March 18th, 2010 What To Look For When Purchasing Kids and Baby Clothing

Kids clothing costs money. Sometimes, it seems, too much money. So why would you go for the cheaper option when buying kids clothing that can be reused is the much smarter option.

I heard a joke the other day from one of my friends: What do you call something that costs a lot, gets used for about a month, and then sits in a box for a few years? Kids clothes and baby clothes. Hahaha.

Ok, well, it’s not a funny joke, but I don’t think she meant it to be funny. I think she just needed an outlet for the fact that she had just spent hundreds of dollars on new designer baby clothes only to box them up two months later. I could tell by the look of subtle desperation in her eyes.

Anyway, any parent knows that baby clothes can be a pain to pick out. There are lots of cute designs and cute colors, but you have to also temper this designer need with the fact that a baby is only going to wear a certain outfit for around a month before it gets thrown in the closet until the next baby comes along. And while there are plenty of options for finding great baby clothes, the thing to remember is that all the baby cares about is comfort. It’s you that cares about design.

What many parents don’t think enough about in baby clothes is durability. Most parents who are buying clothes for their first baby have a tendency to think short term instead of long. Most families have 2.5 children, some even more. That means that while baby clothes initially only need to last for a few months, unless you’re made of money and you’re planning to have multiple children you are going to want to use them over again. You want them to be able to survive not only multiple babies but also multiple storages. You want to be sure that they will be ready for use again after sitting in a labeled box for a year or two.

This multiple use makes baby and children’s clothes more of an investment then a onetime money pit. Like with most clothing you get what you pay for. If you buy cheap one time use baby clothes then you will have to purchase all new ones for your next child. This is why spending a little more on durable, name brand children’s clothing might be a smart investment. It’s the equivalent to buying a cheap brand of silverware instead of a brand name trusted brand. After a while, you’re going to wear them out and buy a new pair. This means that your cheap investment becomes an expensive investment over time. Just another thing to think about when buying baby and children’s clothing.

Author Kimberly Green always buys her kids clothing from reputable places such as Naartjie.com