I've been picking up a few things here and there as spring ended and I just organized LO's stuff. We are doing a makeover for her room into a big kid (well, early elementary) room as she is entering first grade. In the process, I now have school supplies, raincoat, a couple of pairs of shoes for first grade. I also dug out some next size up hand me down dresses. I feel somewhere between prepared and a 'prepper'. Not a problem, but just wanted to know if anyone else out there is doing this too.
-
I always buy clothes on clearance (i.e. in the wrong season) in the next size up. I have had DS1's summer clothes since winter and I've had his fall clothes since spring. I still augment here and there during that actual season, but the bulk of his basics are done months in advance. I also buy shoes for him whenever I see sales (he has super wide feet) so I've had shoes in the next several sizes for a long time.
DS2 gets all the hand me downs unless we are short for a particular season bc the birthdays don't match up.
-
@gingerbebe: Oh good! I thought I was the only one!
Now off to look for some clearance rainboots and ski helmet. lol The weird thing is that I don't like shopping for myself or shopping, in general. LO is the exception.
-
@gingerbebe: I do the clearance thing too! Amazing deals.
-
HA I just bought a raincoat on clearance at Target for $11 tonight!
-
I'm looking forward to the Nordstrom Anniversary sale in July.
-
I also buy ahead when everything is in clearance. I have 5-6 outfits for DD and DS for the fall already. I haven't started getting DD's school stuff yet but I should start getting organized with that.
-
I buy ahead for things that aren't super season specific. I had a lot of things go to waste when I tried to buy ahead and DD grew differently then I expected. So I grab pajamas in various sizes from the clearance rack, just picked up a jean jacket and cardigan in he next size up because they will likely be used no matter the season.
For those of you who buy a lot ahead - how do you predict sizes?
-
@catgirl: same here- I just can't predict sizes well enough, and if you buy just a few things that never fit, you undo the savings anyway. But I do always buy big and have been able to get two seasons out of clothes that way.
-
I have, although to be honest it's been inadvertantly (bought things and they were still too big). We always have a slew of hand me downs so it's filling in the gaps and choosing a few fun things. I'm trying to wait this year in particular though because I want sister matches and it's harder to find matches when stuff is off season! Most years I have definitely already started though.
-
@catgirl: @Foodnerd81: I don't know if it's just me but I find it a lot easier to buy ahead for my boy than my girl. Boy cuts are so much more forgiving if the size isn't quite right.
-
I have bought my son's pants for the fall, but so far that is all.
I also have a tough time with sizes, especially now that my son is older. I am never sure if he's going to gain weight and need a bigger waist, or if he's going to grow and need a longer pant length. As he gets older, he's less and less tolerant of wearing too big clothes, for example, so I tend to buy in season. I save money this way, there is always a sale.
Additionally, as kids get older, they have more of an interest in what they are wearing, so it becomes more difficult to get them to wear what you have supplied.
-
I've decided I suck at buying ahead - I have a stack of 24 month shorts that I bought at Dillard's New Year's day sale that don't fit my petite 2 year old, so I'm done. I do wait for good sales though and stock up then. And I do have a pair of tennis shoes for my preschooler for when she starts school up in the fall again that I got a killer deal on that should fit her. But I honestly just have to wait closer otherwise I end up with clothes that don't fit.
-
I have been doing this since I could predict what size DD would wear (maybe 1 yr-18 months old). I have pretty much everything she will need for fall already between consignment sales, hand me downs, and awesome sales at Carters/ Target. I only need to get tshirts and socks because hers get filthy and I replace them every season.
-
@caterw: Yes! I need socks too!! Thank goodness, LO is not picky and hand me down givers (we need to make a name for those people) are aligned to LOs taste. If it is pink, sparkly or cute she likes it.
-
Always! I bought a gorgeous wool coat in 5t when lo was 2 because it was a classic and a great deal lol. If I see something I love I'll buy way far in advance. Zulilly also makes it too easy to buy seasons ahead. I've bought a few cute Christmas things already. Don't even get me started on home stuff - I bought a few fall decorations at hobby lobby last month!
-
@JerricaBenton: Zulily and Christmas. Don't even get me started there!! I bought a nice classic Gymboree/Olivia pea coat the winter when LO turned 4 and it will last until she is 7!!! I tried to sell it at one point but I'm getting still getting some good mileage each season.
-
@808love: lol I know, right? They're like, geniuses over there...It's way too easy! I bought lo and I matching Christmas jammies last week, haha.
-
Well, part of this is because my oldest kid is still relatively young - he turns 3 in September - and because we live in California so we don't have like 4 seasons with a crazy cold winter or anything. Also, I know my kid is tall and skinny, so I strategically buy brands and cuts I know work for his body shape with either adjustable waist bands or elastic waistbands with real working drawstrings (I HATE when I get faked out by ornamental drawstrings - WHY!?!) The worst case scenario is I buy too many pants and he doesn't grow into them fast enough, but I try to work around that by buying fewer pants in lighter weight fabrics, like plain cotton sweats/joggers or khaki-material pants. That way I'm not stuck with jeans that don't fit until its 104 degrees out. I also like jogger pants because they can be hiked up a little with the cuff and can be worn when its warmer out but still give my son some knee coverage or keep him warmer if its a little cold in the mornings. Shorts are great because they are so much more flexible.
I don't buy heavyweight coats because they're not necessary where we live, but we have a lot of zipup hoodies, 1-2 lightweight fleece jackets, and 1-2 fleece vests for layering and those can always work in the size up. I usually get 1-2 raincoats or windbreakers and I like having 1 pair of rain boots for each season.
My boys dress super simply - cotton separates that we mix and match for the most part. The one thing I USUALLY can't buy ahead more than 3 months in advance is special occasion clothes like Easter outfits or wedding outfits, but those are fun to hunt for in season.
-
I'm waiting for the Nordstrom anniversary sale. Last year I got a super cute and very functional North Face jacket for my daughter and I really hope I can find one again.
I will probably buy myself some new sweaters and tunics at the sale too. I LOVE fall/winter clothes so it's hard to resist!
-
@mrskansas: Yes, I love the Nordstrom anniversary sale. I try not to buy too much in general, but that's always worth checking out.
-
I buy a lot of clothes on sale or clearance for the next season. I have a ton of shirts for this fall, a few pairs of pants and a jacket.
-
I haven't bought a lot for fall yet, we are still stuck in a really dreary spring here in the northeast. We've had the occasionally 70 degree day, but it's mostly been 50s and raining.
Also, I bought DD a lot of stuff at consignment sales for this summer when I was pregnant and she's still too small for it. Plus it's still the wrong season. I thought we'd be in 12m summer clothes by now. Instead we're in 9m long sleeves/pants, which I have barely any of and haven't wanted to buy much because I keep thinking it's going to warm up.
I'll do a couple big shopping trips at the end of the summer and leverage sales and coupons. I did buy a couple things for winter at the end of last season - a winter jacket for DS and some snowpants for both kids.
-
I just purchased a pair of shoes for A to wear next summer/fall (as long as her feet fit in them). I have so much clothing saved from when H was little that I won't really have to buy much for her at all until she hits 2T/3T (at that point, H was wearing out clothes). For H, she is small for her age and I'm getting at least two seasons of wear out of most of her clothes, so she's still wearing some things from last summer this year (mainly dresses).
-
I already have matching winter clothes for the girls/christmas outfits for whole family from this past winter's clearance
-
I browse kidizen all the time, and buy ahead when I find good deals/items I can't resist. I think I've got a couple pairs of cords, some sweaters, and some dresses for my daughter for the fall. My son can mostly wear the clothes I saved from big sister, but will need some shirts. He also needs snow pants...
I will try to hold out for the Nordstrom sale, and then we are near a Hanna Andersson outlet in August.... -
I've been trying to hold myself back a bit. I realize I've gotten burned a bit in the past overbuying: forgetting what I had already purchased when buying ahead, misjudging her size in specific brands, or buying a certain color just because its on sale, and then regretting it once she starts wearing it.
We don't have a consignment shop here. I wish we did; I'd love to be able to buy her stuff from one (and be able to see and feel items). I got burned by my first postmark purchase for her.. "practically new, worn once or twice" apparently meant to the seller "I've gotten the zipper of the jacket caught so many times on the fabric that it gets stuck in the zipped position and has eaten the fabric clean through".
-
Sort of. I took a leap of faith (I was 9.5 weeks when I ordered) and bought maternity jeans and tshirts.
For the kids, nope. I'm not great at getting the timing and sizing right when I do things in advance. And we don't live where it snows so no big purchases really needed!
-
@catgirl: I've been lucky that my DD has been pretty predictable about when she grows into the next size. There was some trial and error when she was really tiny though. She's a skinny thing, so I definitely wasted money when I purchased jeans or shorts that she never fit into. Now I only buy things ahead of time I know she'll be able to wear (leggings, shirts, jackets, etc). I will only buy jeans or shorts at the time she'll wear them to make sure they fit her properly.
The only shoes I'll buy ahead of time are those that would work for any season. I can't predict her shoe size at all!
-
@Littlebit7: Yes me as well. I also had fantasies about what kinds of clothes my son would wear and now I just don't buy those items (no jeans, no button down shirts, no sweaters, no turtlenecks). I also don't buy special occasion clothes just to have them on hand because I noticed that I forgot about them.
I do buy ahead when I find a particular item that really works, like my son's snow boots. I bought the next size up last year and I'll likely order the next size when I see them again.
I also just bought my son's polo shirts for the next school year, on clearance.
-
@looch: I am on the lookout for snowboots. What kind do you have?
-
This makes me so thankful we live in south FL where it is shorts and t-shirt weather year round! So if I see a great clearance deal on summery stuff, I get it - he can wear it year round
-
@808love: Merrell Snowbank.
We are on the second pair. The first lasted 2 full years, and would be acceptable to use again, but they were outgrown. I love these boots because they're super flexible and my son can walk and climb as if he were in sneakers.
-
I used to buy ahead, but not anymore. These days, I look at what they need when the seasons change and then wait for a sale and stock up on in-season clothes. I've had a few mishaps where they outgrew the size before they could wear it, or they both have fairly specific tastes, especially my DD, so they won't wear things they don't like.
-
@2littlepumpkins: I did this too. Bought some jeans and a few things to get me out of Summer and into fall. I'm early on too. Just now getting to 12 weeks
-
@looch: I need to look at these. We got her sorels (which hopefully will fit another season) but they are so heavy duty she walks like she has cement in them
-
@Littlebit7: They're phenomenal. I recommend them to everyone I know!
-
@looch: Do you think they could double as rainboots?
-
@808love: Yes, easily. My son wears them pretty much every day October through April.
I do have a pair of Crocs rainboots for him though, he wears those when he goes wading at the beach.
-
@looch:
half off, last one...just hope it fits; matches her raincoat
Now off to look for some clearance rainboots and ski helmet. lol The weird thing is that I don't like shopping for myself or shopping, in general. LO is the exception.
Subscribe to our newsletter
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite0
40 comments