The Busy Mum’s Guide to Dressing your Kids Well

It feels like kids today are more fashion-forward than most adults have ever been in their lives. There are many reasons for this; there are more options on the market for children than there were thirty years ago, fashion trends evolve relatively quickly with access to different styles online, and kids simply have more access to immediate fashion evolutions. 

Image Credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/t-shirts-black-and-white-t-shirt-2731768/

Twenty or thirty years ago, there were several ways kids could get new clothes: their parents could sew them, you could go to whatever local store was near, or you could order from a printed magazine. Now, though, if someone wants to release a new fashion line, it hits the internet first, and stores, later. Because of this, it can be a little overwhelming even knowing where to start, or how to identify well-made clothing since you can’t see the items before they arrive at your postal box. 

There are several options for monthly subscription clothing boxes, ranging from full outfits to funky socks, and it seems every brand of adult clothing now has a kid’s option as well. The sheer plethora of options is overwhelming when it comes to dressing your kids well, but don’t dismay! Here are a few tips to keep their small closets full of clothes they actively wear, with high-quality clothing. 

1. Have a colour theme. Now, don’t go and throw away everything not in the colour theme in your kids’ closets. Instead, moving forward, have your child select a few of their favourite colours, and aim to buy clothes mostly in just those colours. This will make getting dressed for any event easier, and reduce the stress associated with choosing an outfit. Consider having a closet full of fun blues, teals, and greens, with an occasional orange or white shirt thrown in to switch it up. (This is a great tip for adults, as well. If every morning you’re looking for that one black shirt, maybe it’s time to get some high-quality black shirts and transition the floral ones out of your closet.) 
2. Don’t assume that just because kids will grow out of clothes that they should always be wearing fast-fashion or low-quality clothing. A well-made winter jacket can easily last through several snowy winters, especially if you buy it just slightly too large initially.
   

Image credit: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-girl-design-happy-35188/

3. Have set clothes for after school and sports activities. While it might sound 

counter-intuitive, having a set of outside clothes will reduce the sheer number of outfits your kids need. Check out some of these boys sportswear options if you’re not sure where to start. Sports and outdoor wear is supposed to get worn and dirty, while you will likely want their non-exercise clothes to remain stain free. They are kids, so that won’t always be the case, but two sets of outdoor clothes will definitely cut down on the amount of laundry and fixing of ripped seams you’ll need to fix.  When the clothes get a little too worn for outside wear, rotate them into their pyjama options. 

Image Credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/kid-boy-bicycle-young-childhood-2811354/

4. Budget clothes in. If you find yourself grabbing a t-shirt here or there, and convincing yourself it’s okay to splurge on another jacket “just because,” it’s time to set a budget. If your kids are old enough to understand finances a little, have them make a list of the clothes they would like to have over the next several months, and have them pick them out. If they go over the budget, have them simply put back the items they need the least. This is both a life-lesson in budgeting and finances, as well as helping them keep their closets tidy.
5. For every “new” item introduced into a closet, donate or hand down an item no longer in use. While this isn’t true for everything, such as something sport-specific or a school uniform, the idea of limiting clothing options will be very freeing. This also plays into the stick-with-a-colour-theme idea. If you’re trying to introduce multiple greens and blues, getting rid of the oranges and reds will help as you transition. 
6. Revamp old clothes. If your youngest rarely sees the inside of a clothing store because they have all hand-me-down clothes, try changing them up slightly to make them more personalised. This might be as simple as changing a pair of pants into a pair of shorts or adding new details to a pocket. 

There are so many options on the market for kids’ clothes, but it simply does not need to be overwhelming to dress your kids. Take the time to really choose clothes out for what your child needs, rather than just spontaneously buying a cute outfit. In the end, you’ll be so grateful that you spent the time to make deliberate choices when you see their well-organised closets each morning.