6 Things to Know About Managing Kids' Wardrobes

Hint: It can feel like a full time job

I remember the very first outfit I bought my son before he was born. My husband and I had just found out that we were having a boy and I celebrated by finding a sentimental song to listen to on repeat for awhile and leisurely searching online the endless, adorable selection of baby clothing. Among that first haul of little baby clothes was a sweater onesie from Gap and a 3-piece outfit from H&M with foxes on it. Did my son ever end up wearing the adorable sweater onesie?? No. But I remember the feeling I had buying this adorable thing- thinking about how cozy it would be holding that little baby in my arms as he napped like an angel in that knitwear.

A couple of my first baby clothing purchases before my son was born. So. small....

So began my part-time career of being my kids’ personal stylist. Honestly, just as I enjoyed searching for cute outfits that first time, I still do enjoy shopping for and picking out clothing for my kids and I know many of my fellow moms feel the same. But I’ve gained a lot more stylist experience since that first mini shopping spree for my son including giving birth to a new girl client, aka my daughter. Buying clothes for kids isn’t just about what is CUTE, even though there is a lot of that. Being a kid’s personal stylist—one of infinite roles I know other moms also play— is a strategic, multi-dimensional, and often surprisingly emotional journey.

Here is my breakdown of the hidden and sometimes overwhelming things you should know about being in charge of a tiny person’s wardrobe:

1.     Kids’ clothing brand sizes vary a LOT

Where to begin…different brands’ clothing sizes for kids all mean different things. There is very little consistency in what a particular size means across brands. What is the logic behind having sizes like 3 months AND 3-6 months?? When does 3 month size end and 3-6 month begin?? Why do all of Zara’s baby clothes run 2 sizes too big? Why are Cat & Jack’s toddler shoes all ginormous? The reality is that while your child may be a particular age, whether they are big or small or ‘average’ for their age there is still just a lot of guesswork needed to figure out what size fits best in any given kids’ clothing brand. I outline differences in clothing sizes based on my experiences here.

2.     The money and time investment are high

Inflation certainly doesn’t help, but keeping a child’s wardrobe up-to-date with their growing sizes and changing seasons here in the Midwest can mean spending a lot of money. And with childcare costs the way they are, a top-of-the-line wardrobe falls low on the list. However, even keeping up with basic clothing needs requires spending both precious, precious time and money.

It sometimes even takes more time to try to save money on clothes- like being on high alert for second hand clothes on Mom Facebook groups or waiting for a sale at a particular store to purchase things.

3. There may be some pressure involved

I understand that not everyone feels this way- but for me personally as a clothing enthusiast I have felt the same pressure in dressing my kids as I do in dressing myself. Things that I think about when I'm looking at clothes for myself include--'is this too millennial (IYKYK)?', 'is this too out-there?', 'is this what I'm supposed to wear to a casual-but-black-tie outdoor wedding'??

There are similar sentiments that I've found myself thinking about when I'm buying clothes for my kids. Is it too stereotypical to lean into colors like pink for my daughter or blue for my son? Is it an obligation for a toddler boy to have at least 7 dinosaur-themed shirts? If I don't have holiday-themed pajamas for every holiday throughout the year am I a bad mom??? Do I have to buy the super-expensive winter coat brand or is this cheaper option still going to keep my little one warm in the snow?? While these are questions I ask myself and need assurance on, I can assure YOU with confidence that like many other things about motherhood, you're likely putting too much pressure on yourself. You're doing great!

4.     Where you live may mean multiple wardrobes per child per year

I live in Wisconsin, USA where there are in fact four seasons throughout the year, and sometimes within a single day. The change of seasons means different clothing requirements for each. And anticipating the change in seasons so that you’re ready for it and don’t have to send your kid out during the first snow of the year in last year’s too-tight winter coat.

My daughter in fall wearing her newborn-sized hat from previous winter and her older brother's too-big hand-me-down shoes. Still cute.

Another fun thing about this is maybe you saved all your older kid's clothes in hopes your next one could wear them but your first was born in winter and your second was born in summer so the sizes and seasons will never line up and you need to do it all over. Multiple seasons also means spending time transitioning closets and drawers from last season’s clothes to the next, which leads to number 5.

Baby steps...Organizing we were able to do with 2 hours of grammy babysitting the kids. Need another 48 hours to complete....

5.    You'll need an organizing and storage system to keep those clothes under control

When my son was born we had a few bins of clothes of increasing sizes for different seasons to last us his first 3-6 months. It was all well-organized, complete with printed label-maker labels. What we have accumulated in clothing since he was born as well as our daughter is now strewn across our attic. Some clothing still in nicely labeled, clear bins, other clothing thrown about because there's just not enough time in the day to neatly put outgrown clothes in the correctly-labeled bins.

I recommend having multiple new, empty bins at the ready for both small clothes sizes as your child grows out of them and for larger clothing sizes you may collect for the future. And listen--I absolutely adore The Home Edit and their organizational skills and products are beautiful, but I hereby grant you permission to NOT have solely aesthetically-pleasing storage bins and labels. It's time consuming and expensive! Mismatched boxes will sit in your attic just the same as acrylic ones with customized labels on them.

6.     You may get emotional about it

Emotions surrounding managing your child's wardrobe may range from frustration that kids' clothing needs are added to your mental load to all the nostalgia that ensues when you hold impossibly tiny socks or onesies in your hands and think about how much and how quickly your bebes have grown. Not to mention if you're putting those newborn sized clothes away you're probably still in your postpartum era with plenty of emotions and hormones to convince yourself that

7. It's one of a million ways we love and care for our kids

There are a lot of things about parenthood that are challenging, and I fully understand that kids' clothing shopping is small compared to many of those challenges. However, as I've been working through different seasonal wardrobe changes and growing kids and trying to keep up with their needs for clothes it is hard! It has all been taking up so much of my mindshare that I thought that sharing with others may be both helpful and reaffirming to other moms to acknowledge that it truly is a job to keep your children clothed. It's another way we make sure they are cared for: that they stay warm, that their feet stay dry, that they have a fun and flashy dress to wear to their spring music concert at school and it gives them all the confidence during their maraca solo...