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After picking up some items during the back to school sales at the mall recently, I thought it would be fun to talk favorite children’s clothing brands. Whether we are buying brand new or from consignment sales or consignment stores, these are always my “go-to” brands. We are definitely not brand snobs and have just about every brand in the children’s closets, but these are just my favorites.
Carter’s
*
My kids tend to wear tons of Carter’s* clothing when they are babies and toddlers. Their children’s sizes go up to size 12, but for some reason we tend to branch out some to other brands the older they get. I think their clothes are precious and they run sales quite often which makes them fairly affordable too. We have gotten some great deals on pajamas. We don’t have a Carter’s store nearby, but I love hitting up the Carter’s outlet when we are at the outlet mall. {UPDATE: We finally have a Carter’s store locally and I’m so happy!}
Gymboree
If I had to choose, Gymboree* is probably my favorite brand. The clothes hold up really well and I always drool over the cute patterns and bright colors. They can pricey for brand new, but they do have some good sales if you keep your eyes peeled. {I actually adore Janie & Jack* as well, but hardly ever get my hands on their clothes, so I did not include them}. If I can’t get Gymboree brand new, then I always try and snag some items at consignment sales.
Crazy 8
I didn’t discover Crazy 8* until a couple of years ago. A sweet friend from church passed along a brand new winter coat for my daughter when she was about a year old. She had purchased it for her little girl, but realized it wasn’t going to fit and thought we might be able to use it instead. I was shocked when she told me how little she paid for it. They have some cute stuff and have some fabulous sale/clearance prices. They are under the Gymboree* umbrella, but since I shop there a lot now, I am listing it separately.
Old Navy/Gap
I’m including these 2 together because I love them for much of the same reason…the cute preppy outfits. The prices at Old Navy* are much better on my wallet and when I hit them up at the right time, I can score some cute new stuff for close to what I would pay if I bought them used. I have a harder time at Gap, unless I am buying ahead when things are marked way down. If I see Gap at consignment sales/stores, I get very happy!
Circo/Target
I think Target* has some cute clothes, but the kids mostly wear these for casual and play clothes. If I keep my eyes peeled, I can usually score some decent deals when they run sales and have Cartwheel coupons or when they are ending the seasons. I always head straight to the clearance racks first!
I think I enjoy shopping for the kids as much as I enjoy shopping for myself {or maybe even a little more}. My clothing budget keeps me in check, otherwise their closets would be bursting and my wallet would be empty! When I know I only have so much money to spend, I always look for my favorite children’s clothing brands first!
These are most of my favorite brands too! I loved discovering Crazy 8 a few years ago. They have great sales and it was great to learn that they are owned by Gymboree. I love Gap Kids and Baby Gap, but yes regular prices are crazy. I hit them up when they have end of the season clearance when they usually have an additional 30%-50% off red tag clearance prices. You can get some great stuff for great prices. I would add The Children's Place to this list, but my girls usually wear their clothes in the summer and mostly their matchables lines of coordinating tees, tanks, shorts, and skorts.
Sounds like we have very similar tastes, Amber! Our Children's Place store is further away, so that's probably why I haven't been in there much. I'll have to check them out more often!
I've found Crazy 8 stuff at thrift stores occasionally but have never seen a physical store from them – I didn't know that they are affordable new! Thanks! Will check them out. I love Gymboree because of the pre-coordinated lines but can only justify the cost sometimes 😉
I have pretty good luck with Crazy 8, but still always on their sale stuff. They are right next to the Old Navy near us, so I always stop in when I'm in there! 🙂
great post! I'm always looking for clothing tips for kids.. thanks for sharing at Create Link Inspire party! I'm featuring you over at Nap-Time Creations today in a fall fashion post. I've also spread the word around social media. Stop by and have a look! Emily
Hands down my favorite store is The Children’s Place! My LO is only a year old so she doesn’t quite wear out the clothes as much as I’d expect an older kid too. They run some AMAZING sales online (I’m talking 75-80% off everything in the store) and I always hit up their clearance section to buy ahead. It’s especially great for smaller babies because they tend to run out of bigger kid stock during their big sales. I’ve bought new shirts from them for less than $1 and jammies for less than $2.50. Where I live you can’t even buy used clothes for that price that don’t have holes, pills, or stains. For the more expensive brands or clothes I need to be a little more sturdy I hit up the website ThredUp. It’s an online consignment store with a great inventory. Their prices are high for basics but, as an example, I bought and Janie and Jack lined raincoat (which are super hard to find) for $15 that retails for over $50.
Thanks so much for the info, Jen! I have heard great things about The Children’s Place and their sales. I think the main reason I don’t get as much from there is b/c of the location of their store in our city. It’s just not as close to my house as some of the others. I’m glad you’ve had good luck with them!! Have a great day! –Sarah 🙂