This past week I went shopping for some new clothes for my toddler. He recently went through a growth spurt and half of the items in his closet no longer fit. I always buy clothes that are a little big and he wears them until they are a little small. He had a closet full of 12 month clothes and a small selection of 18 month clothes. I bought him quite a few 2T clothes and a small selection of 3T for him to grow into.
There is a trick to buying big. You have to find clothes that can be adjusted. Bib overalls are great because it’s as simple as shortening the straps. Lined pants are perfect because you can roll up the pant legs and they look like they were meant to be that way. My son has a pair of gray corduroys that have a plaid lining on the inside near the hem. They are really cute rolled up because there is just a peak of red plaid showing. I also like pants with an elastic waist, because they will fit loose and not fall down.
There are some children’s clothing companies that make pants with an adjustable waist. These are great for skinny kids, but they are also practical for buying big, since you can easily cinch the waist and roll up the pant legs as needed.
When buying shirts, make sure they are just a little too big. Sleeves are not very practical to roll up and shirts can start looking like dresses if they are too long. If you are buying for a future season, it’s anyone’s guess exactly what size your child will be when he reaches that season.
The trickiest articles of clothing to buy big are items that are time sensitive, like holiday outfits or winter coats. It’s great if you can buy them the season before when they are on clearance, but if they don’t fit when they need to be worn, it can be a problem.
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