much cuter in person and we even easily removed the bow for a look we both were more comfortable with. These have held up nicely and match everything!
#14. Peter Pan Collar Shirt
Price: $14.99
Buy Again: YES
Comments: I should never try to pick favorites because this one is also my favorite! This paired with some tights is so adorable. It's pricier than I'd like for a shirt, but it washes well, wears well, is comfortable, stylish, goes with any bottom, and I bought it in 2 colors because of it!
#15. Short Sleeve Blouse
Price: $7.99
Buy Again: NO
Comments: This was actually my first attempt at buying clothes on Amazon and it wasn't a big success. The shirt ended up being super frumpy and more school-uniform-like than Peter-Pan-Collar-Whimsical like I was hoping. We'll probably see if we can layer it in the fall but will likely end up donating it.
#16. Unisex Lace Knee-High Stockings
Price: $13.99
Buy Again: YES
Comments: These came with 6 colors and I wish they came in my size! We all love these as they are the perfect colors for any outfit. They can be tall enough to wear as tights, or bunches loosely to wear as boot socks or knee-highs. They can be dressed up or dressed down and at roughly $2 a pair, I'm a huge fan!
I literally couldn't think of any other way to share this information, without greatly complicating my life...so thanks for humoring me! Dear AZ is the joint venture of my husband and me, but this little piece of the internet is where I spent years and years documenting things from my point of view. I like that today those two worlds are colliding.
Price: $10.99
Buy Again: MAYBE
Comments: Super soft and cute, but seems to be made cheaply and there's not an easy way to change a diaper without taking the whole outfit off. (Same romper as #1)
#6. Unisex Romper Sleeveless Orange
Price: $5.97
Buy Again: MAYBE
Comments: I ordered this one on August 24th and it's set to arrive sometime between September 20th and October 12. I'm guessing this is shipping from some overstock yard across the ocean. This is inexpensive enough that I might love it for that reason alone, but I'll have to let you know more when it arrives.
#7. Unisex Romper Sleeveless Navy Blue
Price: $5.97
Buy Again: MAYBE
Comments: Same as #5 just in a different color. I'll keep you posted.
#8. Linen Strap Romper In Gray, Unisex
Price: $6.39
Buy Again: YES
Comments: I was so worried that the straps would break during playtime or in the washing machine but they've held strong! This is so adorable with or without an undershirt and it's inexpensive enough that if it breaks I'll just buy another one. There's not fast access to a diaper change but I just tie the straps in a bow for a quick release which is way better than buttons.
#9. Sleeveless Cotton Romper In White
Price: $7.79
Buy Again: YES
Comments: This ran quite small, especially after washing so I re-ordered the next size up and will use the smaller one on *hopefully* future children. I also tried this one which was almost the exact same thing, and not worth paying the extra $4.
#10. Unisex Cactus Romper
Price: $1.59
Buy Again: YES
Comments: I was skeptical about this one due to the price but if you like this one even a little bit, BUY IT NOW! It's soft, easy, washes well, and totally cute.
#11. Unisex Linen Romper In Blue
Price: $8.50
Buy Again: YES
Comments: This ran small and did shrink a bit in the dryer but the quality seems great, and though it didn't fit my little one for as long as I'd have liked (see the wedgie picture above), I'll absolutely save it for the next babe.
#12. Unisex Linen Romper In Biege
Price: $8.50
Buy Again: YES
Comments: Same as #11, just a different color. We loved this one for church!
#13. Toddler Mary Janes
Price: $9.99
Buy Again: YES
Comments: These might be my favorite find! The product photo doesn't do them justice, they're much cuter in person and we even easily removed the bow for a look we both were more comfortable with. These have held up nicely and match everything!
#14. Peter Pan Collar Shirt
Price: $14.99
Buy Again: YES
Comments: I should never try to pick favorites because this one is also my favorite! This paired with some tights is so adorable. It's pricier than I'd like for a shirt, but it washes well, wears well, is comfortable, stylish, goes with any bottom, and I bought it in 2 colors because of it!
#15. Short Sleeve Blouse
Price: $7.99
Buy Again: NO
Comments: This was actually my first attempt at buying clothes on Amazon and it wasn't a big success. The shirt ended up being super frumpy and more school-uniform-like than Peter-Pan-Collar-Whimsical like I was hoping. We'll probably see if we can layer it in the fall but will likely end up donating it.
#16. Unisex Lace Knee-High Stockings
Price: $13.99
Buy Again: YES
Comments: These came with 6 colors and I wish they came in my size! We all love these as they are the perfect colors for any outfit. They can be tall enough to wear as tights, or bunches loosely to wear as boot socks or knee-highs. They can be dressed up or dressed down and at roughly $2 a pair, I'm a huge fan!
I literally couldn't think of any other way to share this information, without greatly complicating my life...so thanks for humoring me! Dear AZ is the joint venture of my husband and me, but this little piece of the internet is where I spent years and years documenting things from my point of view. I like that today those two worlds are colliding.
