As I pick up Ana and George from nursery I am gushing with pride as my two little ones run joyously toward me. Unwittingly, I also notice how messy and soiled their clothes are! Ana’s unruly curls sit as a big nest on her head – no doubt she undid the French plait I painstakingly produced this morning. The cream tights we put on with the pink cashmere dress are now grey and torn, and the dress bears the aftermath of today’s breakfast, lunch and supper. George is in a similar state, but in his case somebody’s changed him already – I dread to find out what’s inside his backpack, I think, as I say a little prayer for biological detergents.
Ana is four and little George is approaching two. Each day I have to bring two bags of clothing to nursery. This usually means a couple of pairs of trousers for George to change into, a spare shirt and a trusty pair of Wellies in case it rains – which it almost always does here! I take with me a similar load for Ana.
By many peoples’ standards, I suppose my children don’t have that many clothes, however I still find my house overflowing with kiddies items, and the never-ending piles of laundry can become overwhelming.
On top of that, kids grow at a rate that’s sometimes hard for grownups to fully comprehend. I always have to buy extra items of clothing, a couple of sizes larger, just in case. Children three to five years grow half a shoe size every four months for goodness sake! And between 12 and 24 months, your toddler can grow 4-5 inches (10-12 cm) and add an extra 6 pounds.
Here are my tips on managing the gruelling task of children’s clothing shopping.
I certainly don’t spend too much on the kid’s clothes. Both George and Ana have their own closets and in there I would usually have 8-10 shirts, a few casual T-shirts and sweaters, dresses and skirts for Ana, plus a few pieces dresses for special occasions. There is also one small dresser for pants and shorts, plus another for pajamas, underwear, socks/tights and cloth diapers, and of course jackets in the hall closet.
I have a few favourite brands where I shop for basics and classic pieces. The more high-end, fashion-forward items are usually bought for specific special occasions.
For the everyday stuff they wear at nursery, a few of my favourite labels are BabyGap, Next and Zara (though I much prefer the girls items here). I also look out for consignment sales where I know I can get clothes in bulk for just a few pounds, and I won’t be worried if they get ripped or dirty at the kids’ next playground-based mud-slinging war.
However, I’m known to be a label fanatic, so I do have a bit of a weakness for kid’s designer clothes.
For girls I love Oilily, a Dutch brand famous for its bright colours and playful patterns. They boast excellent quality and fit and are quite generous with sizing. I love their dresses and matching cardigans.
Marie Chantal is another brand I go for if I want to invest in a good quality coat or a jacket for my little girl. The brand also designs very pretty dresses, however, so as not to break the bank, I usually find good bargains on their website during sales.
To keep my little princess en vogue on beach holidays I turn to either Catimini, which does cute tops and lovely cotton dresses, or Stella McCartney, who designs fantastic dungarees and all-in-one jumpsuits. For comfort and style while travelling, Ana has a few Juicy Couture tracksuits in adorable shades of pink and white. Amongst others, I also enjoy shopping at MonnaLisa, Tartine et Chocolat, Nanos, Caramel and Roly Pony (who have recently expanded their baby collection to include boys).
If you really want to step up and create a miniature fashionista, you can get matching outfits for yourself and your little princess from Dior, Dolce Gabbana or Gucci. Of course it’ll make for the perfect picture moment, but I sure wouldn’t be letting her run wild in the playground. For now, a Disney princess gown – be it Elsa from Frozen or Belle from Beauty and the Beast – will suffice.
My favourite labels for the boys are Ralph Lauren, Gant and Diesel. They’re classic and stylish. I like George’s outfits to coordinate too, so I buy him matching pieces.
Every season I buy him 10 new Ralph Lauren or Diesel T-shirts, each in a different colour and smart and casual trousers. I prefer good quality, warm outerwear from Jacadi (for duffle coats) and Moncler (for puffer jackets). Bonniebaby does fantastic cashmere and wool jumpers, I was especially fond of their all-in-one playsuits when my little ones were still babies.
I get everyday shoes from Trotters or Russell and Bromley for Kids, and we cannot go without Uggs in Winter and Timberlands for in between seasons.
And for all of you super busy (or lazy like meJ) mums, there are fantastic companies out there like muddycreatures.com. In the comfort of your office space you can click a button and set up your children’s profiles (including their measurements and preferences) and the company will create a box full of items suited to your little nippers. They also offer suggestions and virtually monitor your kid’s tastes and growth spurts so that you get updated with a fresh box full of kids clothing every season.
Despite all your efforts to keep the kids closet minimal, you’ll still manage to accumulate masses over the years, so I suggest recycling. You’re lucky if you have kids of the same sex, then of course the clothes can be passed down. In my case, I often succumb to clothing swaps with family friends. Oxfam and other charity shops are more than happy to take piles of clothes from me every year, and Save The Children is still seeking clothes to donate to refugee children so it’s worth doing a good cleanout once a year. I know as well as the next mum how quick they manage to wear them out!
