How many clothes?

[Liviam]

I always massively over shop for my kids so this year I am determined to cut down on the amount I buy as so much doesn't get worn and it's such a waste of money especially considering I'm on a tight budget this year. I have tried the pick what I think they need then put some back but still end up with heaps

So how many outfits do you buy for your kids? Including pj's too. I wash just about everyday if that makes a difference. DD has kinder two days/week and DS has childcare 1 - 2 day/week.

I have a 5 yo DD & 3 yo DS to dress.

TIA,
Dan.

[Onelittleprincess]

I look at 1 shirt/pants a day plus a couple of extras, 3 or 4 good outfits and a few dresses. But the shirts and pants I try to be able mix and match same as good stuff. So maybe 10 outfits. We are home mostly tho

[Astrid]

Been meaning to ask this myself, as I feel that we do overspend with kids clothing. They always seem to have too much or not enough!

[Beach Mama]

Did you lose a child??? :P Heehee - I do too hun but find that even with washing alot they go through heaps. I find about 5 pairs of shorts for J, one pair of jeans, about 10 tee shirts, 1 -2 dressy shirts, 1 pair dressy shorts plus his boardies and rashies etc see him through summer, then with Iz it's a bit different cos girls are way more fun to buy for so she would get about 8 tees, 4 singlet tops, 5 dresses, 5 skirts, 6 pairs of leggings (lives in them and refuses to wear jeans/trackies at all) 4 pairs of shorts, a few cardigans and then whatever winter jackets they have - not sure that helps acutally and once I actually do the shopping will revisit this thread coz I might be way under

[Onelittleprincess]

Kmart have great priced kids clothes. I mean $3 for a tshirt - at that price if it gets ruined on the 5th wear I think it's not to bad. But my dd has lasted all winter with these shirts

[LuluHB]

I've just done some summer shopping for my string beans and tried to cut back too. I bought I and E each two good dresses, two pairs of shorts and three skirts that have bike shorts underneath, with a tshirt to go with all plus three extras. They will get bathers for swimming lessons as well as two or three sets of rashies for in the pool at home. Two nighties each. I was done then. As usual though, while out shopping with Mum for A I bought another dress for E. Then had to buy one for I, but of course found two I liked for her so now E needs another to even it up. I blame Mum! ;-)

I'm really trying to keep it under control for A. trying trying trying . . .

[Rouge]

I buy probably 5 outfits per season including a good one. Any other clothes that are gifts are a bonus. I buy a size ahead so it can last. So they essentially have 10 outfits per season. A couple of hoodies a good jacket and that's about it.

[onthefly]

I just buy things as we need them. And the grandparentals tend to buy and make stuff and we get handmedowns, so it's very little, really. they still have heaps.
I hardly ever buy clothes for myself, so overbuying is not really an issue for me.

[PumpkinZulu]

I just buy stuff as I need it, but also bigger sizes up if it's a good deal. Now I know we're having another girl, I buy more readily for DD because I know it'll go to DD2.

DD has a lot of clothes. Her ild summer wardrobe is now for her sister, and we've yet to stock up for summer coming, so the current winter wardrobe is about 15 long sleeve tops, 15 pants/leggings, two skirts, maybe two dresses, 4 jumpers, 2 coats, 3 pairs of stockings, 1 pair of shorts (to go with leggings), loads of socks and singlets, and about 5 legless onesies to go under pants in either short or long sleeve. She basically lives in tops and pants at this stage. Everything can be worn with everything in DD's wardrobe and is very mix and match, but judging by just the numbers she has about 17 outfits for this season.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

As Liebling is now at school, I have pretty much all his wardrobe for the winter/next summer. He would have more long-sleeved clothes and jeans if he were not at school, but he does spend 3 months of the year at home so you can't cut back that much.

2 pairs shorts, 3 pairs jeans, 2 pairs smart trousers, 5 T-shirts, 2 hoody jumpers, 1 long-sleeved T-shirt. 7 pairs socks, 2 pairs welly socks. He has 3 pairs PJs and a dressing gown.

Liebling will need a shirt or two, and I didn't buy all of those clothes, some were from my mother.

I wash twice a week in the school holidays, three times if needed.

[Arcadia]

I think you can't have enough singlets, socks and undies, but otherwise about five tshirts, five long sleeves, five pairs of pants, three skirts, about three dresses and about three jackets (one light weight, one warm and one raincoat). Pjs dd has about four pairs since we change them each day. We have loads more than that, but that's really all that gets worn. We layer up a lot too.

Ds has about seven pairs of pants, about five tshirts and the same long sleeves. two shirts, four jumpers and one big jacket. We only has one pair of swimmers and one hat and one pair of shoes lol! We has about five pairs of pjs, and I could do with one more.

We tend to have a lot of impractical dresses for dd, but otherwise she wears the same things over and over. The grandparents tend to buy everything, with me filling in gaps, but this has slowed down recently and ds is pretty strapped for clothes. I look in op shops these days and Kmart. I had a gift card for myer and went and bought two pairs of shorts, two tshirts and one long sleeve in the next size up, because he is growing leaps and bounds. It cost $75!! So that's a rarity!

[Liviam]

Thanks everyone. DD has decided that she is going to wear dresses & skirts this year & DS wants lots of pretty dresses too, LOL!!

So I think i'll work off about 10 outfits & two good ones. If I have gaps/not enough I will get them for Christmas.

Now to go through their wardrobes and see what fits/doesn't fit so I know what they need.

Lordly, then I have to move onto DH.

Oh Tan, poor DS2 is getting all handme downs from DS1 with a few new things thrown in so I don't feel to guilty, LOL!!

[~ Zarava Flutterby ~]

We are hopeless, our girls tallboys are FULL to the brim and we recently gave away 2 bags of clothes they don't wear in 2 sizes.

If i see a sale or a good deal i tend to buy ahead of time in the next size, we buy 1 good wuality warm going out jacket and then they have a nice rain coat and then a dodgy rain coat for the paddock.
DD1 has 1x kinder top & 1x kinder jumper then about 4 pairs of trackies which are kinder, sport or paddock clothes.
They have about 3 pairs of jeans each (if not more) and a million pairs of leggings.

Tops are crazy, i buy cheapies for at home in the paddock and then some nicer ones for going out.

It's REALLY CRAZY... i need to watch it a bit more at times i think.

[TaRhLi.]

I always buy clothes at the end of season sales for the next year. As the boys are growing so fast though I leave the tags on so if they don't wear them I can return them for a refund, Target are good with doing that without a receipt.

DD has about 10 pairs of tracksuit pants/jeans/leggings and long sleeve tops and the boys probably have about 7-8 outfits each. I wash everyday but we still manage to get wear out of all their clothes. Summer will be more interesting as DD will want to be in more dresses than shorts/pants so I made sure we have about 4-5 dresses ready for the warmer weather.

Next year DD will be at 3yr old kinder for 2 mornings a week so on those days she will probably go through 2 sets of clothes as I can already predict that kinder will be a messy place for her

[Astrid]

. Now I know we're having another girl, I buy more readily for DD because I know it'll go to DD2.

.

Ooh be careful with that. I found many of DD1's clothes have not passed on to DD2. She either won't wear that style (she is such a skirt girl), or it just plain does not suit her. You would not think it, but the girls have slightly different colouring. DD1 could carry some more unusual colours so well, that look awful on DD2. I am now cutting back with DD1's clothes. The only stuff I buy thinking about DD2 wearing it in the future are school uniforms and warm jackets.

[xXHopeXx]

My goodness i think looking at this thread I REALLY need to downsize DDs wardrobe admittedly we barely buy anything for her, apart from a super cute outfit here and there, because my sister and brother both had little girls before me and were the big spenders but still, she fills an adult chest of drawers, AND a wardrobe to hang her clothes in I haven't gone through her summer clothes for this year yet though, so maybe that might change lol

[PumpkinZulu]

Huh good to know! I figured I've got a bit of time up my sleeve, DD2 will be only 18 months younger, so I should have about 2 years of her being more or less under my control clothes wise...right? Mwahaha. Good point about the colouring. DH has brown eyes, olive skin, DD and I have blue eyes and pale skin. DD wears pretty plain colours though, mainly pinks and purple plain tops and leggings.

[Gigi]

i'm reading this thread with interest, i know i overcompensate with clothes for bilby, i feel so guilty about where we live and how we live, i feel guilty she is so upset about the family splitting up, so i try to make it up to her with pretty clothes (to a certain degree).

Also i'm sure part of it, is to make sure she doesn't go thru what i went thru as a kid - part of which was wrongsized, not very many, just yuck/wearing this will get you teased at school type clothing. I can't go THAT crazy, don't have the money, opshop when i can, but i'm sure she does have more clothing than she actually needs. I take really good care of the clothes, so at least they are still in great condition, when we hand them down to a younger child. She doesn't have relatives giving her clothes, or handing them down. So i can go a long time, not buying her many clothes (sticking to my resolve not to over do the clothes), then it comes to xmas and i remember, her only presents are from me and her father, so then i buckle (i got her two Gymboree tops when she turned four). This is like going to confession, ha ha. The tops were $15 each i think.

i buy the too big sizes, when i see ideal stuff that is on the clearance rack (cheap shops or opshop), so her "next size up" box is always in progress. (Opshop normal prices can be dearer than brand new cheapshops).

think i once read, a ballpark figure for clothes (prolly a decluttering article etc) would be SEVEN of most items.
e.g 7 pr shorts
7 pair jeans
7 tshirts (don't remember if that is short and long sleeved, or just short sleeved)
7 pjs
7 jumpers
presumably lots of undies and socks and singlets
plus seasonal gear (swimmers, warm coat, waterproof gear)

PZ you are so right, the first few years, when YOU have total control (cackle cackle) over what they wear, that does make life simpler. I hope you get to recycle lots of Isla's clothes with #2.